Going to Mount Huangshan reminds me of the popular Beatles’ song “The Long and Winding Road”.     1     is so breathtaking about the experience is the out-of-this-world scenes. The rolling sea of clouds you see once you are at the top will remind you how tiny we     2     (human) are.

The hot spring at the foot of the mountain is something you must try after the climb. It will     3    (undoubted) help you get refreshed! The amazing thing about the spring is that the colder the temperature gets, the     4     (hot) the spring! Strange, isn’t it? But that’s how nature is — always leaving us     5     (astonish).

What comes next is the endless series of steps. You can’t help wondering how hard it     6     (be) for the people then to put all those rocks into place. Though it is the only unnatural thing on your way up the mountain, still it highlights the whole adventure     7    offers a place where you can sit down to rest your     8     (ache) legs.

As the song goes, this long and winding road “will never disappear”, and it will always stick in the visitor’s memory. It sure does in     9     (I). While you’re in China, Mount Huangshan is     10     must to visit!

The Xi’an City Wall is the most complete city wall that has survived China’s long history. It     1     (build) originally to protect the city     2     the Tang dynasty and has now been completely restored (修复). It is possible       3     (walk) or bike the entire 14 kilometers.

We accessed the wall through the South Gate. The wall is 12 meters high and from here you can see streams of people moving inside and outside the City Wall.

After     4     (spend) some time looking at all the defensive equipment at the wall, we decided it was time for some action and what     5     (good) than to ride on a piece of history!

We     6     (hire) our bikes from the rental place at the South Gate. My bike was old and shaky     7     did the job. It took us about 3 hours to go all     8     way around the Xi’an City Wall. Supposedly you can do it in two hours, but we stopped at the different gates and     9     (watchtower) to take pictures or just to watch the local people going about their     10     (day) routines.

Despite its rapid industrialization, there are still some corners in China that have maintained its original color.

Ancient towns and villages in China are places     1     traditions are well preserved in terms of architecture, lifestyle and folk customs. All of these can be found in Huangyao Ancient Town, one of the most-visited tourist     2    (spot) in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

    3    (cover) an area of 3.6 square kilometers, Huangyao has a history of nearly 1,000 years     4     its origins dating back to the Song Dynasty. People     5    (carry) on traditional festivals and customs here for hundreds of years up to now. During Chinese Lunar New Year, over 20 traditional performances     6    (hold), including the dragon dance and suona horn show. On July 14 in the Chinese lunar calendar, residents often come to the riverbank and put lanterns into the river     7    (celebrate) Zhongyuan Jie, the Hungry Ghost Festival.

Black soybean is often added to its local food to create an     8    (extreme) distinctive flavor. When you visit, Huangyao tofu is     9     must-try local dish as it is sold only in this town.

It usually takes a day or two to tour around the old town due to its small size, but you can always stay     10    (long) to experience more of its local hospitality and culture.

The Grand Canal is the oldest and longest man-made waterway in the world with a history of more than 2,500 years,     1     construction started in the Spring and Autumn Period. The 1794 kilometers’ waterway is 22 times     2     length of the Panama Canal. It is a golden waterway second only to the Yangtze River in China. The Grand Canal runs from Zhejiang to Beijing     3     (pass) through six provinces and two municipalities and connects five main river systems.

The canal     4     (function) as the backbone of the ancient empire’s inland communication and trading systems. Grain, salt,     5     (log) and silk were transported along the canal to all directions. Scores of towns along the banks developed, contributing     6     (huge) to ancient China’s economy. The canal enormously promoted economic interaction and cultural exchange between the north     7     south, which ensured the country’s     8     (stable).

In 2014, it was listed as a UNESCO world heritage site. In 2019 China issued a plan     9     (construct) national cultural parks for the Grand Canal. During the last 2 years, building the Grand Canal national cultural parks     10     (recognize) as a key task in the 14th Five-Year Plan. In future, cities along the Grand Canal will form a new cultural belt, green belt and tourism belt.

Hangzhou will build a world-class ecological and cultural tourism corridor in connection with Anhui Province’s Huangshan City. Five towns in Hangzhou’s Chun’an County and five towns in Huangshan’s Shexian County    1     (include) according to the prepared plan. In ancient times, they were part of Huizhou region where the Xin’an River runs through. Dating back to the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), a trail    2    (link) Hangzhou’s Tianmu Mountain and Huangshan’s Yellow Mountain was formed to exchange goods     3     the two regions.

Over the years, Hangzhou and Huangshan     4    (preserve) their unique architecture and local ways of life in old villages, making this area popular with tourists. The villages have resisted the winds of change    5     swept across many other parts of China. In addition to architecture, also, the natural environment is being protected, with sewage(污水)    6    (treat) and new infrastructure being built.

These improvements are attracting more tourists and creating     7     engine for the local economy. Moreover, for those who love hiking, jogging or cycling, the Thousand Islands Lake in Chun’an County is an ideal destination    8     it boasts 1, 078 islands, winding roads and charming villages.

In     9    (add), Hangzhou will also increase forest coverage along the river in partnership with Huangshan, which perfectly matches President Xi Jinping’s concept of “Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets” to highlight a     10    (harmony) relationship between ecological protection and economic development.

In southern China, there is a famous road     1    (build) across Poyang Lake, which lies in the north of Jiangxi Province, China and is known as China’s second     2     (large) lake. People in China also call it “the most beautiful road under the water.”

This road is sure     3     (attract) a lot of attention towards the end of May every year. A lot of people come out of     4     (curious). The water level of the lake is so close to the surface of the road,     5     makes the view ahead broad and bright when people drive along. It’s as though they were taking a boat across the lake. The feeling is     6     (simple) wonderful!

For the next few months, this road is not above the surface    7    under the water. When the water level of Poyang Lake starts to go up, the road surface becomes unseen. However, drivers can still drive across the lake safely     8     watching the guardrails(防撞护栏) fixed on either side of the road. For thrill-seeking motorists, it’s like     9     (drive) an amphibious(水陆两栖的) super car. Then in a few days, the entire road     10     (flood) with the continuously rising water. A few months later, the road will reappear.

Marrakech (马拉喀什) is the fourth largest city in Morocco and has a rich architectural heritage. However, an earthquake in September caused serious damage     1     some of them in the city.

The Medina district, the old cultural center of Marrakech, was one of them.     2     (add) to UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1985, the district is enclosed by 900-year-old walls built of red sandstone that once     3     (defend) the city against danger. However, large parts of these walls were damaged in the earthquake and long sections now show deep cracks     4     other parts have collapsed.

Apart from ancient walls, Morocco World News reported that the city’s Kharbouch Mosque (清真寺) was almost     5     (entire) destroyed. Before the earthquake, it was a cultural center for the city     6     dancers and storytellers performed. A local resident     7     (tell) The New Arab that the mosque dates back to the 17th century.

After visiting Marrakech     8     (follow) the destruction, Eric Falt, an officer at UNESCO, stressed that it was necessary to immediately plan for the     9     (construct) of damaged cultural assets (资产). The earthquake’s impact on Marrakech’s cultural heritage     10     (expect) to be a long-term challenge that will require careful restoration efforts, noted Morocco World News.

Welcome to Shangri-La (香格里拉) . Although located in Yunnan, it has many old    1    (village) with a unique countryside life. The     2    (beauty) city was formerly called Zhongdian that     3    (burn) by a big fire on January 11, 2014, but it has been rebuilt quickly. It’s nice    4    (see) the locals dancing every night on the main square. Visitors can involve themselves in     5    (dance). Guests can also explore its area nearby either on foot    6    by bike. A popular place is China’s first national park, Pudacuo,    7    is home to the lakes of Napa and Shudu. Maybe you can even meet with the golden Yunnan monkeys in one of    8    villages!    9    (clear), the winter is pretty cold in Shangri-La, but for those who are not afraid    10    the cold temperature, to see the snow here is very attractive!