In modern urban China, people often go to cinemas or theaters for entertainment. But in the countryside, people have many ways of amusing    1    (them). Come to Majie Falk Fair (马街书会) and enjoy a traditional delight.

It is said that Majie Folk Fair may have first appeared in the Yuan Dynasty, with artists passing it on from generation    2    generation. With a history of over hundreds of years, the fair features a    3    (various) of performances, including storytelling, ballad singing, crosstalk and other folk arts.

The fair    4    (hold) every l3th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar and has also been included on the list of national intangible cultural heritage since May 2006.    5    (annual), it is a grand event for the folk artists from different parts across the country. Despite the fact that the fair remains a calling for folk artists, it gives the audience an opportunity    6    (establish) contact with their favorite artists.

Henan Zhuizi may have the largest number of art performers in the fair. Early in the morning,    7    (experience) players and new artists compete with each other while audience members,    8    can sing and tell stories, are welcome to interact and even join the artists onstage. A folk artist once said that the fair was a platform to exchange and improve his skills,    9    (provide) a chance for him to make    10    living as well.

The Qiang New Year Festival is the most important traditional festival for the Qiang ethnic group     1     (appreciate) nature, celebrate prosperity and show respect for their ancestors. It falls     2     the first day of the tenth lunar month on the Chinese calendar.And several celebrations are held by the Qiang people     3     (live) in Sichuan Province.

The celebration lasts from three to five days. During the festival, Qiang people wear beautiful traditional costumes to celebrate this grand occasion through a range of folk activities such as dragon dance performances, bonfire (篝火) parties, music and shows, ritual sacrifice     4     (ceremony) and other events. In the evening, Qiang women dress up in elegant clothes and accessories to attend a grand occasion around a central bonfire,     5     forms the heart of the celebrations.    6     (inspire) by the passions of the flames and music, dancers circle and sway to the rhythms to create     7     joyous atmosphere.

It is also an occasion for the Qiang ethnic group to celebrate the harvest of the year. A series of rituals are held to show their     8     (harmony) and respectful relationship with nature as well as strengthen the solid bonds within their community.

The festival was listed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2009 due to its     9    (high) valuable cultural significance. From generation to generation, Qiang people     10     (devote) their time to inheriting their own culture and keeping it alive after promising development in recent years.

Peking duck is an icon of Beijing cuisine and enjoying the treat is a must-do in the capital. Among the fast-changing trends of international cuisine, the dish is a rare, enduring classic,     1    (win) worldwide fame for its crispy skin and tender meat.

The stories about the origins of Peking duck vary, one of     2     dates back to the Ming Dynasty. In the 1420s, Emperor Zhu Di, also known as the Yongle Emperor,     3    (move) the country’s capital from Nanjing to Beijing. Chefs working for the royal family also migrated to Beijing, where they came up     4     new methods to cook duck.

If diners order roast duck in a restaurant, a chef will come to the table to provide     5    (serve). The chef skillfully cuts off     6    (taste) parts of skin first, with the meat then cut into juicy slices. Usually, the slices are     7    (delicate) served with a sweet bean paste (酱), rested on a bed of shredded (切碎的) cucumber, spring onions or radishes (萝卜) and wrapped in a bite-sized, thin pancake.     8    (roll) into little envelopes, these pancakes are a taste and tactile experience.

Taste is only one of the     9    (reason) for Peking duck’s unique status, though. In China,     10     is generally believed that duck is moderate and even slightly cold in nature, and therefore brings no excessive heat to the body.

In 2023, the first mascot (吉祥物) “auspicious (幸运的) rabbit” for the “Happy Chinese New Year” celebrations     1     (travel) to various countries, which made it popular with people in the world. At present it has become     2     international star.

    3     (welcome) the new year in 2024, the ministry has launched the 2024“HappyChinese New Year” mascot named “JiXiang Long”, literally lucky dragon, for the Year of the Dragon global celebrations. The mascot features a gesture of welcome and a smiley face     4     flame (火焰) shaped eyebrows, auspicious cloud     5     (ear), and a gold ingot (元宝) shaped nose. Its body     6     (cover) by flame patterns in yellow and red.

In the     7     (eager) to make people know more about the mascot, Gao Zheng     8     works on culture exchanges introduced it together with Tan Dun, a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador. Aside from being     9     (wide) feature d in the 2024“Happy Chinese New Year” celebrations at home and abroad, “JiXiang Long” will be developed into a host of     10     (culture) creativity products, ranging from stationery (文具) to souvenir sculptures.

Intangible cultural inheritors and folk     1     (artist) from nine provinces and regions along the Yellow River gathered in Dongying, East China’s Shandong province, at a festival    2     (display) the rich cultures cultivated along the river basin.

Bi Wenjing’s booth (摊位) presenting Huanghekou Huamo was     3     popular attraction. The craftswoman created a flower-shaped steamed bun. She     4     (place) a huge sample of her handiwork, weighing 30 kilograms, in the booth, attracting tourists to take photos. Bi said she started work     5     9 am and visitors were still coming to view it as darkness fell.

In addition, more than 100     6     (agriculture) products were on sale, while delicious food was also available, including barbecued delights from Zibo, Shandong province,     7     was recently popular on social media.

Sun Zhaohai, a resident of Dongying, said people could taste mouthwatering food while learning about folk customs at the festival, making it perfect for children. The Yellow River, the second     8     (long) river in China, originates on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and flows through nine provinces and regions from west to east,     9     (eventual) reaching the Bohai Sea. It     10     (call) the cradle (摇篮) of Chinese civilization, too.

7 . Editor’s note: An increasing number of Chinese people, especially the young, are more willing to celebrate Western festivals. Should we celebrate foreign festivals? Forum (论坛) readers share their opinions. You’re welcome to add yours.

Dinah (China)

I enjoy the happy atmosphere of both Chinese and Western festivals. As long as it is meaningful for me, I will celebrate it with my boyfriend, and my parents! I like Western festivals and often celebrate them without even knowing the origins of them. Why? Because what I really appreciate is just the happy atmosphere.

SharkMinnow (Canada)

Western Festivals are more like parties or games for some Chinese. Also, spending money = good for economy. Most Chinese don’t take Western festivals as seriously as their own. It’s like a game or party in my eyes. A way to blow off steam and have fun (and spend money).

Travis (UK)

As an Englishman teaching here in China for two years, my friends have got used to, and enjoy when I celebrate my festivals. My school also likes it as well, although this year they asked me not to scare the teachers so much on Halloween. My Chinese friends enjoy taking part in my festivals, as they also learn more about my culture, and the history that goes with it…

Leesinchina (US)

Cherish your own festivals. It would be a pity if the Chinese accepted these Western days — first, because they have absolutely nothing to do with traditional Chinese culture. Second, they are a big trick by the big stores to get more money out of you. Stick to your own festivals — they actually mean something to you — rather than following western customs for no good reason.

The Jialu oil-paper umbrella is from Jialu Village, Wuyuan County in Jiangxi Province. It is a traditional Chinese handicraft (手工艺品) with     1     history of over 800 years. However, as time goes on, most people now use modern umbrellas in     2     (they) daily lives, and oil-paper umbrellas have     3     (gradual) disappeared. But in 1990, Dai Gensheng, a local man of Jialu Village,     4     (found) the Jialu Oil-paper Umbrella Factory. It aims to protect and pass down the traditional handicraft.

“Unlike other traditional umbrellas,     5     covers are painted in simple colors such as black or red, ours are special for designed patterns, including flowers, birds and landscapes,” says Dai,     6     (add) that the objects have become popular with people in tourist     7     (attraction) across China. According to Dai, it takes at least 72 steps     8    (make) a Jialu oil-paper umbrella. These steps include cutting bamboo, making the skeleton (骨架)     9     brushing tung oil onto the umbrella cover. “It is a handmade craft with many processes, and machines can’t get it done,” he says.

Over the past three years, the factory’s output has been increasing. So far, the oil-paper umbrellas produced by Dai’s factory     10     (sell) to 28 countries and regions. The factory has also provided jobs for over 150 local villagers.

The xiao, a traditional bamboo instrument, is now attracting more and more attention with     1     (it) long history and rich cultural meanings. In ancient China, bamboo was a symbol of honesty, and a spirit of trying to make progress. So, many used it to refer     2     their pursuits (追求) in poems. For example, the poet Su Shi once wrote, “Better to eat without meat than live without bamboo”, suggesting the     3     (important) of bamboo. Therefore, the xiao,     4     (make) of bamboo, was not just     5     instrument, but something the ancient literati (文人) often held in hands or put on walls to remind themselves of their pursuits.

“From the Tang Dynasty on, usually the xiao was used for the purpose of     6     (gather) the educated. It was so popular,” says Shen, a xiao player. “The instrument     7     (keep) its unique attractiveness, which paved its way     8     (become) alive again. It produces pleasant music,     9     agrees with the traditional Chinese sense of beauty — the greatest music has the faintest notes.”

In Shen’s view, compared with others, the xiao is an     10     (extreme) simple instrument.

Since it is so simple that you can hardly make any changes on it, you can only change yourself to make your music performance better and better.