1 . There is an old saying in China that goes, “The days of the Sanjiu period are the coldest days.” “Sanjiu period”, which is in Minor (较小的) Cold, refers to the third nine-day period (the 19th to the 27th day) after the day of the Winter Solstice (冬至). There are many different customs related to Minor Cold in China.

Eating hotpot

During Minor Cold people should eat some hot food to benefit the body and defend against the cold weather. Winter is the best time to have hotpot and braised mutton with soy sauce. But it is important to notice that too much spicy food may cause health problems.

Eating huangyacai

In Tianjin, there is a custom to have huangyacai, a kind of Chinese cabbage, during Minor Cold. There are large amounts of vitamins A and B in huangyacai. As huangyacai is fresh and tender, it is fit for frying, roasting and braising.

Eating glutinous rice (糯米饭)

According to tradition, the Cantonese eat glutinous rice in the morning during Minor Cold. Cantonese people add some fried preserved (腌制的) pork, sausage and peanuts and mix them into the rice.

Eating vegetable rice

In ancient times, people in Nanjing took Minor Cold quite seriously, but as time went by, the celebration of Minor Cold gradually disappeared. However, the custom of eating vegetable rice is still followed today. The rice is steamed and is unspeakably delicious. Among the ingredients (原料), aijiaohuang (a kind of green vegetable), sausage and salted duck are the specialties in Nanjing.

The art of paper-cutting (剪纸) in China may date back to the second century, since paper     1     (invent) by Cai Lun in the Eastern Han Dynasty in China. As paper became more affordable, paper-cutting became one of the most important types of Chinese folk art. Later, with different regions     2     (adopt) their own cultural styles, this art form spread to other parts of the world.     3     (usual), the artworks are made of red paper. as red is associated with     4     (happy) in Chinese culture, but other colors are also used.

With     5     (it) long history, paper-cutting,     6     originated in China, has been very popular among the ordinary Chinese people. People put up paper cuts on walls, windows and doors at wedding ceremonies or festivals     7     (make) the cheerful atmosphere (氛围).

Chinese paper cuts are rich     8     content. The auspicious (吉祥的) designs symbolize (象征) good luck and the avoidance of evil. The child, lotus and bat designs suggest a family with     9     large number of children and grandchildren. Birds, livestock, fruit, fish and worms are also familiar objects     10     (accept) by Chinese farmers. In a word, paper cuts used in different occasions have different meanings.

The first “window of Chinese Books” in Europe was launched on Tuesday, with an online book donation ceremony. The online event     1     (hold) at the Central Public Library in Floriana, Malta. More than 200 books were donated from China’s Jinling Library to Malta Libraries,     2     cover fields such as ancient Chinese literature and art, history, culture, and food.

Books are important for the     3     (culture) exchange between two countries.     4     (hopeful), the donated books will open a new window of understanding of Chinese culture, history and social development for the Maltese people.

The books     5     (give) on Tuesday not only provide a chance of     6     (promote) Chinese culture and tourism, but also are     7     precious gift of friendship from the people of Nanjing to the Maltese people.

Jinling Library has always focused on using books     8     a bridge to understanding of Chinese culture for global     9     (citizen). Jinling Library, founded in 1927, established its first “Window of Chinese Books” overseas in Nigeria in 2013. There will be     10     (many) in the future.

The Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, has been     1     (official) listed as a UN floating holiday in its calendar of conferences and meetings as from 2024.

The UN General Assembly, in a resolution (决议), acknowledges the significance of the Lunar New Year,     2     is observed in many UN member states, and invites the UN bodies at headquarters and other duty     3     (station), where observed, to avoid holding meetings on the Lunar New Year.

The resolution,     4     (adopt) on Friday without a vote, encourages this arrangement to be considered when drafting future calendars of conferences and meetings.

Dai Bing, China’s deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, said after the adoption of the resolution that the Spring Festival, not only bears the ideas of the Chinese civilization of peace and harmony but also     5     (carry) the common values of humanity such as harmonious family, social inclusion and sound relationship between man     6     nature.

Dai said China’s effort     7     (promote) the Spring Festival as a UN holiday is a practical step toward     8     (realize) its Global Civilization Initiative.

The resolution serves     9     a showcase of the influence of Chinese civilization and aims to enhance interactions between different civilizations worldwide. It also reflects the values of     10     (diverse) and inclusion promoted by the United Nations, he said.

Tradition has never lost     1     (it) shine. Although China has achieved the greatest urbanization (城市化) in history, Chinese people’s physical and     2     (emotion) connections to traditions are strong and everywhere. These traditions     3     (become) a precious and unique part of Chinese culture over centuries.

In the past Spring Festival holidays, Chinese people have felt a festive atmosphere both in big cities     4     in the countryside.

The Ming Tombs in Beijing staged a live show inspired by the Ming Dynasty silk painting Ming Emperor Xianzong Enjoying the Lantern Festival, attracting hundreds of visitors. Dozens of     5     (perform) wearing Ming Dynasty clothing staged a sitcom (情景喜剧) style play, performing scenes including the emperor lighting lanterns and other ancient activities usually     6     (hold) during the Lantern Festival. One worker said that it aimed     7     (help) people experience how the Lantern Festival was celebrated and further understand Ming culture.

In addition     8     turning the ancient painting into a sitcom, many other folk arts also became a major draw, even for young people. One young woman Hou traveled all the way from Beijing to Jiexi County, South China’s Guangdong Province, during the holiday to watch a performance of the Yingge Dance,     9     is one of the most representative (有代表性的) folk arts in Chaozhou and Shantou, Guangdong Province.

Many people were deeply moved as traditional cultures could     10     (preserve) until now.

The Chinese couplet (对联) refers to two poetic lines     1     (obey) certain rules, often written on red paper for appreciation. As     2     form of Chinese literature, the couplet varies in content and style. Some express people’s love to their motherland, some describe the beauty of nature,     3     some convey best wishes for the coming year.

Chinese couplets originated in the Five Dynasties, and     4     (become) ubiquitous (无处不在) in the Ming and Qing dynasties. It was a custom for people     5     (hang) peach wood charms to drive away evil spirits during the Spring Festival. Nowadays, couplets are used     6     a similar way.

It was said that the earliest couplet was written by Meng Xu,     7     was king of Houshu State, and it was     8     (extreme) popular in the Northern Song Dynasty. Since the Ming Dynasty, to write couplets     9     (regard) as a mark of the cultured life of scholars.

The couplet has two lines of equal     10     (long). However, the number of characters in each line can be from four to seven or more. The first and the second lines have opposite tone patterns. The last character of the first line is of an oblique tone (仄声), and its opposite in the second line, of a level tone (平声).