1 . If you spend more than a couple of days in the country of Georgia, you are very likely to be invited to a Georgian feast even by complete strangers. The multi-hour, multi-course feast is one of the most important events in Georgian culture.

A popular Georgian story shows the importance of the feast in Georgian culture. When God created the world, He held a meeting to give the different regions of the world to different cultures. But the Georgians arrived late at the meeting. After they apologized and explained that they’d been holding a feast with a stranger the night before and slept later than they’d meant to, God was so touched and impressed by their honesty that He gave the Georgians the best land of all: the part of earth He was saving for himself.

In order to survive the feasts without offending (冒犯) the hosts, it’s important for you to know a few things about it in advance.

A Georgian feast will likely have a seemingly unlimited number of dishes. So avoid fully cleaning your plate unless you want more servings. Don’t fill up on khachapuri-Georgian cheese bread. There are numerous regional varieties of cheese bread, but khachapuri is the most delicious of all. The cheese bread is usually a heavy lunch on its own, but at feasts it’s often considered a side dish or an appetent. Don’t make the mistake of having more than a few bites—only to discover that the main meal is still coming.

When you drink, follow the lead of the toastmaster, who presents a scries of toasts throughout the evening. Traditionally, drinkers would dry their glass (or, if keeping with tradition, drain their deer’s horn) with every toast. This isn’t always done now. Just remember the important rule: say “cheers” after every toast.

Consider bringing a small gift, such as sweets or flowers, as a gesture of thanks. Avoid bringing more fond, however, which might imply that you don’t think there will be enough on offer.

Celebrating tradition: The enchanting Mute Festival of Qixuan village

Qixuan village, a remote Yi village located deep in the     1     (east) mountains of Xiangyun county, Yunnan province, hosts an extraordinary “Mute Festival” every year on the eighth day of the Chinese Lunar new year. This event shows respect for their ancestors and seeks blessings for a prosperous year ahead.

This age-old tradition     2     (exist) for centuries, rooted in local customs and a touching legend of a mute woman who saved the village from drought and     3     (starve) through her sacrifice. Over time, the festival has evolved from a simple tradition into a well-organized celebration.

During the festival, visitors can not help but notice the careful preparations     4     (undertake) by the villagers.     5     (suffer) a three-year epidemic, they remain commitment to a joyful life and the preservation of tradition. They     6     (diligent) arrange food, drinks, decorations, and gifts, sticking to age-old practices.

    7     the chilly mountain winds, both enthusiastic villagers and visitors thrive. When the Mute parade reaches the square, the striking mute dance will begin. With     8     diverse range of dance forms, the performance is raw, natural, and free-spirited.

One of the most striking moments is     9     the lead dancer, the Great Mute, initiates his dance, the entire village synchronize (同时发生) their movements. This unified rhythm mirrors the heartbeat of the land and its cherished traditions     10     reveals the timeless beauty of traditional culture in our ever-changing world.

Henan Opera, known as Yuju Opera, is a traditional Chinese opera form that originated     1    Henan Province. With its rich history, unique musical style, and attractive performances, Henan Opera     2     (hold) a special place in Chinese cultural heritage.

Henan Opera evolved from local folk art forms, integrating     3     (element) of storytelling, singing and dancing. It gained popularity during the Qing Dynasty and became an important regional opera style in Henan. Today, it     4     (recognize) as one of the national intangible cultural heritage treasures of China.

Henan Opera is characterized by its pleasant vocal style    5    distinctive musical accompaniment. The performances contain various instruments like drums, flutes, and stringed (有弦的) instruments, creating a harmonious ensemble (乐团). The     6     (careful) prepared costumes and bright makeup improve the visual appeal, and the skilled performers’ gestures and movements convey emotions and narratives, captivating audiences.

Henan Opera,     7     often explores loyalty, love, justice, and family values, draws from historical events, folk tales, legends, and literary classics,     8     (show) a diverse range of themes. The stories are presented through poetic dialogues, intricate choreography(编舞), and symbolic gestures, engaging the audience with     9     (they) profound messages.

Efforts are being made     10     (preserve) and promote Henan Opera as part of Chinese cultural heritage. Modern adaptations and innovations help attract younger audiences while preserving its traditional essence.

5 . On April 18—the International Day for Monuments and Sites, China Daily’s digital employee Yuanxi and Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes’ official virtual cartoon figure Jiayao together introduced an interactive digital platform that hosts a virtual copy of the Mogao Grottoes’ Library Cave(藏经洞) to the world.

The platform was developed jointly by the Dunhuang Academy and the Chinese tech firm Tencent. It uses gaming technologies to show the historical scenes of the Library Cave in the digital world.

The Library Cave in Mogao Grottoes was discovered in 1900, with more than 60,000 cultural relics dating from the 4th century to the 11th century unearthed. It was one of the most important archaeological discoveries in the 20th century.

On the platform, visitors can role-play and “time travel” to ancient dynasties and talk with eight historical figures. The public can enter the platform through the Digital Dunhuang website and its WeChat mini program.

In the digital age, the model of “culture+technology” has been introduced to promote the development of Chinese culture. The digitalization rate of China’s precious cultural relics is now over 70 percent, according to the 2022 China Digital Collection Industry Research Report released by iResearch.

Institutions such as the Palace Museum have also started online digital services of their own. Artificial intelligence (AI) technology allows the public to view the interior of the buildings through the Palace Museum’s WeChat mini program.

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism has also encouraged the development and transformation of cultural intellectual property(知识产权) by digital means. China Central Television has created a series of digital collections with different Dunhuang themes, such as the Dunhuang divine deer(神鹿) Youyou. It was created based on the image of the nine-colored deer from Dunhuang murals(壁画). The public can see the divine deer on CCTV’s own digital platform.

Digital collections cater to the consumption habits of young people, who grow up in the information age. They not only protect the intellectual property of the collections but also bring the public closer to China’s “excellent traditional culture”, noted Dunhuang Art Institute.

Su Bomin, director of the Dunhuang Academy, told Xinhua that more efforts will be made to explore new forms for showing cultural relics and offer the public greater cultural experiences to develop Dunhuang culture.

Chinese food and the differences between Chinese and Western diets are both things that cause the    1    (curious) of most people who visit China. Moreover, when    2    (travel) through China, you'll most likely pick up on a few differences in the way of eating food. For example, soup in the West     3    (enjoy) generally as an appetizer (开胃菜) at the start of a meal, while the Chinese prefer to enjoy their soup at the end of a meal.

You might also notice some distinct differences in meal preparation and cooking techniques. Therefore, cooking classes are becoming an    4    (increasing) popular activity among those interested in learning more about China's culture through its cuisine. If you're looking to take it a step    5    (far), keep an eye out for cooking classes    6    (hold) by residents in their own homes.

    7    it comes to traditional Chinese games, the Chinese have always been sociable people. Despite the country's super technological advancement and the increasing popularity of personal electronic devices. the majority of Chinese would rather spend time socializing with others than sit alone at home. From popular board games like Go (围棋) and Chinese chess to kids' games like Chinese jump rope, China offers    8    (vary) options to keep people busy. Most locals are more than happy to share their traditions    9    foreign visitors, so don't be shy to ask the next time you go for    10    walk through the park!

10 . Yangzhou paper cutting, with a history of 2,000 years, can be dated back to the Sui Dynasty, making Yangzhou one of the places where paper cutting first became popular.

In the Sui Dynasty, the people of Yangzhou would cut colourful paper or silk and satin (缎子) to celebrate festivals. It is said that Emperor Yang came to Yangzhou three times. In winter, the flowers and trees in the garden became dry and weak. The emperor ordered the gril servants to cut fine silk and satin into flowers and leaves and use them to decorate the trees and lakes. Since then, “colorful cutting” has become a popular art in Yangzhou.

In the Tang Dynasty, the paper cutting industry was highly developed and a large amount of high-quality paper was made as presents to the Court (宫廷).

In the Qing Dynasty, because of the economic development, the people of Yangzhou became interested in wearing fine clothing, especially embroidered (刺绣的) clothing. The embroidered designs were based on paper-cuts, the most well-know of them was from Bao Jun, a paper cutting master. He won a high reputation (名声) as Magic Scissors for his wonderful cutting skills.

After the People’s Republic of China was started, the Chinese government accepted the importance of paper cutting like many other arts and skills. In 2007, China Paper-cuts Museum opened to the public in the back garden of the Wang’s Residence (住所), Yangzhou, greatly helping the development of Yangzhou paper cutting.