2 . “The arrow shot is so straight that it hits the bull’s eye, the young people will have good luck…” Dargye sang as he worked on his handmade bag.

Dargye, 56, an artist who excels at traditional craftsmanship and Tibetan folk music in Drinba village in Dragyib district, Nyingchi, Tibet autonomous region, remembers many folk songs he learned from his father and uncle. Now, it’s his turn to pass them on.

“I have liked traditional songs and dances since I was a child,” said Dargye, who has four apprentices (学徒).“The songs tell the histories of our ancestors and carry our unique culture, and-it’s always a lot of fun to perform these traditional songs and dances at various gatherings.” The song topics vary from archery, love, to labor and praise for the land. In addition to teaching these songs to/his family members and apprentices, he also uses social media platforms such as WeChat to teach songs.

His daughter, Chok Butri, also admires the folk culture. After posting a video of her daughter, Tsering Kyi, dancing on Douyin, she gained a lot of new fans on the popular short-video platform. “We are modern people living in a modern era, so it’s important and our responsibility that we use modern tools to pass on our traditional culture to make it last forever.” said Chok Butri, adding that she often posts songs and dances on WeChat and Douyin.

Dargye and his fellow villagers also recreate songs, adding modern elements such as aircraft and trains to the lyrics. Besides singing and dancing, Dargye makes handicrafts decorated with Tibetan cultural elements, including various hide and hair ropes, bags made of leather and cloth, and knife sheaths.

The local government encourages villagers to inherit (继承) and develop folk songs and other forms of traditional culture. Dargye’s efforts to preserve folk culture have been acknowledged by the government. In 2014, he was chosen as a county-level intangible (无形的) cultural inheritor and receives funds every year.

3 . The famous Dragon Boat Festival falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month.     1    , a Chinese writer known for his love for his country and poetry who finally became a great hero.

Qu Yuan supported fighting to protect his country. Though what he did led to his being forced to leave it, he wrote poetry to show his love for it.     2    . After finishing his final poem, he jumped into the Miluo River in today’s Hunan Province to show that he was angry with the corruption (腐败) around him.

Upon hearing the news, villagers took boats and carried dumplings to the middle of the river to try and save Qu Yuan.     3    . They turned to beating drums (鼓), hitting water with wood and throwing the rice dumplings into the water. They believed these were ways to keep fish away from Qu Yuan’s body.     4    , while the search for Qu Yuan’s body became the dragon boat races.

Now, dragon boat races are held every year in China, attracting thousands of supporters to participate.     5    . They are often painted in very bright colors. The teams on board will work together to get the boats to the finish line as fast as possible, while a team member sits at the front and beats a drum to raise morale (士气) and make sure everyone keeps pace (节奏) and time.

4 . In the South China Sea, there is a group of Jiaoren, or Chinese mermaids (美人鱼), whose teardrops become pearls after they fall. To the north of Kunlun Mountains, there’s a monster called Xiangliu, which has nine heads with human faces but the body of a snake.

These magic creatures from the ancient book of legends Shan Hai Jing, which inspired J. K. Rowling for her Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them series, are now brought back to life by a young Chinese girl in her photos.

Chen Xin, who learned painting as a child, said she started the photo series to commemorate (纪念) the days she spent with her grandma.

Every night before she went to sleep, her grandma told her stories in Shan Hai Jing. “I remember, especially in the summer nights, my grandma stayed outside to enjoy the light wind,” Chen said. “She sat on a rocking chair while I counted the stars and listened to her stories.” These stories opened her mind to an imaginative world with fantastic creatures.

To design the makeup and look of these creatures, Chen checked documents and combined the images with the appearance of animals. She used various means and materials to make the items look like horns or tails. “I used real yak horns (牦牛角). It’s difficult to fix them onto the head and face of models, as they will drop. So it takes a long time,” Chen said. She also chose places whose geographical conditions met the descriptions of the creatures for photos. “For example, some creatures live in areas surrounded by rocks, so I will try to find such a place,” she said.

Recently, Chen has been working on another two photo series about the 24 solar terms and Chinese food. “I’m happy that more and more people are now paying attention to and falling in love with Chinese traditional culture,” she said.

5 . Whoever you are, learning how to communicate internationally is the best way to reach out to more people with different cultures.

    1     It’s important for you to understand that cultures and beliefs are different from each other across different nations so you can communicate effectively with people from other countries.

Learn how people deal with things in their countries. The best way to handle cultural differences is to research how different countries handle business meetings or any other type of communication.     2    

Be aware of language barriers (障碍). You may sound smart with humorous English jargon (行话) among those who have been speaking the language for most of their lives.     3     So it is best to stick to formal English, which is easier to understand.

Go over any form of written communication before you send it out. It is easy to cause misunderstandings when you deal with people from different parts of the world.       4     When reviewing it, make sure that you’re not using disrespectful terms or sentences.

Always stay updated with the social developments.     5     It’s important that you keep up with the information technology and try to use the more effective ones in your communication.

6 . The following properties which the World Heritage Committee has decided to include on the List of World Heritage are in danger according to Article 11 (4) of the Convention (公约).

Virunga National Park (Democratic Republic of the Congo)

Virunga National Park, covering an area of 790,000 ha., includes an outstanding diversity of habitats, ranging from swamps and steppes (沼泽和平原) to the snowfields. Mountain gorillas are also found in the park.

Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley (Afghanistan)

The cultural landscape and archaeological remains of the Bamiyan Valley stand for the artistic and religious developments which from the 1st to the 13th centuries characterized ancient Bakhtria. The area contains a number of Buddhist monastic ensembles (佛教寺院), as well as strong buildings from the Islamic period.

Okapi Wildlife Reserve (Democratic Republic of the Congo)

The Okapi Wildlife Reserve occupies about one-fifth of the Ituri forest in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The reserve contains threatened species of primates and birds surviving in the wild. It also has some amazing scenery, including waterfalls on the Ituri and Epulu rivers. The reserve is inhabited by traditional nomadic pygmy Mbuti and Efe hunters.

Historic Center of Vienna (Austria)

Vienna developed from early Celtic and Roman settlements into a Medieval and Baroque city, the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It played an important role as a leading European music center, from the great age of Viennese Classicism through the early part of the 20th century.

Six months ago, 19-year-old Xie Lei said goodbye to her family and friends and boarded a plane for London. It was the first time that she had left China.

Xie Lei is studying for a business qualification at a university in China and has come to our university on a year-long exchange programme. “I chose the exchange programme because I wanted to learn about global business and improve my English. My ambition is to set up a business in China after graduation,” she explained.

At first, Xie Lei had to adapt to life in a different country. “You have to get used to a whole new life,” she said. “I had to learn how to use public transport and how to ask for things I didn’t know the English names for. When I got lost, I had to ask passers-by for help, but people here speak fast and use words I’m not familiar with. I ask them to repeat themselves a lot!”

Although some foreign students live in campus accommodation, Xie Lei chose to live with a host family who can help with her adaptation to the new culture. “When I miss home, I feel comforted to have a second family,” Xie Lei said. “When there’s something I don’t know or understand, I ask them. They are also keen to learn about China. Laura, the daughter of my host family, wants to study in China in the future. We take turns to cook each evening. They really love my stir-fried tomatoes and eggs! Laura says she always feels hungry when she smells it, so I taught her how to cook it, too!”

Another challenge for Xie Lie is the academic requirements. The first time that she had to write an essay, her tutor explained that she must acknowledge what other people had said if she cited their ideas, but that he mainly wanted to know what she thought! Xie Lei was confused because she thought she knew less than other people. Her tutor advised her to read a lot of information in order to form a wise opinion of her own.

Xie Lei also found many courses included students’ participation in class as part of the final result. Students need to generate ideas, offer examples, apply concepts, and raise questions, as well as give presentations. At first, Xie Lei had no idea what she should say but what surprised her was that she found herself speaking up in class after just a few weeks. “My presentation on traditional Chinese art was a great success, which boosted my confidence,” she said, “I’ll use these skills back home for presentation. They’ll help me build a strong business in the future”.

Now halfway through her exchange year, Xie Lei feels much more at home in the UK. What seemed strange before now appears quite normal to her.” Engaging in British culture has helped,” she said. “As well as studying hard, I’ve been involved in social activities. British people are fascinated by our culture and eager to learn more about it, so I’m keen to share my culture with them. While I’m learning about business, I’m also acting as a cultural messenger building a bridge between us.”

We will follow Xie Lei’s progress in later editions, but for now, we wish her all the best.

9 . Two armchairs are in the Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester. Denise, a blogger with past experience of homelessness, is sitting in one armchair, waiting for questions. A person sits opposite her, asking if it’s OK to give money to homeless people on the street. “It’s down to personal choice,” replies Denise. “Some worry it is enabling addictions, but it’s also providing someone with money to pay for shelter.” The dialogues are part of a performance artwork called Are you sitting comfortably? The work was part of the opening International Arts and Homelessness Festival.

At the festival there were also the works of artists, many of whom had experience of homelessness like Lawrence. Lawrence now has become an enthusiastic gardener, filling second-hand containers with soil and seeds. He has also written poetry to deal with life’s hardships. “My life started the day I stepped into this place.” he said. “Everyone has some genius, I think, and they help bring it out.”

The festival ended with “an immersive (沉浸式的) opera” Man on Bench, written by and starring Tovey. His story covers a string of bad luck, including being diagnosed with cancer. Tovey was once homeless and desperate on a park bench when a guard started a conversation with him. The result was that Tovey moved into a night shelter and started taking photos and began winning photography competitions. That was five years ago. He now gives talks and runs events all over the country.

Man on Bench doesn’t sugarcoat the realities of life on the street. “But we do want to change people’s minds,” he said. In a safe environment, focusing on drawing, people are more likely to get to know their problems. Then they will think about how to change. That’s why it’s so powerful. It gets people thinking.