2 . As the year 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit in China, many brand have rolled out an array of rabbit-themed goods. Wang Chuchun, an 18-year-old freshman from Xiamen University in Fujian, bought a pair of shoes from the rabbit collection made by Holli, a domestic brand, during the Spring Festival holiday.

“I would like to see Chinese culture be more incorporated into consumer goods that carry a variety of beautiful connotations(内涵).” Wang told journalist.

Guochao, the combination of Chinese traditions with modern designs, has become a keyword for this year’s Spring Festival product consumption, according to statistics from Vipshop(also known as weipinhui in Chinese), an online retailer(零售商). The sales volume of 361 Degrees, a sports equipment company, saw a rise of 188 percent on a year-on-year basis during the Spring Festival with their rabbit collection.

Who is behind the surge of sales for guochao products? According to a report released by data service provider Aurora, the proportion of young people interested in the guochao products accounted for more than 70 percent of consumers.

Thus the target market of the guochao products is China’s 400 million-strong army of young consumers, Tom Harper, a lecturer in international relations at the University of East London, said to The Conversation.

Like their peers in Western countries, China’s Gen Z consumers are enthusiastic users of social media; but that is where the similarities end.

This generation has grown up during China’s rapid economic development in the 2000s and 2010s, which is a marked contrast to their peers in the West, who came of age, in the shadow of the2008 financial crisis. As a result, they have been characterized as being more confident and better educated than previous generations.

“Complex and profound social and cultural factor have contributed to the rise of guochao. But it all comes down to decades of stable development in China. As our country enters an era of prosperity(繁荣), our cultural confidence gets boosted as well,” said Wang.

Many people around the world may know that paper is one of the Four Great Inventions of ancient Chinese civilization,    1    few would know that more than 1,500 years ago, ancient Chinese craftsmen invented a new type of paper,    2    was called Xuan paper and used mainly for writing and painting.

Xuan paper was first made in ancient Xuan Prefecture, now    3    (know) as Jingxian County in Anhui Province. The traditional process of making Xuan paper is    4     (extreme) demanding and involves over 100 steps. The whole process can take as long as two years    5    (complete), and the skills have been passed down for    6    (generation).

Xuan paper is highly water absorbent, making it a perfect medium for conveying artistic effect in both Chinese calligraphy and ink wash painting. In addition, Xuan paper    7    (design) to be able to last for more than 1,000 years and still keep the freshness of the ink and color on it.

Today in Jingxian County, there    8     (be) many Xuan paper factories and workshops, where the paper is still made by master craftsmen using traditional techniques. And because of    9    (it) long history and the essential role it has played     10    the culture of Chinese painting and calligraphy, Xuan paper was included on the first list of China’s national intangible cultural heritages(非物质文化遗产)in 2006.

The fourth Hainan Island International Film Festival opened Sunday in Sanya, a resort city in South China’s Hainan province.

This year’s film festival     1     (feature) 3,761 films from 116 countries and     2    (region) for the Golden Coconut Awards,     3     over 80 percent of the films from overseas.

Eighty to 100 films are expected     4     (screen) during the festival scheduled from Dec 18 to Dec 25, and nine forums will also take place.

Zhang Jun,     5     is secretary-general of the event organizing committee, said the festival is committed to     6     (strengthen) international film cultural exchanges and cooperation, promoting the development of the film industry, and fostering     7     prosperity of film creation.

A total of 11 feature films, eight documentaries, and ten short films were nominated to compete for the     8     (vary) categories under the Golden Coconut Awards this year, Zhang added.

First     9     (hold) in 2018, the film festival is     10    (joint) hosted by the China Media Group and the Hainan provincial government. This year’s festival will end on Dec 25 with the announcement of the Golden Coconut Awards for the best film, best director, and 10 other awards.

Cold Dew, the 17th solar term of the year, begins this year on Oct 8 and ends on Oct 22. At this time, there are some interesting     1     (phenomenon) you need to know.

Not only     2     temperatures drop significantly, but also rainfall is reduced. When the cold air encounters autumn rain, it turns into misty rain or fog. When the humidity is high,     3     (fog) regions form in many areas of China.

People always say that fishing in shallow water in autumn makes sense. That’s     4     temperatures decrease quickly and sunshine doesn’t reach deep water thoroughly. Fish swim to shallow water areas     5     the water temperature is     6     (relative) high.

Pomegranates (石榴) are ripe during Cold Dew, releasing a sweet scent. With their exquisite beauty, flavor and color, pomegranates never fail to attract people and     7     (cherish) for centuries also for their health benefits and anti-aging benefits.

Chrysanthemum (菊花) is the iconic flower of Cold Dew.     8     (prevent) autumn dryness, many regions in China have the custom of drinking chrysanthemum wine, which is thought to boost heart health by strengthening blood vessels and     9     (stimulate) blood flow.

During Cold Dew, North China takes on a look of late autumn with white clouds, red leaves and early frost. People often climb hills with cornels (茱萸)    10     the day of the Double Ninth Festival, aiming to dispel evils.