Rising up in the countryside of Jiangxi Province, Mount Lushan was once one of the famous cultural     1     (center) of ancient China. In fact, its historical importance meant that it     2     (honor) as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996.

Located about 20 kilometres south of Jiujiang City, it runs eastwards to the Mufu Mountains. Dahanyang Peak, the highest peak of Mount Lushan,     3     (rise) 1, 474 metres above sea level. To the north, it offers    4     (impress) views of the Yangtze River, while to, the south it overlooks Poyang Lake.

As early as the Eastern Han Dynasty, a well-known Taoist leader,     5     (name) Zhang Daoling travelled to the mountain. During the Jin Dynasty, the Donglin Temple was built on the mountain by a person called Huiyuan. From then on, many temples began coming up across the mountain, until there were over 300 of them.

However, Mount Lushan didn’t become truly famous until the Song Dynasty. During that time, it was rebuilt by Zhu Xi,    6    was the founder of Neo-Confucianism (理学). Due    7     his efforts, this place became one of the Four Great Academies of China. By the 19th century, it had become into an     8     (extreme) large place, with its own temples, study halls, and libraries. Overtime, countless writers and artists have sung the mountain’s praises,    9     (leave) over 900 works of art.

Nowadays, with its beautiful l views and famous temples, the mountain range is     10     popular tourist attraction.

Imagine mountains wrapped in silver water,     1     (shine) in the spring sun. Summer     2     (see) the mountain s turn bright green with growing rice. During autumn, these same mountains are gold, and in winter they are covered in     3     (sheet) of white frost. These are the colours of the Longji Rice Terraces.

These terraces were built by the local Zhuang and Yao people,     4     whom Guangxi is home.     5     (start) in the Yuan Dynasty, work on the terraces took hundreds of years, until its     6     (complete) in the early Qing Dynasty. Reaching as far as the eye can see, these terraces cover tall mountains, often from the bottom to the very top.

So why did these people go to so much trouble to turn the entire mountains     7     terraces? Firstly, there are few large, flat areas of land in the region.     8     (build) the terraces therefore meant that they could increase the areas in     9     they could grow rice. Secondly, although the region has plenty of rain, the mountains are steep and the soil is shallow. The flat terraces catch the rainwater and prevent the soil from     10     (be) washed away.

6 . Amazing China in 60 Seconds is a short-video series covering cultural and scenic hotspots across the country. If you are curious about China, then here are two selections from the series .

Tibet autonomous region in Southwest China, home to the highest highland on Earth, is known as the “roof of the world”. It’s a paradise for tourists with its towering snow mountains, vast grasslands, quiet and peaceful lakes and breathtaking views. Must-visit places include the Potala Palace — a UNESCO world heritage site, Mount Qomolangma, Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon and more.

Tibet is also famed for its rich ethnic culture, including the Tibetan dance, age-old thangka painting and Lum medicinal bathing of Sowa Rigpa — traditional Tibetan bathing for a medical purpose which was put onto the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2018.

East China’s Jiangsu province is a land of abundance where the symphony (交响乐)of the mountains and rivers echoes (回响). The hustle and bustle (熙熙攘攘) of daily life reflects its prosperity, and running rivers define its magic beauty.

Jiangsu province is home to several UNESCO world heritages sites, including the Classical Gardens of Suzhou, the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum in Nanjing and part of the Grand Canal. Jiangsu is also known for its graceful Chinese-style gardens, water towns, the Kunqu Opera and Nanjing brocade — an age-old silk handicraft that represents the highest achievement in silk weaving in China.

The Grand Canal is the longest and     1     (old) canal in the world. It forms     2     huge inland waterway system in China, running from the capital Beijing in the north to Zhejiang Province in the south.

    3     (build) in sections from the 5th century BC and completed and maintained (维持) by several     4     (dynasty), it formed the backbone of China’s inland communications system, which enabled the supply of rice     5     (feed) the population. The Grand Canal reached a new peak in the 13th century, providing an inland shipping network consisting of more than 2, 000 km of artificial waterways,     6     linked five of the most important river basins in China, including the Huanghe River and the Changjiang River. Still     7     major means of internal communication today, it     8     (play) an important role in ensuring the prosperity (繁荣) and stability of China over the ages.

The Grand Canal bears witness to a remarkable and early development of hydraulic engineering (水利工程) . It is an important technological achievement     9     (date) from before the Industrial Revolution (工业革命). It is a perfect example of dealing with difficult natural conditions, as is reflected in the many constructions that are     10     (full) adapted to the diversity and complexity of circumstances. It best demonstrates the technical capabilities of Eastern civilizations.

The Great Wall was listed as a World Heritage by UNESCO in 1987. Just like a dragon, it winds its way from west to east, across deserts, over mountains, through valleys, till at last it reaches the sea.

    1     history, the Great Wall has stood as a symbol of China’s determination to protect its borders. The construction of the Great Wall was not that easy,     2     drew heavily on the local resources for building materials. The walls were     3     (original) built in the Spring & Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. Emperor Qin Shihuang succeeded in his effort to have them     4       (join) together. Since then, the Great Wall     5     ( serve) as a monument of the Chinese nation.

With a history of about 2,700 years, some parts of the Great Wall are now in ruins or have disappeared. However, the Great Wall of China is still one of the most appealing     6     (attraction) all around the world owing to its historical significance. The best-known part of the Great Wall of China, Badaling,     7     (locate) 43 miles northwest of Beijing, attracts thousands of national and foreign tourists every day. Another popular section is the Mutianyu Great Wall     8       you can find stunning scenery and well-preserved architecture.

Today, there is a general     9     (recognize) that the Great Wall is one of the most important architectural achievements in history. Visiting the Great Wall provides     10     unique opportunity to immerse oneself in the country’s long and glorious history.

The sheepskin raft (筏), the oldest ferry tool along the Yellow River, has a history of nearly 2,000 years. The airbag of the raft is made of a whole sheepskin and experiences processes that include     1     (heat), soaking, sewing, drying and blowing. Afterwards, the airbags are attached     2     a wooden stand, enabling its use for transporting people and goods across the water.

It is said that the     3     (large) sheepskin raft in old times consisted of more than 600 sheepskin airbags, with an impressive length of 22 meters and a     4     (wide) of 7 meters.

    5     railways were not yet in operation and road traffic was inconvenient in the early 20th century, the sheepskin raft     6     (serve) as the most important means of transportation for residents nearby.

However, with the rapid development of society, the sheepskin raft has finished     7     (it) historical task in transporting people and goods. Nowadays, it can only be found in several cities. It has become a tool for people     8     (go) sightseeing along the river.

Today only some of the older generation of rafters still operate the traditional sheepskin rafts,     9     are struggling to make a living. Unsurprisingly, the younger generations prefer to pursue other business     10     (opportunity) on the riverbank rather than continue the operation.