2 . Music With A View

Summer may well be the favourite season of classical music lovers, with numerous festivals taking place worldwide. And what’s better than enjoying a live performance of your favourite piece? Enjoying it in the great outdoors, of course!

Edinburgh International Festival Scotland

Edinburgh International Festival is Edinburgh’s arts offering, and in 2023 welcomes violinist Nicola Benedetti in her first year as festival director. Picking up the baton (接力棒)from previous director Fergus Linehan, she is the first female Festival Director since the Festival began in 1947. Benedetti will invite some popular symphony orchestras.

August 4-August 27, eif.co.uk

Puccini Festival, Italy

Since 1930, the festival has been presenting Puccini’s masterpieces to crowds of thousands in beautiful Torre del Lago every summer. We’re picturing hot Italian summer days closing with a gentle warmth, together with fine opera and a cool glass of wine in hand and the waters of Lake Massaciuccoli.

July 14 -August 26, puccinifestival.it

Verbier Festival, Switzerland

One of the main reasons to visit the Verbier Festival in the summer is that it’s a magical two-week celebration of classical music at the top of the world. The festival has become known for attracting the biggest soloists (独唱者) in the world. The real magic of Verbier is its ideas of connecting great musicians at the height of their careers with ambitious young artists.

July 14 - July 30, verbierfestival.com

Granada International Festival, Spain

Since 1952, the International Festival of Music and Dance of Granada has been held in the palace to show opera, ballet, Spanish dance and more. In 2023, the festival will team up with University of Granada to invite talented students to take part in the Manuel de Falla Courses, which offer masterclasses in composition, musical analysis, performance and face-to-face talk with great musicians including Víkingur Ólafsson and Daniil Trifonov.

June 21 - July 19, granadafestival.org

3 . Honesty has always been a traditional virtue in China. Despite the passage of time, honesty has been passed down as a mainstream value.     1    

A famous Chinese idiom (成语), yinuo qianjin, tells such a story. In the early Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24), a general named Ji Bu was known for being courageous and honest. Legend has it that whenever Ji made a promise, he would spare no effort to fulfill it.     2     There was a saying widely spread: It is better to have a promise from Ji Bu than to get hundreds of ounces of gold.

    3     During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Li Daquan, a successful businessman in Shanxi province, was visited by a friend who came up with a new idea. In ancient China, carrying a large quantity of cash was not only a heavy burden but could also put the owner in danger. His friend proposed that a draft (汇票) be issued to replace the real cash. This draft was not only a promise to pay, but also a claim that an amount of coin equals to the specified amount and the draft could be cashed everywhere. Li readily agreed and kept his word. The story soon got around, and Li’s honesty brought him a flood of customers and a booming business.     4     It is called the predecessor (前身) of the Chinese banking industry. His banking business eventually expanded into 35 branches across the country. Rishengchang has been preserved and turned into a museum now.

In today’s China, the spirit of honesty is still well-respected.     5     Their stories are broadcast across the country to set good examples and promote the virtue of honesty.

4 . If you want to learn the culture of a city or a country, museums should definitely be added to your must-visit lists. We highlight some of the world’s most fascinating museums for you to explore to help you have a better understanding of native culture.

Design Museum Holon

Design Museum Holon is the first museum in Israel devoted to design. After being established, the museum opened on 3 March 2010, It is in the eastern part of the new culture area of Holon, The museum was noted by travel magazine Conde Nast Traveler as one of the new world wonders.

Bildmuseet

The museum was founded in 1981 by Umea University and it exhibits Swedish and international art, visual (视觉的) culture, design and architecture. In connection with the exhibitions program, it also arranges lectures, screenings, concerts, performances and workshops. In spring 2012, the museum moved into new places on the Umea Arts Campus.

Stedelijk Muscum Breda

Stedelijk Museum Breda is a historic museum in Breda, in the south of the Netherlands. It is housed in one of Breda’s oldest buildings. In its former life, it was a guesthouse for pilgrims (朝圣者) in 1246 as well as a hospital in the 16th century and an old men’s house in the 17th century.

The Palace Museum

The Palace Museum was built by the third Emperor of the Ming Dynasty. Emperor Yong Le. The palace was built between 1406 and 1420, but was burnt down, rebuilt and renovated (翻新) countless times, so most of the architecture you can see today dates from the 1700’s and onward. It is now a major tourist attraction in China.

7 . Hotels that go all out for Christmas

In the United States capital, the Willard InterContinental will host free performances through December 23. Holiday afternoon tea — with finger sandwiches and pastries — will be served every Friday, Saturday and Sunday through December 26 ($79 per person or $89 with a glass of champagne).

Room rates in December start around $325.

Guests at Claridge’s will be treated to horse-drawn carriage rides. Three-night Christmas packages feature those festive events, plus Christmas lunch, Champagne, a visit from Father Christmas, stockings for all and a full English breakfast each day. Festive afternoon tea, served through January 3, is about $126 for an adult and $66 for one child.

A two-night holiday season package starts at about $1,425.

The Breakers Palm Beach carries its lavish traditions right through the holiday season. The oceanfront Italian resort dazzles with sparkling lights, and holiday tea is available at HMF on select days in late December for $115 per person. Nearly every room has already been snapped up this December, but holiday tea and meals make for a festive taste of the striking hotel.

Rates start at $599 per night in December.

The Ritz Paris is putting on exactly what you’d expect from the elegant property. The hotel is celebrating a Swiss Christmas this year in homage to founder César Ritz’ roots with a gold and blue theme accented with paper edelweiss flowers. Christmas Tea is available at Bar Vendome and Salon Proust, starting at about $77 per person.

December room rates start at around $1,700 a night.