The Old Town of Lijiang, lying in the northwest of Yunnan Province, is one of the last     1     (survive) ancient towns in China. The architecture of the Old Town of Lijiang is noteworthy for the     2     (combine) of elements from several cultures, and its ancient water-supply system still functions     3     (effective) today.

The Yulong Snow Mountain to the north-west     4     (serve) as the source of the rivers and springs. This town is made up     5     three parts: Dayan Old Town established in the Ming Dynasty as a commercial centre, Baisha housing cluster established earlier during the Song and Yuan dynasties, and Shuhe housing clusters located 4 km north-west of Dayan Old Town. These settlements lying in mountains and     6     (surround) by water display the mixture of local cultures, folk customs and traditions over several centuries.

It     7     (design) as a town around the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty. From 1253 on, the Naxi people of Lijiang developed     8     unique social system, customs and culture of their own. In the 18th century, the Qing Dynasty rulers carried out a policy of     9     (culture) interaction, and the Naxi people adopted the customs of the Tibetan     10     Han peoples. Despite several earthquakes, most of the old town keeps its original structure.

Ancient Forest Found Inside A Giant Sinkhole In China

The residents of Leye County in South China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region are familiar     1     sinkholes. The area’s 29 sinkholes and underground caves have earned it a UNESCO World Heritage Site name. But the one     2     (explore) by scientists in early May 2022 had an extraordinary secret—a well-preserved ancient forest.

Lixin Chen,     3     (found) of the Guangxi 702 Cave Expedition Club, and his team first went inside the massive sinkhole on May 6, 2022. It did not take     4     (they) long to reach firm ground to walk on. But the group soon realized they were nowhere close to the bottom of the 630-foot-deep sinkhole. They had to walk through trees as high as 130 feet for a few hours     5     (get) there.

Since then, the scientists     6     (return) to the sinkhole which they named “The Eagle” several times. They have found three collapsed caves, evidence of     7     ancient underground river, and a small underground lake. Chen says, “I wouldn’t be     8     (amaze) to know that there are species found in these caves that have never been reported or described by science until now.”

The sinkholes,     9     are left undisturbed by human activity, can be an oasis (绿洲)for life, especially for     10     (previous) unknown species.