TV Drama Puts Spotlight on Ancient Tea Art

A Dream of Splendor, a 40-episode TV drama     1    (broadcast) on Tencent Video platform, has become a hit recently. The series features China’s traditional tea acrobatics(技巧), which is also one of the intangible cultural heritage (非物质文化遗产)     2    (item) in China.

Chinese tea culture has witnessed a long history     3     the Tang Dynasty (618-907). It flourished throughout the Song Dynasty,     4     the popular way of having tea became dian cha—a kind of tea art. It is     5     delicate technique that starts from pouring hot water over fine powdered tea to make it mushy(糊状的). Then more hot water is added slowly while the tea is     6    (constant) stirred by hand with a bamboo stick to create froth(泡沫), which can be used     7    (draw) patterns on the surface of it. This action of pouring hot water is called dian, giving this art the name dian cha, while the art of using water to draw on the tea is called chabaixi.

This old practice not only makes drinking tea more     8    (enjoy), but also enhances the taste of it. It’s common to see coffee art in modern society,     9     tea art is relatively little-known. This popular TV series brings this intangible cultural heritage to more audiences and     10    (spread) traditional Chinese tea culture.

Porcelain, also named china, is made by heating raw materials, often a mix between china stone and kaolin clay, in a kiln (窑) at a temperature as high as 1, 200 degree Celsius, which is key     1     making porcelain.     2     (go)through the fire of reinvention at a high temperature gives porcelain with greater     3     (strong), more translucence (半透明) and a feast of colors.

Blue porcelain produced in Longquan, Zhejiang province, a technique which     4     (pass) down at least 1, 600 years ago, is a typical example of craftsmen’s pursuit of the perfect green light. And     5     takes 72 steps to produce Longquan celadon’s jade-like green. Plum green and light green are two colors of the best quality.

Porcelain has also been a carrier for cultural exchanges. Along with China’s silk and tea, porcelain was one of the first goods     6     (receive) worldwide trade. As it     7     (gradual) travelled around the globe through the ancient Maritime Silk Road, porcelain enjoyed great popularity among royal families and upper classes in Europe,     8     were attracted by these beautiful containers they named after China, a product that could be produced only in the far East.

Porcelain began as a     9     (practice) container and evolved into pieces of art. Even when shattered into pieces and buried deep in mud, cultural values     10     (attach) to porcelain would never disappear.

Admiration among youngsters brings China Chic (国潮) into sharp focus. According to     1     report released on Feb 3, 2021 by Bilibili, more than 177 million of the platform’s users were in favor of videos featuring traditional culture. The approval reflects the situation that the “China Chic” phenomenon     2    (embrace) by the younger generation in recent years.

During the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, young athletes wore sports clothing     3    (bear) Chinese elements such as dragons, pandas and tigers, also competition venues like the Great Wall and auspicious(吉样的) patterns     4    (include) in the design. China Chic could also be seen during the opening and closing ceremonies, and in the designs of gifts and medals.

A China Chic artist Yu Yang said, “China Chic represents a kind of pride and     5    (strong) in our culture. We used to follow the lifestyle promoted by the West, one     6     does ignore Chinese traditions and values.     7     China’s economy becoming stronger, the young generation gradually get to know who they are     8     what they really want to follow.” However,     9     this trend can go on still hangs in the balance. “Some people just simply do ‘copy-and-paste’ jobs. That will hurt the consumers’ passion and     10    (ultimate) ruin the trend’s development. We have to deeply understand and love our culture first as designers,” Yu said.

The most popular martial arts today originated(起源)in Asia,     1    (especial) in China. Some Chinese fighting styles     2    (invent) more than 3,000 years ago. Many martial arts were invented because people needed to defend themselves or protect     3    . Nowadays, people learn martial arts as a way of keeping ft or as a competitive sport, but they are still very useful for self - defence.

Martial arts are often referred to as either soft or hard. Soft martial arts, such as tai chi, teach you to use your opponent’s (对手) own force to defend yourself, whose movements     4    (be) soft for the defender but not for the attacker! On the other hand, hard styles, such as Kung Fu, teach you     5    (defend) yourself using force. Hard martial arts techniques are more effective if you are more skillful, more powerful and faster     6     your opponent.

Perhaps one of the best known Japanese martial arts today is karate. In the 14th century, a community of Chinese migrants (移民) from Fujian settled in     7    was then the kingdom of Okinawa. The Chinese migrants used to gather in a park to enjoy cultural     8    (activity) —one of which was kung fu. This soon caught the attention of local youths, who started learning kung fu from their Chinese neighbors. And     9     very first Korean military training manual (手册) was also based on a Chinese version (版本) called Ji Xiao Xin Shu     10    (write) by the famed Chines general, Qi Jiguang, who had himself defeated Japanese pirates.

As an epic (史诗)     1     brings back to life some of the most famous poets from the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the highly     2     (expect)animated movie Chang’an held its premiere (首映) in     3     was once its namesake city, now known as Xi’an, the provincial capital of Shaanxi province on July 2.

Produced by Light Chaser Animation,     4     Beijing-based animated studio known for its focus on tales inspired by traditional culture and mythology, the film     5     (schedule) for a nationwide release on Saturday.

    6     a runtime of 168 minutes, the longest of any Chinese animated movie to date, Chang’an describes the decades-long friendship of Li Bai, arguably the country’s most beloved poet, and Gao Shi, his close friend and a noted poet as well, and also     7     (reveal) the dynasty’s transition from peak prosperity to decline due to the unrest caused by An Lushan, who was once one of Emperor Xuanzong’s most favored     8     (general).

Xie Junwei, who co-directs the movie with Zou Jing, says that he made multiple trips to Xi’an in search of inspiration during the production,     9     (add) that the small statues and ancient paintings exhibited at the Shaanxi History Museum provided them with     10     (value) ideas for the film.

Imagine a place where, as a nature lover, you have a chance to see 17 species of animals, 94 different kinds of birds and 230 types of plants in just four days.

It might seem like an impossible task, especially for someone who is not a     1     (profession)scientific researcher. But that’s exactly     2     those who took part in the Nangqen International Wildlife Watch Festival did,     3     many of their sightings recorded in their cameras.

The event,     4     (hold)between July 20 and 23 this year in Nangqen county, Qinghai province, was organized by the county government and Shanshui Conservation Center, a nonprofit organization based in Beijing,     5     (celebrate)the rich biodiversity of this unique part of China.

For the festival, more than 50 wildlife enthusiasts from across China, Australia, France, the United Kingdom and the United States formed 17 teams     6     did their best to be the one that could photograph     7     most species. The contest area     8     (main)ranged from their base camp at 3,800 meters to 5,000 meters—well above the tree line.

Members of the local community     9     (hire)as drivers, guides and to run the campsite at which the     10     (participate)stayed during the festival.

The Getty Center sits on a hilltop in the Santa Monica Mountains,     1     (tower) above the city of Los Angeles. The museum was    2     (origin) constructed to house the vast art collection belonging to oil tycoon J. Paul Getty. Today, the modernist complex     3     (hold) so many art works that the exhibit areas can show just a part of them at a time, making the artistic special exhibitions a highlight of any visit to the Getty.

The Center’s award-winning architect, Richard Meier, did    4     outstanding job of creating a public space that has surprised many visitors. Visitors go to the Getty thinking they are visiting a museum with works of art    5     (display) inside.     6     they discover instead is a work of art with a museum inside. Meier took some basic materials: metal, stone and glass. Working with a billion-dollar budget, he combined them to create a work of architecture     7     can excite visitors as much as the art collection inside    8     (do). Around every corner and at every turn, there is a new view    9     store for guests. And then, just when they think they have seen it all, a new fountain or landscape pops up.

In addition to museum tours, the Getty also provides various free on-site tours, including tours of the gardens. These    10     (exploration) are a must for anyone interested in learning more about Meier’s techniques and ideas.

David was one of     1     most helpful students that we ever had. In 2004, he went to university in London and became interested in Chinese culture.

After his     2    (graduate) from university, he went to China to study Chinese at Beijing Language and Culture University.Two years later, he was able to speak Chinese    3     (fluent) and achieved high grades in all subjects.     4    (study) his Chinese culture, he started travelling in China. Some of the cities in China he likes most    5     (be) Beijing, Shanghai, Harbin and Nanjing. In China he develops an interest in teaching English to Chinese students. Most of the students whom he taught     6    (become)his friends ever since.

When he returned to Britain two months ago, he brought back from China many    7    (interest) books, dictionaries, paintings and photos     8     (spread) Chinese culture. He donated (捐赠) most of them to our school library. Some of the books were gifts     9     he got from his Chinese friends and students. The paintings that David donated to the school are being shown in the exhibition room. Teachers and students at our school wish to thank David    10     his kindness.