Not long ago, China’s traditional tea-making techniques and their associated social practices successfully     1     (become) a UNESCO’s latest World Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

“Stove-boiled tea,” a new way of drinking tea, has recently gained     2     (popular) in China. The process of drinking tea has     3     sense of ritual (仪式) and becomes a new favorite of young people.

    4     (general) speaking, the process of boiling tea on a stove consists of highly roasting tea leaves before brewing them, sometimes with rosebuds    5     sweet osmanthus (桂花), in a pot over a charcoal-filled stove. The art of boiling tea is a time-consuming process     6     requires constant attention to the temperature in order to properly “cook” it. People sit around the stove and have snacks such as fruits, nuts, and desserts with their hot tea. People also post their moments of stove-boiled tea while     7     (wear) traditional Hanfu in these ancient teahouses.

Similar     8     other trending lifestyles such as cycling and camping, “stove-boiled tea” reflects young people’s desire     9     (escape) from cities in order to embrace the nature and experience a peaceful mind.

“Stove-boiled tea” is also a latest “Guo Chao” or “National Trend” to blend Chinese cultural elements into people’s     10     (day) lives.

3 . I hesitated when my friend suggested that we join the school’s new Tai Chi club. I used to think that tai chi was for the elderly. However, the first class changed my previous understanding of tai chi. A year later, I can say that tai chi has had a huge impact on me.

The first few tai chi classes were fun and easy, and the moves with descriptive names really caught my imagination, like “white crane spreading its wings” and “golden rooster standing on one leg.” When I asked my coach where these interesting names came from, he told me about the history of tai chi. Zhang Sanfeng, a 13th-century Taoist, was said to have invented tai chi after drawing inspiration from a fight between a snake and a bird. However, nowadays people tend to believe that Chen Wangting, a 17th-century master of Chinese martial arts, developed tai chi based on martial arts skills.

After the first few basic tai chi lessons, I found myself bored and aching from doing the same slow moves over and over again. Fortunately, my coach taught me how to relax my muscles and focus on peace of mind during ever, day practice. With these requirements of tai chi in mind, I found to my satisfaction that my balance and flexibility slowly improved, that I was able to do more difficult moves, and that my love for tai chi returned stronger than ever.

Meanwhile, I started to explore the ancient Chinese culture behind tai chi. I discovered that tai chi is deeply rooted in the Chinese philosophy of yin and yang, which are believed to form the the unity of opposite. Neither can exist independent of the other. The practice of tai chi aims to keep the balance of yin and yang in the body through opposite movements: forwards and backwards, up and down, left and right, breathing in and breathing out. Ultimately, tai chi brings about a state of physical balance and mental peace.

The experience of a year of tai chi has affected my everyday life positively. I sleep more soundly at night, and feel more energetic during the day. I feel happier and more confident. Tai chi has taught me to relax my mind, enabling me to stay calm in stressful situations. I am sure I will continue to practise tai chi and enjoy the benefits it has brought me.

In Japan,someone     1    witnesses another person employing the gesture might think     2    means money. In France, a person encountering     3    identical gesture may interpret it as meaning zero.

Yours,

Li Hua

9 . Hans is a young German born after 1995, who is a big fan of Chinese culture. He has been learning traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) since 2016. Now he is studying for his master’s degree at Henan University of Chinese Medicine.

Hans came to Central China’s Henan Province in 2015, where a rich TCM culture can be enjoyed because Henan Province is the hometown of Zhang Zhongjing, the medical master of ancient China. After one year of learning the Chinese language, he started to learn Chinese medicine.

Without a language barrier, Hans read some of the ancient Chinese medical classics, such as Huangdi Neijing and Yi Jing. He believes different aspects of traditional Chinese culture interact with each other.

Studying TCM also changed Hans’ mind and lifestyle. He used to be addicted to electronic devices and stay up late every night, trapped in this fast-paced but unhealthy daily routine. But now, according to the Yin-Yang theory in TCM, he lives a balanced and peaceful life, practicing good habits as well as reading ancient books.

He plans to run a traditional Chinese clinic in China or Germany after graduation, which could serve as a bridge between the two countries and publicize TCM and its culture.

There are many Festivals in Chinese cultures. How much do you know about it?

The Mid-Autumn Festival is in September or October,     1     is celebrated traditionally by the Chinese people all over the world. On this special occasion for Chinese families, people like to meet in the evening and    2    (admire) the full moon, and eat moon cakes of all     3    (kind), even till midnight.

The Lantern Festival    4    (fall) on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month,     5    (mark) the end of the Chinese New Year celebrations. During the festival, people light lanterns    6     (decorate) with pictures to celebrate the power of light over     7     (dark), and eat the special food — sweet dumplings served in hot water.

The Dragon Boat Festival comes    8    the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar year. As it is in early summer, it marks the     9    (begin) of the hottest season of the year. People take part in     10    (vary) dragon boat races and enjoy the fun. The special food for the festival is called zongzi, which is sticky rice in fresh bamboo leaves.