2 . There is a festival in China that has three names. It’s known as the Chongyang Festival. Also, it is called the Double Ninth Festival because it falls on the ninth day of the ninth month of the Chinese lunar calendar (阴历). Finally it has been Senior’s Day (老人节) since 1989. This year, it fell on Oct 23rd.

There are many traditions for this festival. In the past, people climbed mountains, drank chrysanthemum (菊花) wine, and wore a plant called zhuyu to celebrate it. Climbing mountains in autumn brings people close to nature and it’s good for health. Both chrysanthemum and zhuyu are also clean plants and they can clean houses and make people healthy.

In China, nine has the similar pronunciation with the word “forever”, meaning long life. So the Chinese government set the day as the Senior’s Day in 1989—a day to respect the old. Many companies and communities organize autumn trips for old people. Young people bring elders to the countryside to enjoy nature. They also give them gifts.

In China, it is a tradition to respect old people. In the past, if young people didn’t take good care of their parents, they would be seriously punished. Now we have the 24 Filial Exemplars (《新二十四孝》). It includes 24 things we should do for elders, such as calling them up every week and going to see them more often. On this three-named festival, remember to show your love to your elders.

4 . Out- of- hours: an introduction to China

200ct 2022-17 Dec 2022

Journey through the extraordinary cultures of China in this special guided tour before the Museum opens to the public.

In the Sir Joseph Hotung Gallery of China, you will gain an insight into the development of Chinese history and culture from 5000 BC to the present day.

In a beautifully refurnished space which has recently re-opened, this introductory tour will give you a deep appreciation for the magnificent objects on display featuring Tang dynasty tomb figures buried around AD 728 and beautiful Ming dynasty blue-and-white porcelain (瓷器).

Gallery on this tour:

• Room 33: China (Sir Joseph Hotung Gallery)

Booking information

• The tour will begin at 9:00 and will last for 60 minutes.

• Please meet at the Main entrance on Great Russell Street (WC1B 3DG) at 8:50 with your email confirmation.

• This tour is limited to a maximum of 20 places per session. If you would like to bring a group of 10 or more people or arrange a special out-of-hours tour, please email traveltradebookings@britishmuseum.org to discuss your options.

• To ensure a safe and enjoyable visit, face coverings are required for the protection of yourself and others. Please be considerate of people and exercise social distancing where you can — especially in smaller spaces. Hand sanitizer (洗手液) stations can be found throughout the Museum and we recommend washing your hands regularly.

• All measures are subject to change in accordance with government guidelines (Opens in new window) and Museum regulations. Further information can be found in our FAQs section.

Meeting point:

Main entrance — Great Russell Street (WC1B 3DG)

Price:

• £33

• £16 (Ages 5-15 years)

• Free tor under 5s and disabled visitors’ assistant (no booking required)

5 . In the Arab world, a souk is a market usually held in an open-air location. Souks are an important part of life in the Middle East.     1    Another attraction of souks is that they offer visitors a great opportunity to feel the local culture.

Most major souks probably started as informal meetings of merchants (商人) in open spaces, which slowly developed into more formal markets.    2    For example, some souks have partial ceilings (天花板) to protect against bad weather, along with narrow streets which do not permit cars.

Everything from glassware to meat can be found at a souk,with merchants coming from nearby areas to sell their products.     3    So visitors can easily find beautiful artworks in all shapes and sizes at a souk, often at very reasonable prices.

    4    By tradition, shoppers at a souk must negotiate (协商) with shopkeepers to reach a price. For large items, customers will have to sit down with the shopkeeper. They will be offered tea and snacks while the price, including storage and delivery costs sometimes, is discussed.

If you happen to be traveling in the Middle East, just pay a visit to a souk. Some regions have famous markets with a long and interesting history, and a souk is a great place to get souvenirs. You can find a local guide for your visit to ensure that you know local cultural rules well.    5    

6 . Every November, as Thanksgiving Day approaches, one memory comes to my mind. At my big Turkish family’s get-togethers, baklava (果仁蜜饼) is the norm at the dessert table. There’s rolled baklava, nut-filled baklava and chocolate-dipped baklava.

One year, though, back when I was in high school, my cousin Johnny decided to change things up a bit. He showed up at my parents’ house for Thanksgiving with two items that had never been served before--apple pie and a can of cream.

Those two items caused one of the biggest arguments. I distinctly remember my mom and aunts whispering in the kitchen.

“Apple pie?” one of my aunts said. “What to do with this?”

I can still recall my mom’s puzzled expression at it all. If there’s one thing in this world my mom distrusts, it’s fruit-filled desserts, a no-no in our cuisine culture. “Why would you bake fruits into a dessert when you can eat them fresh?” she often says.

The cream only made things worse. My mom didn’t want to hurt Johnny’s feelings. In a true act of love, she put the pie out on the dining room table, accompanied by the cream. It went mostly untouched.

Nowadays, things are different. We actually have pie at Thanksgiving--my mom regularly makes pie (the fear of fruit-filled sweets continues, but desserts topped with fruits or nuts have been given the okay). We still laugh about the drama caused by Johnny’s apple pie. I’ll never forget it. It wasn’t just about the pie for me. Growing up, I sometimes felt like an outsider because of my culture. That Thanksgiving, though, was one of the first times I realized that my family’s oddness was actually a good thing. It’s what made us.

What about you? Which Thanksgiving sticks out as your most memorable one?

7 . Born in Beijing in 1981, Qi Haonan graduated from the capital’s North China University of Technology in 2004, majoring in mechanical automation. Qi said that when he heard there was a job opening at the Palace Museum, he decided to apply, adding that visiting the museum’s gallery of clocks built up his decision. “These timepieces opened my mind to clocks. They are mechanical wonders combining technology and art,” he said.

In 2005, he joined the cultural relics restoration department at the Palace Museum, becoming a student of Wang, the museum’s third generation watchmaker. “In the beginning, everything in the palace was fresh to me. It made me excited to even think about repairing old-fashioned clocks,” Qi said. But reality soon dampened his passion. There is ad rule for apprentices: For the first year, you can look, but don’t touch.

From 8 am to 5 pm every day for that first year, Qi checked and took apart watches and clocks collected from friends to practice finding problems. It took him a year of this repetitive routine before he could finally get his hands on the small French clock in the museum. “It is ad job that requires extreme patience, because clock restoration is a very long and careful process,” he said, adding that it is clear evidence of the old saying “haste makes waste” and, in this case, haste can do a great deal of damage.

Although the old clock repairing techniques at the Palace Museum were listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2014, it was a little-known skill and in short supply of career practitioners before 2016, when three-part TV documentary, Masters in the Forbidden City, made the profession known to the nation. Qi didn’t expect that the documentary would make that profession cause a stir. As a result, in 2017, Qi got two apprentices and Wang got three.

8 . Oliver’s journey with tai chi began in her early 20s, when she was suffering from a back injury, which left her lying in bed for six months.

“As an active youngster at that time, I couldn’t bear resting in bed,” she explained. “My muscles became wasted and stiff(僵直的) for lack of use, and I was often in a lot of pains. So, I felt that some physical exercise would help.”

She then discovered tai chi when she spotted by chance a poster advertising classes and decided to try the mysterious and exotic(异国的) sport. Oliver was immediately struck by the gentle and beautiful movements of tai chi, and to her delight, found that her occasional pains disappeared after years of practice.

“It not only helps me improve physical strength, but also provides me with many mental benefits, such as improved mood and focus, and less anxiety and depression,” she added.

To further understand tai chi and the Chinese philosophy behind it, Oliver decided to begin a journey to China. In 2005, Oliver established the Double Dragon Alliance Cultural Center, which acts as a bridge for foreign people seeking to gain a better understanding of Chinese culture. The center supports kung fu masters in teaching martial arts(武术) and organizes events for people to experience various aspects of Chinese culture.

Apart from her tai chi classes, Oliver now serves as the director of the British Cultural Center at Shanghai University. Reflecting on her work, Oliver said, “For quite many years, my work is actually like a cultural bridge. If you don’t have someone in the middle who is appreciative of all the cultures and have the desire to connect people, then it’s hard for them to get to know each other. I hope I can be the bridge to bring people close together. We need to foster mutual understanding among cultures to promote peaceful relations and friendship across the globe.”

9 . Themysteriousworld is where you can explore unknown and most interesting facts about living planet, universe and lifestyle of people. We tried our best to cover all possible information about a particular subject within the posts on our site online. Here are some top unmissable festivals in the world.

Rio Carnival, Brazil

It is a five-day festival which takes place forty days before Easter. Rio de Janeiro has earned its title as the Carnival capital of the world with its famous samba dancing, colorful eye-catching costumes and live music.

Holi Festival, India

Holi is a Hindu spring festival, also known as the “festival of colors”. It is a sign of the victory of good over evil, the end of winter, and the arrival of spring. Starting with a nighttime bonfire where people gather, sing and dance, Holi is celebrated the next day by people throwing colored powder and water at each other.

St. Patrick’s Day, Ireland

Held on March 17 every year, it is a celebration to mark the death of Ireland’s patron saint (守护神) Saint Patrick. Since 1996, an entire festival of parades, fireworks as well as food and drinks has surrounded the celebration. Enjoy traditional song and dance, watch musical street theater shows and get decorated in all green as you celebrate Irish heritage and culture.

Burning Man Festival, United States

As a week-long event at the end of August in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, it attracts tens of thousands of people from all over the world each year. Tickets to Burning Man are not cheap. But once you’re there, you will surely have an unforgettable experience. The main event is burning a giant wooden statue on Saturday night, followed by a big dance party that lasts all night long.