A stuffed toy named “Happy Loong” from Gansu Provincial Museum has recently distinguished     1     (it) from conventional souvenirs and captured the hearts of tourists.

Modeled     2     a Ming Dynasty gold decoration in the shape of a loong, or Chinese dragon, over 1, 000 of these chubby (圆胖的)     3     smiling loong toys were sold in the first week after it hit the market earlier this year.

Besides “Happy Loong”, the museum sells stuffed toys     4     (inspire) by the Dunhuang Flying Apsaras and the bronze galloping (飞驰的) horse from the Eastern Han Dynasty,     5     combine rich history with the appetite of Generation-Z.

This innovative approach to museum souvenirs reflects     6     broader trend of making cultural products appealing to young Chinese museum-goers. The Palace Museum’s online store, for instance,     7     (offer) playful and humorous souvenirs featuring emperors in Chinese history, receiving positive reviews from young visitors.

The success of these innovative souvenirs lies in the ability     8     (meet) the demands of young people seeking relaxation and individuality. However, designing truly     9     (create) cultural product requires a good knowledge of cultural relics.

Looking ahead, the museum souvenir market in China is expected to continue growing, presenting abundant     10     (opportunity) for designers.

The annual Yuyuan Garden lantern show in Shanghai, which is     1    (original) from the Han Dynasty, has been listed as one of China’s forms of intangible cultural heritage. It is one of the country’s oldest lantern fairs,     2     locals go to enjoy the festive atmosphere and wish each other well. Now, the beloved Yuyuan Garden lantern show     3    (take) place outside of China for the very first time,     4     60 large-sized structures and more than 2,000 lanterns lighting the oldest amusement park in Paris.

From dragon-shaped lanterns to patterns     5    (inspire) by the legendary world of “The Classic of Mountains and Seas”, a Chinese literary classic, the Yuyuan Garden lantern show in Paris has built a world of lights and imagination for visitors, showcasing the charm of traditional Chinese culture. Highlighting various cultural and     6    (spirit) symbols, the lantern displays include mythical creatures such as Kunpeng and Yinglong,     7    (represent) ambition and strength.

Beyond the lanterns, visitors can also admire traditional Chinese costumes and     8    (accessory), and enjoy Chinese cuisine. With a mixture of dancing, acrobatics (杂技)     9     martial arts performances, the lantern show promises to be     10     immersive experience in the world of Chinese folklore and lanterns.

More than just a lantern show, it also serves as an opening activity to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France in 1964.

On Thursday morning, Jason Sean joined a long line of people eagerly     1     (wait) to buy a commemorative (纪念的) Year of the Dragon stamp issued by the US Postal Service.

He was among the hundreds     2     waited at the Chinatown Community Center in Seattle, Washington, for the first day of the issue ceremony for the stamp. Sean said purchasing stamps to celebrate the Lunar New Year is     3     tradition in his family.

For more than three decades, the Postal Service     4     (issue) stamps highlighting the Lunar New Year, and it has been one of the     5     (successful) stamp releases in the long history of the Postal Service. The Postal Service has one of the most diverse workplaces in the United States, and its customer base is as diverse as the country     6     (it). This stamp is a great example that reflects the nation’s rich, multicultural heritage     7     traditions.

The stamp     8     (design) by Antonio Alcala in 2023, the USPS art director, with original art by Camille Chew. It features a colorful, three-dimensional mask depicting a dragon, which is a contemporary take on the long tradition of paper-cut folk art crafts created by Chew. Gold and red     9     (colour) represent prosperity in the coming year and good fortune.

The Year of the Dragon stamp is on sale now at post offices across the US and on USPS.com.     10     total, 22 million new stamps have been printed.

Hua Tuo was a famous physician in the later years of the Eastern Han Dynasty. He is     1     (wide) known as the first doctor in traditional Chinese medicine to invent some anesthetic (麻醉的) herbal formulas and the first surgeon to conduct abdominal (腹部的) operations. Hua also created     2    set of therapeutic qigong exercises called Wuqinxi,    3     imitate the movement of tiger, deer, bear, ape and bird, and are still popular today.

Hua later appeared in many     4     (legend) stories. One of them is about how Hua did surgery on Guan Yu, a famous general of the Kingdom of Shu, without using any anesthetic.

According to the story, after Guan’s right arm    5     (wound) in a battle by a poisonous arrow, he invited Hua to help treat the wound. First, Hua wanted the general    6     (take) his anesthetic. The general laughed and sad that it was unnecessary since he was not afraid     7     pain. So, without applying any anesthetic, Hua used a scalpel (手术刀) to cut off the poisoned flesh from Guan’s arm and then scraped the affected bones while the general calmly played chess.    8     (listen) to the sound of bone scraping, the onlookers’ faces turned pale,    9    the general never uttered a single sound of discomfort throughout the operation.

This popular story shows both the doctor’s exceptional skill and the rare    10     (brave) of the general.

7 . The Cheongsam, also known as Qipao, evolved from the Manchu female’s changpao of the Qing Dynasty. The Manchu ethnic people were also called the Qi people by the Han people in the Qing Dynasty, hence the name. The history of this clothing reflects the rise of the modern Chinese women in the twentieth century.

In 1920s, the cheongsam flourished in Shanghai. Through the 1930s and 1940s it constantly changed, highlighting the femininity（女子气质） of Chinese women in metropolitan cities. The dress got more fitted and body-hugging, with some daring designs featuring side slits （开衩） that reached up to the thigh. It’s customary to pair the dress with high heels. Women tried different fastenings, pipings, and collars, as well as short sleeves, long sleeves, and sleeveless cheongsams. Traditional silks were replaced with cheaper, contemporary textiles. In terms of design, the traditional flower patterns remained widespread, but geometric and art deco patterns also gained popularity.

The cheongsam has heavily influenced designers in high fashion. The Metropolitan Museum of Art did a whole exhibit in 2015 on how Chinese culture influenced world fashion called “Through the Looking Glass”. Elements of cheongsam were even seen in the 2016 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. Celebrities such as Anne Hathaway and Grace Kelly have been seen wearing a cheongsam.

Today Chinese people seldom wear a cheongsam in their daily life. It is used as a uniform at restaurants and hotels and on airplanes in Asia. Formal occasions such as weddings, parties or banquet dinners, and seasonal celebrations such as Lunar New Year are appropriate times to wear a cheongsam. And the dress is a frequent choice of wear during diplomatic visits.

In 2018, a white girl in a high school in Utah wore a cheongsam to her ball and posted photos online that caused an uproar in the US for cultural appropriation （文化挪用）, opening a huge debate on cultural appreciation versus appropriation. However, netizens in China had a different viewpoint. “I am very proud to have our culture recognized by people in other countries,” said a user on WeChat, “She looks beautiful in it!” they said.