A total of 12 areas across China have been required to innovate, protect and develop the copyright of Chinese folk cultures as a national pilot program. The pilot consists    1    four provinces, including Jiangsu and Sichuan, as well as eight cities, including Weifang and Huangshan. The program    2    (carry)out during last year’s International Copyright Forum,     3    was held in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province.

Folklore is an important treasure of Chinese civilization, so it is essential    4    (strengthen)the protection, promotion and spread of folk cultures. The move is not only a requirement for promoting the    5    (create)transformation of traditional cultures, but also a key way to enhance the country’s cultural soft power and improve    6    (it)cultural self-confidence and self-growth.

While giving full play to advantages of local folk resources and    7    (clarify)the current situation of the country’s folk customs, the pilot areas will enhance public awareness of protecting the copyright of folk cultures and promote copyright innovation,    8    (apply), management and services.

At the opening ceremony, Zhang Jianchun, vice-minister of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, called for greater efforts to    9    (full)advance high-quality development and actively encourage creation through copyright. ”Copyright protection is    10    guarantee, so we’d like to increase exchanges and cooperation with the world,“ he said.

Tai Hang, a modern-looking neighborhood in Hong Kong, is home to the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance,a folk art form that    1    (perform)during the Mid-Autumn Festival for over 100 years.    2    started as a way to rid this fishing village of bad luck has become a cultural treasure.

The dragon is about 70 meters long and weighs more than 200 pounds,with its body     3     (wrap) with pearl grass.More than 70,000 incense sticks(香柱)are lit and strung along the dragon’s back and head to make the“fire”of the fire dragon.At the festival,hundreds of people work    4    turn to parade the burning dragon through the streets of Tai Hang.The     5    (strong)man among the group has    6    honor of supporting the 30-kilogram head. Dozens of performers    7    (move)the dragon smoothly up and down through the air attract rounds of cheers and    8    (applaud)from surrounding crowds.

The inheritors of the dragon dance have set up workshops to demonstrate various aspects of the traditional art from the making techniques to    9    (base)dance skills.In June, 2022,the Hong Kong Tai Hang Fire Dragon Museum was opened    10    (inspire)more people to learn more about this traditional dance culture.

4 . Literary festivals all over the USA offer opportunities for readers to meet their favorite authors and learn about their new projects. You can start planning your next literary vacation!

It’s one of America’s most respected literary festivals and writing conferences. Authors are able to attend advanced workshops in order to improve the craft of writing. Besides, they can meet editors and literary agents and attend public panel discussions to gain inspiration and insight.

It is a celebration of books covering multiple styles and always nets a huge list of incredible author attendees. What makes it stand out, however, is not just its impressive list of attendees: it’s the charitable focus. All proceeds are donated to charitable causes, including those that benefit women and children.

It is a massive celebration of books and the bookish community, with book signings, panel discussions with distinguished professors and experts, art performances and book giveaways. The two-day event has grown to become an essential element of the L.A. cultural scene.

It celebrates all things about fantasy and science fiction. In addition to panels where authors will answer your questions, you’ll get to meet and acquire signed books from your favorite authors and have the option of brunching with them at the cosmic (宇宙的) brunch buffet.

5 . Classical Chinese furniture — a desk, a cabinet or any other fine piece of furniture and often out of precious wood —impresses us with its delicate shape. The secret of its graceful form is less visible and lies in its complicated sunmao (榫卯) system, which allows the various components to be assembled neatly without glue or nails.

Suzhou, a scenic and peaceful city in Jiangsu, a province long known for its wealth, developed its own tradition of classical furniture design over the centuries. Examples of the Suzhou-style furniture are currently on display as part of Oriental Wisdom in Sun Mao, a group exhibition at the Prince Kung’s Palace Museum in Beijing.

Running until Sunday, the show demonstrates the way that the complex sunmao technique has been used in making furniture, as well as the variations that developed in different parts of the country. Also on display are models of different kinds, as well as the components of two chairs, which are disassembled and laid out to give museum goers a clear view of the inner structure of classical furniture.

The Suzhou style flowered during the Ming Dynasty(1368-1644), and once dominated the market in Jiangnan, the southern region along the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. It integrated input from the intellectual class, who put their ideals regarding living spaces and spiritual harbors into its design. According to Xu Jianping, one of the inheritors of classical furniture design in the city, the Suzhou style presents beauty in the same delicate way the city does, and represents the life philosophy of its people to achieve “refinement through careful calculations”.

Guangzhou style furniture is normally made out of tropical hardwood, and its forms and decorative patterns show the influence of European furniture styles resulting from Guangzhou’s history as an international trade port. The Beijing style, which is more splendid, incorporates aesthetic (美学) and stylistic elements from both Suzhou and Guangzhou.

“While the Suzhou style is light in weight and elegant in outline, furniture in the Beijing style is more magnificent, as it used to be made for royalty and aristocracy.” Xu says. “Ultimately, people live with their furniture, so the principle of quality furniture is that it should be appropriate to the space.”

6 . The sunmao (榫卯) method of joinery was commonly used in ancient Chinese architecture and furniture. But when modern technology discourages many in mastering this ancient skill, Jia Jing, a junior student at Hubei Ecology Polytechnic College, offers his answer.

“It is essential to train young people in this craft,” said the 20-year-old. “Not only does it ensure the preservation of carpentry (木工) skills, but there exist delicate wooden artifacts from ancient times that machines still cannot repeat.”

Growing up in a family with a carpenter father, Jia would constantly observe his father doing woodwork and sometimes assist him. This early exposure ignited (点燃) his passion and talent for carpentry. But as a child, he couldn’t build furniture on his own. So, he conveyed this passion into building with Lego bricks at the age of 8.

“At that time, I would think before going to bed about what I would build tomorrow,” Jia recalled. “I brainstormed a framework in my mind, and the next day I would start building it.”

This hobby significantly benefited Jia’s future furniture-making skills. Before making any piece, Jia can quickly sketch a draft in his mind, which proves useful during the carving process.

When the moment arrived for Jia to head to college, he chose interior design at the suggestion of his father. Beyond his theoretical studies, Jia also signed up for school furniture-making training center. Sawing, planning, and carving wood repeatedly every day can be an extremely dull job for most young people. While other students were enjoying their college life, Jia had already learned to bear loneliness and focus on achieving excellence. “This experience not only improved my skills but also tested my character,” Jia said.

Recently, Jia’s commitment to this craft achieved a significant milestone. He was chosen as one of the candidates to compete on behalf of China at the 47th World Skills Competition in Lyon, France next year.

“If I can represent China on the global stage, I will exert all my efforts to become the winner,” Jia said.

Heatable Brick Beds Warm NE China Homes

In northeast China’s chilly winter, getting into a warm bed is made possible by an ancient heatable brick bed that could date back more than two thousand years     1     is still widely used today. These beds not only bring warmth to local residents, but also continue the folk culture of northeast China.

The bed is made of bricks or other forms of fired clay with     2    width of about1.7 m to 2.3 m and a length that can be determined according to the length of the bedroom. It uses a ducted heating system similar to the Roman hypocaust,     3    (compose) of a stove, a bed and a chimney. The stove     4    (use) to burn firewood. Smoke and heat generated by burning firewood pass through an internal hollow and curved flue system to heat the bed above. Smoke is eventually discharged outward through the chimney. The bed retains heat well,     5    enables people     6    (have) a comfortable sleeping environment in the cold winter. In addition,     7    (sleep) on the heatable brick bed for a prolonged period is good for the blood     8    (circulate) and metabolism of the body, and can relieve some diseases such as arthritis and waist and leg pain.

The heatable brick bed is not only used as a bed, but also a living area for the family. People     9    (routine) have their meals and family     10    (gathering) on the bed in cold winters. The bed is a symbol of home that embodies the emotion and love they feel towards their families.

8 . The list of music festivals seems to double each year, so we think we’d save you some time by presenting our picks that reflect a deep sense of place.

New Orleans Jazz Festival

This week-long festival was established in New Orleans, America in 1970 to celebrate the city’s status as the birthplace of jazz. Headliners that attended the first celebration included singer Mahalia Jackson and pianist Duke Ellington. Over the years, this festival has grown to showcase much more than jazz. Attendees have long enjoyed the latest hit-makers alongside booths and exhibits featuring Louisiana’s native cuisine, arts, and crafts.

Newport Folk Festival

Founded by George Wein in 1959 and best known for introducing the world to the likes of Joan Baez and Bob Dylan, Newport Folk Festival is one of the oldest music festivals in America. Like New Orleans Jazz Festival, this Rhode Island event gives a false impression about the types of music one can expect to find, although it has been remaining true to its roots.

Interceltic Festival

When most people hear the word “Celtic”, they think of Ireland. But this festival takes place each summer in the heart of the seaport town of Lorient in northwestern France. While emphasizing music and dance, the ten-day festival also provides a platform for colorful expressions of Celtic art, food and drink, theater, literature, and sports.

Roskilde Music Festival

England’s Glastonbury, Hungary’s Sziget, and Denmark’s Roskilde are Europe’s three biggest music festivals. Roskilde stands out not only for its impressive and eclectic music, but for its nonprofit approach. All concert incomes are donated to support charities, music and cultural programs since its founding in 1971. With lake swimming, an on-site skate park, and an annual “naked run”, the event has earned a name for being a week-long summer camp for adults.

Are you familiar with pop star Jay Chou’s Blue &White Porcelain? Its original lines, just     1     the composer Fang Wenshan described, were inspired by Ru porcelain (汝瓷).

Ranked best among famous kinds during the Song Dynasty (960-1279), Ru porcelain is known for its unique pale blue glaze (釉). Oceans     2     Ru porcelain flooded onto the market around the year of 1100, but the     3     (exist) of Ru ware now is actually rare. Thanks to the efforts of Ru porcelain inheritors, people can now appreciate it     4     (close) at hand than before.

Born in Ruzhou, Henan province, Li Chao has spent a decade     5     (better) crafting skills. Ru porcelain goes through 72 steps, the    6     (one) of which is knead (揉) mud. Any small errors could lead to disaster, said the 41-year-old inheritor. He then stressed that a Ru porcelain inheritor must be patient enough. Every item of artwork     7     (full) deserves our admiration.

Techniques of making Ru porcelain will     8     (lose) with senior inheritors gradually passing away. So,     9     Li spares no effort in doing is introducing it to wider masses.     10     (achieve) this goal, he creatively uses Ru porcelain in making daily ware popular among young people. Now he’s aiming to expand the market by introducing it to the whole world.