4 . Honesty has always been a traditional virtue in China. Despite the passage of time, honesty has been passed down as a mainstream value.     1    

A famous Chinese idiom (成语), yinuo qianjin, tells such a story. In the early Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24), a general named Ji Bu was known for being courageous and honest. Legend has it that whenever Ji made a promise, he would spare no effort to fulfill it.     2     There was a saying widely spread: It is better to have a promise from Ji Bu than to get hundreds of ounces of gold.

    3     During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Li Daquan, a successful businessman in Shanxi province, was visited by a friend who came up with a new idea. In ancient China, carrying a large quantity of cash was not only a heavy burden but could also put the owner in danger. His friend proposed that a draft (汇票) be issued to replace the real cash. This draft was not only a promise to pay, but also a claim that an amount of coin equals to the specified amount and the draft could be cashed everywhere. Li readily agreed and kept his word. The story soon got around, and Li’s honesty brought him a flood of customers and a booming business.     4     It is called the predecessor (前身) of the Chinese banking industry. His banking business eventually expanded into 35 branches across the country. Rishengchang has been preserved and turned into a museum now.

In today’s China, the spirit of honesty is still well-respected.     5     Their stories are broadcast across the country to set good examples and promote the virtue of honesty.

5 . If you want to learn the culture of a city or a country, museums should definitely be added to your must-visit lists. We highlight some of the world’s most fascinating museums for you to explore to help you have a better understanding of native culture.

Design Museum Holon

Design Museum Holon is the first museum in Israel devoted to design. After being established, the museum opened on 3 March 2010, It is in the eastern part of the new culture area of Holon, The museum was noted by travel magazine Conde Nast Traveler as one of the new world wonders.

Bildmuseet

The museum was founded in 1981 by Umea University and it exhibits Swedish and international art, visual (视觉的) culture, design and architecture. In connection with the exhibitions program, it also arranges lectures, screenings, concerts, performances and workshops. In spring 2012, the museum moved into new places on the Umea Arts Campus.

Stedelijk Muscum Breda

Stedelijk Museum Breda is a historic museum in Breda, in the south of the Netherlands. It is housed in one of Breda’s oldest buildings. In its former life, it was a guesthouse for pilgrims (朝圣者) in 1246 as well as a hospital in the 16th century and an old men’s house in the 17th century.

The Palace Museum

The Palace Museum was built by the third Emperor of the Ming Dynasty. Emperor Yong Le. The palace was built between 1406 and 1420, but was burnt down, rebuilt and renovated (翻新) countless times, so most of the architecture you can see today dates from the 1700’s and onward. It is now a major tourist attraction in China.

7 . Cultural heritage is a variety of local treasures from different places. These treasures often increase people’s pride in their hometown. Thus, protecting cultural heritage is of great significance and importance. In protecting cultural heritage, countries around the world should join hands further to deal with issues. Today there are shared measures to preserve cultural heritage, however, countries still have different views on cultural heritage preservation.

Asian and European architecture is very different, for example. European buildings are often stone structures(结构) that can stand damage caused by wind and rain, while those in the East are more often wooden structures which require renovation(整修). This leads to different views on how to preserve ancient architecture.

From the very beginning, Europeans have the opinion that people should take fewer measures in the process of protecting cultural heritage. For example, the ruins of the Roman Colosseum have simply been left as they are, but Asia has a tradition of renovation of cultural relics and we believe that this measure will not affect their authenticity(真实性). The Ise Grand Shrine building in Japan is rebuilt every 20 years from one generation to the next. Such tradition caused a debate in international cultural heritage preservation circles, as some thought that the rebuilding process would harm its authenticity. Experts around the world travelled to Japan especially to conduct on­site check and discussions, and they finally recognized that the term “authenticity” actually varies(变化) from culture to culture.

The importance of these international exchanges is that they will help the world understand Asia, and accept Asian ways to protect cultural heritage.

9 . Differences do set us apart, but we often forget that we are all human, and our culture is much more representative (有代表性的) of our differing environment than truly different people. Here are some tips on how to understand and admire cultural differences.

    1     In almost every single case, the only thing required to bridge cultural differences is an introduction. This isn't always easy, but the best thing to do is make an effort — go to the international folk music festival, eat in a restaurant where English isn't the first language, and say hello to the new family down the street.

Invite other cultures into your home.     2     Some people open their homes to exchange students with apps like Air BnB, while others might work through a church or charity to help provide for traveling groups. Even easier, you can simply invite people from other cultures over for dinner.     3    

Read as much about the local culture as you can before arriving. It is irresponsible to arrive in a new place without knowing how things usually run. You may get immediately shocked upon landing, which can make it harder to accept the culture later on.    4     Read online, check some books, and generally arrive well-informed. Having some knowledge beforehand will help with any culture shock.

Share parts of your own culture and life to encourage others to share theirs. One of the best things to bring while traveling is a set of photos from home, allowing you to bring people into your own life and culture from anywhere.    5     And learning is the key to understanding and, finally acceptance.

10 . Read Across America Day

Read Across America (RAA) is a day held annually on March 2nd that encourages children in every community to read and also encourages parents and teachers to celebrate the joy of reading. It’s a holiday that has been celebrated since 1998 and falls on the same day as children’s book author Dr. Seuss’ birthday.

This holiday dates back to May of 1997. This is when a small group of people at the National Education Association (NEA) came up with the idea to create a day of the year that celebrates reading among children. They reasoned that since many school football programs could get children engaged in the sport through pep rallies (鼓舞士气的集会), then why couldn’t the same thing be done for reading? So they decided to turn to a Read Across America program that was officially launched on March 2, 1998, and ever since it has continued to grow in size. Today, more than 50 national nonprofit and association sponsors (资助者) and more than 3. 3 million NEA members support the effort every year.

This holiday is celebrated in numerous ways. All over the country, libraries, schools and community centers hold special Read Across America events that promote reading in their communities. Teachers also develop special events on this day to encourage their students to read. The NEA also sponsors reading round tables and has an online store that allows people to buy everything they need for their RAA celebrations. This includes Dr. Seuss hats, RAA bookmarks, special RAA flash drives and even RAA mugs.

While recommended student reading lists vary from community to community, there are some books that always seem to pop up. Below is a partial(部分的) list of some of the books read by elementary, middle school and high school students.