China’s First National Park

China’s first national park in Northwest of China’s Sanjiangyuan area,     1     (cover)a total area of 123,100 square kilometers, was officially established in 2020     2     schedule. The national park is the country’s calling card, and unlike nature reserves,     3     protect unique species, national parks stress the protection of the entire ecosystem.

Under the national park management, herders and     4     (farmer) will be turned into the forces of     5     (environment) protection in the Sanjiangyuan area. The work     6     (expect) to provide jobs, boost incomes and give people an     7     (encourage) to protect the environment. The ecological environment of the Sanjiangyuan area has greatly improved in recent years. The grassland coverage of the area has risen sharply     8     (compare) with the last decade. The last decade also saw a significant increase in the number of wild animals, because the number of Tibetan antelopes     9     (be) over 70,000 from less than 20,000 in     10     1980s.

After four years of recovery, Jiuzhaigou     1       (full) reopened to visitors on Sep. 28th, 2021.

Jiuzhaigou, whose name is derived from the nine Tibetan villages there,       2       (locate) in Jiuzhai county, Sichuan province and covers an area of more than 60,000 hectares. There are three major valleys in Jiuzhaigou, and each of them     3       (have) an altitude higher than 2,000 meters. It is a well-known fairyland     4     features snowy peaks, spectacular waterfalls, colorful forests, jade sea and Zang customs. Because of its diversity in natural scenery, it was listed as     5     UNESCO world heritage site in 1992.

The scenic area is a world of crystal lakes     6     colors of white, blue, green, turquoise or emerald, bringing Jiuzhaigou its most fascinating view. Besides these magical lakes, it has China’s     7       (wide) waterfall—Nuorilang Waterfall, with a width of 270 meters. Jiuzhaigou is also home to 3,634 species of plants and animals like giant pandas and golden snub-nosed monkeys,       8       (win) the reputation of an “earthly paradise”.

Nowadays, the scenic spot has regained its former glamour. Tourism support     9       (facility) have been improved to better provide services to travelers. Jiuzhaigou county has also been trying     10       (offer) visitors a more diversified tourism experience.

Welcome to Lijiang,     1     very impressive ancient city! Upon your     2     (arrive), your guide and driver will meet you at the airport or the railway station, and transport you to the hotel in ancient town area with a private car which is     3     (comfort), air-conditioned and non-smoking.

After a short rest, you’ll start a memorable tour in Lijiang Ancient Town.     4     (establish) in the Ming Dynasty as a business center, it is a well-preserved 800-year-old town, which     5     (list) as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. Wander to the central area of the old town and visit Mufu Palace. It is famous     6     the architectural buildings.     7     (get) into the palace, you can know Tusi’s ruling history and appreciate Naxi people’s brilliant culture and fine arts. Then, walk through the old alleys (小巷), old bridges, featured shops and bars to Sifang Street Square,     8     is a must-see attraction. If time permits, join the Naxi people and tourists to dance     9     (happy) in a round.

The small town also enjoys convenience in transportation. There     10     (be) direct flights from dozens of cities and trains are also available from Kunming, Dali.

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.

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!

Mount Vesuvius is an active volcano located just east of Naples, Italy. It is the only volcano on the continent of Europe that     1     (erupt) in the last one hundred years, though other volcanoes have erupted on islands in the Mediterranean Sea. Vesuvius's earliest     2     (record) eruption is now its most famous. In the year A. D. 79,     3     little or no warning, Vesuvius erupted and completely buried the ancient city of Pompeii. For two days the mountain shot     4     (volcano) material into the air, spreading     5     blanket of ash over the landscape. Pompeii, located seven kilometers from the volcano,     6     (bury) under five meters of ash. The destruction was so complete that it was not until sixteen hundred years later     7     the city was discovered. Evidence of the religion, culture, and everyday life of the Pompeiians, all     8     (leave) behind in the sudden panic of the volcano's catastrophe, are     9     (remarkable) well preserved. And everywhere there are     10     (remind) of its sudden eruption and the shadow of Vesuvius. Even the forms of the citizens remain. Their bodies lie much as they did on the day of their death almost twenty centuries ago.