Data from an e-commerce platform show that searches     2     dragon-related goods via its online marketplace have reached 23 million.    3     is said that since January, goods with dragon-themed elements, such as daily necessities, alcohol and gold jewelry,     4    (prefer) by consumers.The purchasing excitement is expected to     5    (huge) boost consumer confidence and improve the recovery of consumption．

Purchases by the post-1990s and post-2000s generations accounted for nearly 55%, while consumers in Guangdong province, Beijing, Jiangsu province in that order,     6    (be) the top three spenders on dragon-featured items.Because the dragon is an important symbol of Chinese traditional culture     7     good luck, Chinese consumers are expressing their hopes for     8     better life in the new year.

“Brands should capitalize on traditional Chinese culture to launch more innovative     9    (product),” a research fellow said,     10    (stress) that Spring Festival is the traditional festival Chinese people attach the most importance to, and it’s also a peak season for consumption.

During the China-France Year of Culture and Tourism, the Centre Pompidou in Paris is the cultural calling card of France. Since 2019, the museum has been working with the West Bund Museum Project in Shanghai. Recently, an agreement     1     (sign) to renew this successful partnership for another five years, with the aim of developing     2     broader and more expansive cultural partnership.

The project     3     (see) a range of collaborative programs launched over the next five years, including     4     (perform), exhibitions, seminars and educational events.

Shanghai has grown into a contemporary art destination,    5     (attract) what’s seen as the highest level of cultural cooperation with the Centre Pompidou museum.

France is also among the countries to benefit     6     China’s visa-free travel policy. As Frenchman said, “    7     (obvious), it’s a great thing for a French citizen who wants to travel to China. All year long we have teams of colleagues from Paris: art handlers, exhibition curators and art conservators, all of     8     need to come here on quite a regular basis. It’s going to be much     9     (easy) for them if they don’t have to apply for a visa. They will enjoy coming to Shanghai even more, not just to work,    10     to explore.”

7 . Zhang Zening, a hanfu supporter and lover in Nanjing, East China’s Jiangsu Province, started a surprising journey eight years ago to restore (使复原) this traditional Chinese clothing. Inspired by ancient murals (壁画), Zhang, 41, studied the artistry of hanfu in various museums, changing paintings into touchable and wearable pieces.

Upon graduating from college, Zhang first worked in material research, burying herself in the laboratory, conducting chemical experiments for the study of raw materials. At the time, she was one of the earliest lovers of hanfu in China, frequently organizing various hanfu activities in her spare time. Now as the owner of a hanfu studio, Zhang has worked with women’s re-employment organizations, looking for full-time stay-at-home women with sewing (缝纫) skills. This matched with her need for the production of hanfu.

Around 2015, Zhang began to focus independently on the process of hanfu restoration. In that year, she visited Dunhuang, Northwest China’s Gansu Province where she was attracted by the beautiful murals there, wondering how she could possibly change them into beautiful costumes.

In the past years, she has traveled to more than 10 cities across China, constantly studying murals and conducting research to restore hanfu from different dynasties. She managed to restore more than 50 sets. She referred to different materials including various murals, other cultural relics and literature to make sure that the restoration is as correct as possible. Thanks to her work, many young people wear restored hanfu when they visit museums, and Zhang is excited to see more of them doing so.

Have you ever eaten a “painting”? Here it is, the     1     (tradition) Chinese folk art—sugar painting. Spoon as pen, liquid sugar as ink, everything in the world can be drawn quickly.

As is said, Chen Zi’ang, a great poet in the seventh century (Tang Dynasty), liked to eat brown sugar. But he ate it in     2     unique way. He melted the sugar on a clean and smooth table,     3    (make) it into     4     (variety) of shapes of small animals. After cooling down, it could be held in the hand, eaten and enjoyed. Later, Chen went to the capital city,     5     he brought this art. Since then, sugar painting has become a lasting craft. In the 17th century (Qing Dynasty), sugar painting became     6     (increase) popular, and the production skills     7     (be) more advanced. The objects include flowers and birds, fortune symbols and the 12 zodiac signs and other designs. The art of sugar painting combines food, culture and handicraft. The painting is done in one go without any draft.

The sugar painting     8     (create) today shows greater creativity in forms — Cartoon sugar painting, 3D sugar painting, bringing new life     9     conventional ones. The culture of China, and the spirit of sugar painting,     10     (pass) down through the sugar spoons of generations of craftsmen.

Seven ancient stone columns (石柱) from Yuanmingyuan that     1     (lose) overseas have been returned to China recently. This marks another significant repatriation (遣返；归国) of cultural relics, following the return of the bronze horse head statue in 2020.

Under the guidance of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism,     2     (university), departments, and society have worked together to bring about the donation of these stone columns from Norway to China. Liu Yang, a member of China’s Old Summer Palace Society, emphasized the     3     (important) of the return. “    4     there are similar carved stone columns in Yuanmingyuan, there turn of these stone columns holds great significance in     5     (advance) the repatriation of lost cultural relics to the palace, and these stone columns are well preserved.”

The exhibition was open to     6     public last Saturday. University students     7     visited the exhibition expressed their pride and excitement. They regarded the return of these artifacts     8     a symbol of Chinese-Western cultural exchanges. “The exhibition is not just a show of cultural relics, but also a chance for patriotic (爱国的) education. It will     9     (certain) remind us of the painful lesson that falling behind can lead to suffering,” a student    10     (name) Yang told the Global Times.