During China’s dynastic period, emperors planned the city of Beijing     1     arranged the residential areas according to social classes. The term “hutong”,     2     (original) meaning “water well" in Mongolian, appeared first during the Yuan Dynasty.

In the Ming Dynasty, the center was the Forbidden City,     3     (surround) in concentric (同心的) circles by the Inner City and Outer City. Citizens of higher social classes     4     (permit) to live closer to the center of the circles. The large siheyuan of these high-ranking officials and wealthy businessmen often     5     (feature) beautifully carved and painted roof beams and pillars (柱子). The hutongs they formed were     6     (order), lined by spacious homes and walled gardens. Farther from the center lived the commoners and laborers. Their siheyuan were far smaller in scale and       7     (simple) in design and decoration, and the hutongs were narrower.

Hutongs represent an important cultural element of the city of Beijing. Thanks to Beijing’s long history     8     the capital of China, almost every hutong has its stories, and some are even associated with historic     9     (event). In contrast to the court life and upper-class culture represented by the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, and the Temple of Heaven, the hutongs reflect     10     culture of grassroots Beijingers.

3 . When it comes to hiking, Greece has something for every kind of walker. The mainland boasts (拥有)well-maintained routes, while on the country’s islands you’ll find ancient paths dating back to Byzantine times connecting sleepy villages with beautiful sandy coves (小海湾). Here’s our pick of Greece’s best hikes.

16 kilometers(10 miles), 4 hours

Hiking the 16-kilometer Samaria Gorge is considered one of Crete’s must-do experiences, which is why you’ll rarely be without company. Nevertheless, there’s an undeniable raw beauty to Samaria, where vertical (垂直的) walls soar up to 500 meters and are just 3.5 meters apart at the narrowest point (150 meters at the broadest).

The hike begins at 1,230 meters at Xyloskalo just south of Omalos and ends in the coastal village of Agia Roumeli. It’s especially scenic in April and May, when wildflowers brighten the route.

8 kilometers(5 miles), 3 to 4 hours

The summit of Mt Ohi (Profitis Ilias; 1,398 m), lesser-visited Evia’s third-highest peak, is crowned by mysterious ancient dragon houses: 7th century BC architecture, made from rocks weighing several tons. From Myli, it’s an 8-kilometer hike to the summit (three to four hours).

It’s possible to stay overnight at the 1,000-meter-high refuge then hike up Mt Ohi to catch the sunrise(30 minutes), which makes for a magical experience. Contact South Evia Tours or Evia Adventure Tours for details.

14 kilometers (9 miles), 3 to 4 hours

This 14-kilometer downhill hike follows a centuries-old pathway from historic Delphi to the ancient port of Kirra, just east of modern Itea on the southern coast of mainland Greece.

The hike starts from the E4 long-distance starting point 100 meters east of the Hotel Acropole. Skirting the village of Crissa, it goes to the gulf (海湾) through Greece’s largest olive garden. After your three-to-four-hour hike, and lunch or a swim, you can return to Delphi by bus (around 2 euros).

5 kilometers(3 miles), 2 hours

An easy, enjoyable 5-kilometer(two-hour)round-trip hike escapes Lindos to reach the so-called Tomb of Kleobolus. Starting alongside Car Park 1 above the main beach, the route ends at a rocky hill topped by a circular tomb actually built during the 2nd century BC, long after Kleobolus ruled Rhodes.

4 . Enjoy the Beauty of Yunnan

Yunnan’s spring is warm with few rains, and the temperature changes quickly.

Average temperature: 6-20℃ (43-68℉)

Clothes: jackets, hoodies (连帽衫), long sleeves, jeans

Recommended tour destinations: The spring in Yunnan is the best time to visit blooming flowers and newly sprouted (发芽的) plants. Luoping, Dali and Lijiang are the most beautiful places in Yunnan during this time. You may go to Luoping for the seas of yellow rape flowers, and enjoy the cherry blossoms around Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake in Dali.

It’s not as hot as other places in China, and it’s often rainy. You may take an umbrella and raincoat with you.

Average temperature: 15-26℃ (59-79℉)

Clothes: T-shirts, short sleeves, thin pants...

Recommended tour destinations: In summer, you may appreciate lotus flowers in Puzhehei Scenic Area, stroll around Lijiang Ancient Town, visit Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Shuhe Ancient Town and Lugu Lake in Lijiang.

Both the temperature and the rainfall decrease in autumn. It’s cool and clear to go for pleasant trips.

Average temperature: 17-25℃ (63-77℉)

Clothes: T-shirts, jeans, basketball coat...

Recommended tour destinations: To see the most beautiful autumn leaves and flowers in Yunnan, you can go to Gudong Gingko Village in Tengchong, Stone Forest in Kunming and Potatso National Park in Shangri-La.

It’s sunny and dry usually with a lower temperature, even so it’s still warmer than the northern China. Lots of visitors go there to escape from bitter cold and consider it the best time to visit Yunnan China.

Average temperature: 8-19℃ (46-66℉)

Clothes: sweaters, overcoats, jackets, thick pants...

Recommended tour destinations: There are varied scenic spots and activities to do in winter. The world heritage Yuanyang Rice Terraces is fantastic with the glittering watering fields all over the mountains. Xishuangbanna houses the only tropical rainforest in China, which is also a popular winter destination.

Diaojiaolou is a traditional residence of several ethnic minorities in China such as the Miao, Zhuang, Buyi and Tujia people. You can find a group of these houses     1     (locate) beside a river or in the     2     (mountain) areas of Yunnan, Guangxi, Hunan and Sichuan. The history of Diaojiaolou     3     (stretch) back 1400 years.

The traditional residence, typically two to three stories high, is a wooden house built on stilts (柱子). The unusual structure is considered     4     masterpiece of clever carpentry. The high     5     (hang) floors of the structure are held up by wooden stilts, which give the house an unsteady appearance from afar. But a Diaojiaolou is, in fact, firmly fixed with its stilts further reinforced by stone blocks at     6     (they) bases. The ground floor tends    7     (use) as storage space for firewood and farming equipment. Livestock (牲畜) stay on the ground floor, while people always live     8     it.

These stilted buildings sheltered people from fierce beasts in ancient times. Nowadays they continue to provide protection from venomous snakes and insects     9     are not uncommon throughout China. These buildings also help prevent humidity-related diseases in southern China.     10     (additional), the cool breeze blowing through the windows of the upper levels acts like a kind of natural air conditioner.

Standing on the top story of Basantapur Palace in Nepal, Yuan Mengxi is having a hard time relating today’s reality with    1    she saw seven years ago.

The palace complex,     2    (locate) in the middle of Durbar Square in the country’s capital Kathmandu, was badly damaged in    3    massive earthquake in April 2015. The 9-storeyed       palace, a tourist landmark, was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979.

The palace not only has great    4     (history) significance, but is also an architectural feat (功绩). “ You can see the whole place from here, and everything is beautiful and    5    order,” says Yuan, a 33-year-old originally from Zhengzhou, the capital of Central China’s Henan province. She is     6     (current) working for the Beijing-based Chinese Academy of Cultural Heritage and is in charge of a team sent    7     (rebuild) the palace.

She says she was in shock    8     (see) the city after the quake at the time. Heritage buildings in Durbar Square    9     (destroy), with wooden statues buried and spread over a wide area.“ Kathmandu Valley was still covered in the dust from the quake,” she recalls.

After the earthquake, both the Chinese and Nepali governments agreed to launch a project    10     (aim) at restoring the nine-storeyed Basantapur Palace complex.