1 . In 2001, UNESCO declared 21 May as UN World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development. The day’s not intended to find out the uniqueness of different cultures, separating them from each other.     1     Here are a few modest and simple ways to mark the occasion.

Visiting an exhibition or a museum dedicated to other cultures comes first since it may inspire you to create something yourself, and heighten your desire to learn about a new topic or culture.     2     For example, you can see the British Museum’s collection online, and the National Gallery has a digital tour of 18 rooms that lets you get up close to the paintings.

    3     It’s a great way to expand your knowledge of the world. Many traditional folk tales have universal themes, but at the same time, shine a light on particular aspects of another culture. So now might be a great time to dive into the storybooks and read folk tales.

There is perhaps no better way to experience another culture than listening to music. Even if you don’t understand the words, you can still hear the influence of other cultures. You could allow yourself to discover music from every corner of the globe on forums.     4     After all, series of musics are on the air, often with strong international influences.

It never goes without mentioning language while embracing culture diversity. It is relatively easy to have a go at trying a new language through the many smartphone apps or through an online language exchange.     5    

2 . Minor Cold: A sugary feast to get through the freezing winter

Minor Cold, or “Xiaohan” in Chinese, is the 23rd of the 24 solar terms in the Chinese lunar calendar     1       We’ve outlined below how people deal with the Minor Cold and its significance in Chinese culture.

Eight treasures rice pudding or “babaofan” in Mandarin is a special sweet rice dish enjoyed during Minor Cold and Chinese New Year dinner. In Chinese, the number eight is pronounced as “ba”, which is similar to another Chinese word “fa”.     2    . Because of its pronunciation, this traditional Chinese dim sum is regarded as a symbol of wealth and health.

    3    . Different regions in China have different eating habits. People in Nanjing and Shanghai usually cook vegetable rice while in Guangzhou, it is a tradition to eat sticky rice on the morning of Minor Cold.

For Chinese people, this time of year also sees preparation for the most important festival of the year: the Spring Festival.     4    . In the old days, Chinese families would usually start to purchase the necessities for the Spring Festival, write couplets and make paper cuts by themselves.

The ancient Chinese noticed the slight changes in seasons by observing the movements of the birds. Wild geese would usually start to fly back to the north while the magpies (喜鹊) make their nests. These animals remind people of the beginning of the suitable farming and life for Minor Cold.     5    . Therefore, more attention should be paid to domestic animals’ warmth.

3 . Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an ancient system of health and wellness that’s been used in China for thousands of years. It has saved millions of lives around China’s vast territory by providing vital information on diagnosis (诊断), treating common medical problems and diseases, and emphasizing prevention. If you do not have previous experience with Chinese culture or medicine, be prepared for a cultural experience.     1    

Several thousand years ago, The Medical Classic of the Yellow Emperor put forward the principle that one should develop yang energy in spring and summer,     2     And in China’s long history, the principle has proven of great value for good health and longevity of life.

According to TCM theory, yang energy is the power for inner organs.     3     “Summer treatment” takes advantage of abundant yang energy in nature during summer, when yang energy is outward and upward. It is the right time to supplement (补充) yang energy by internal or external traditional Chinese medicine methods. This helps to adjust to the balance of yin and yang in the body, resulting in a more effective outcome.

    4     Therefore, it is the best time for the human body to supplement essence and store vital substances throughout the whole year. TCM holds that Gao Fang, the cream formula, is the best choice for tonification (滋补) in winter. By adjusting qi, blood, yin and yang of the body, it can achieve the effects of treatment, regulation, and nourishment.

“Sprouting in spring, growing in summer, harvesting in autumn and storing in winter” is the law of development in the nature.     5     It needs to be in agreement with timing and the seasons. With such direction, ancient Chinese people handed down to later generations medical texts for an orderly-arranged daily life.

4 . India’s touring (流动的) cinemas are dying, and being reborn. And India is perhaps the most film-mad country in the world while it also has the lowest ratios of screens to human beings.     1     The screens that do exist are unevenly distributed. PVR, India’s biggest cinema operator, has more screens in Chandigarh, a prosperous city of about a million people, than it does in Rajasthan, a poor stale of 80 million. If Muhammad could not go to the movies, the movies had to come to Muhammad. Twenty years ago, there were 1,400 odd touring cinemas in Pusegaon.     2     However, today there are only 52 travelling cinemas.

    3     One is smartphone and internet expansion, which leads to the other reason for the collapse of the touring cinemas:     4     Sushil Chaudhary, the founder of a new chain of touring cinemas called Picture Time, is making a different bet on the possibilities of cinema. Mr. Chaudhary started his company in 2015 and has since set up 37 moving screens seating between 100 and 250 people. The touring cinema was nothing like the one in Pusegaon.     5     The picture was crystal clear and the sound used Dolby. Picture Time’s tickets are cheap, at between 30 and 70 rupees, compared with an average ticket price of 191 rupees at PVR’s cinemas.

5 . While the term cultural heritage is used to refer to both physical and intangible qualities, it is not limited to physical objects. It can also refer to beliefs, traditions, language, and food. These are often passed down from generation to generation.     1    The preservation of these cultural treasures can help promote global understanding and mutual respect.

    2    Determining what constitutes(构成) “cultural heritage” is often a challenging and contentious task, and advocates of cultural preservation and integrity are often accused of making false assumption(假设)about the cultures they study.

It is important to recognize that cultural heritage is not limited to physical objects and monuments. It also includes living expressions of culture inherited from our ancestors. Intangible cultural heritage refers to knowledge and practices related to the environment and traditional crafts.     3    It is essential to protect these valuable assets for their protection and appreciation.

    4     It is essential to preserve these objects in order to preserve their significance. And it is necessary to protect the intangible cultural heritage, because it is often overlooked. These works of art have symbolic and aesthetic(美学的) value and are valuable to the people of the country. Some of them are even more significant than the physical objects.

As cultural heritage is a part of a culture, it can be protected. However, if someone is trying to patent a design, you have to ensure that you do not copy it.     5    Whether they’re paintings, sculptures, or food, they’re worth protecting. Fortunately, it’s important to protect and conserve our cultural heritage. It’s the legacy of the culture and the way it was once lived.

6 . Certainly, there are many non-verbal cues that have completely different meanings in different cultures. One of the most important means of non-verbal communication in any culture is eye contact.

Eye Contact in Western Europe

On the one hand, the European customs of eye contact—especially in such countries as Spain, France and Germany—are similar to those in the United States. It is considered proper and polite to keep almost continuous eye contact with another person.     1    

On the other hand, Europeans often avoid eye contact in crowded public situations—such as while walking through a busy downtown or riding public transportation.     2     This may happen when he is interested in them and try to express his interest by making eye contact. Therefore, it is important for visitors to understand the full meanings of what they may be suggesting by returning the eye contact given by someone else.

Eye Contact in the Middle East

    3     But they do have similarities in their rules for the proper eye culture. Eye contact is much less common and considered less proper in many of these cultures than it is considered in the United States.     4     These rules are connected to religious laws. Only a short moment of eye contact would be permitted between a man and a woman, if at all.

As you can see, it is important to know what eye contact communicates before you visit a new culture.     5     Learn how to use eye contact and other body language wisely so that you are regarded as polite, and so that you can better connect with people in a culture that is foreign to you!