As a traditional and unique folk art craft of Beijing, Beijing silk figurine has     1     long history of more than a thousand years. Beijing silk figurine, “Jan Ren” in Chinese, is a kind of handmade doll made of silk, gauze (纱布) and so on.

Originating in the Tang Dynasty, figurines at that time     2     (make) of bamboo and covered with paper. Later in the Northern Song Dynasty, silk clothing and accessories were added, which     3     (basic) formed the first model of silk figurine.

In the Qing Dynasty, with the     4     (popular) of people’s worship of the God and Goddess of Longevity, silk figurines were made into such images and often used     5     gifts for elderly people to wish them a long and     6     (health) life. And high officials and the wealthy started to purchase silk figurines at high prices as art decorations in the home.

Most of characters of Beijing silk figurines come from Chinese folktales and traditional dramas,     7     are very familiar to the public. From its facial expression, clothing and postures,     8     is not difficult to tell that the silk figurine is all tinged with (带有) the Chinese flavor from head to toe. It takes twelve complicated steps     9     (complete) a final product, and it usually takes craftsmen up to two months to finish one silk figurine. The whole process includes sculpting, painting,     10     (design) clothing, making props (道具) and dressing hair, and each step requires extreme patience and skillful techniques.

The Jinyun shaobing, a     1     (tradition) Chinese snack that originated in Jinyun county, located in Lishui city, Zhejiang province, has been enjoying increasing popularity both     2     home and abroad with its unique flavors and long history.

The snack is made of dough (面团) stuffed with various fillings—including pork, dried vegetables, sesame seeds and maltose syrup. It’s baked in a barrel-shaped oven at high temperature until the crust (外皮) is crisp and golden.

The snack has been passed down for more than 650 years in Jinyun. It     3     (be) once a favorite food of Zhu Yuanzhang, the founder of the Ming Dynasty,     4     tasted it during his military campaign in Jinyun. Liu Ji,     5     famous scholar and official of the Ming Dynasty, also wrote a poem praising the snack.

Jinyun shaobing is not only a delicacy for locals and     6     (tour), but also a source of income and pride for many Jinyun folks.

The local government has     7     (high) valued the development of the Jinyun shaobing industry and set up a special office to support it in 2014.

By the end of 2022, the Jinyun shaobing industry had generated a total output value of 3.02 billion yuan,     8     (provide) jobs for some 24,000 people.

It had opened more than 8,000 stores across China and in 16 countries and regions—including the United States, Italy, Spain, Australia and in the United Arab Emirates.

    9     (adapt) to different markets and tastes, Jinyun shaobing makers have innovated     10     (they) products with various fillings such as seafood and cheese.

Old Tea Forests in Pu’er Win World Heritage Site Title

The Cultural Landscape of Old: Tea Forests of the Jingmai Mountain in Pu’er gained the World Heritage Site status at the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO on Sunday.

    1    (locate) in Lancang Lahu autonomous county in Pu’er, the    2    (new) named heritage site consists of five large, well-preserved old tea forests, three protective barrier forests and nine ancient villages in the old tea forests.

The cultural landscape was created by the ancestors of the Blang people, who immigrated to the Jingmai Mountain in the 10th century AD and     3    (discover) wild tea trees. On the basis of long-standing practices, local people developed the understory growing technique, which involves allowing trees    4     are small and sufficiently shade-tolerant to thrive under the canopies(树荫) of taller trees. They also created ideal light conditions for growing tea trees, while preventing insect through a well-preserved forest ecosystem,    5    (produce) quality organic tea leaves without the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers.

During its 45th session, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee said the cultural landscape is    6    outstanding example of a sustainable land-use system based    7    the combination of horizontal and vertical land-use patterns.

Chen Yaohua, director of Peking University’s World Heritage Research: Center, said the tea growing technique on the. Jingmai Mountain is quite unique. It represents the ecological wisdom that can inspire sustainable    8    (develop) in the world, said Chen, who has led studies on the site for the past 12 years. According to his research, about 10 percent of the tea trees on the mountain are at least 100 years old, with the     9    (old) dating back more than 300 years.

Core zone of the World Heritage Site covers about 72 square kilometers on the mountain. The buffer(缓冲) zone spreads over about 120 sq km. The cultural landscape of old tea forests     10    (include) on China’s tentative list for seeking world heritage status in 2012.

Last Saturday, the first Auckland East Chinese Culture and Art Festival / was celebrated by the locals at the China Town in east Auckland. The festival organized by Pakuranga Chinese Association     1     (support) by a local art organization and the local government.

Barry Hung, chairperson of the Pakuranga Chinese Association, was proud of his community members     2     have worked hard to show the Chinese culture and art at the festival. “It is the first time we do this event. Many of the     3     (performer) and artists are volunteers. And     4     Chinese performances are performed by our neighbors aged over 60,” said Hung.

Peking opera and Chinese classic dances and drum dances as well as the exhibition of photos, paintings and handicraft works     5     (be) among the highlight s of the festival which attracted a large audience from across the city.

“Chinese traditional culture is important to New Zealand Chinese. It is     6     (equal) important to get more people involved and let the mainstream New Zealand society understand the     7     (tradition) Chinese culture and art,” said Auckland councillor(议员) Paul Young.

Auckland’s east suburbs are home     8     many Chinese communities, with     9     (increase) local acknowledgement of the Chinese culture. Well-organized local Chinese associations often work with the local government and communities     10     (hold) Chinese cultural events.

Art lovers in New Zealand     1     (enjoy) 2, 000 books from China and   more than 200 paintings from both countries at a China-themed book exhibition in Waipa on Sept. 15.

As one of a series of activities     2     (mark) the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic(外交的) ties between China and New Zealand, the book exhibition included 217 pieces of artwork     3     have been collected from 40 cities in China. There were also 15 paintings from New Zealand.

Dandi Wang, curator(馆长) of the exhibition and president of Prime Media New Zealand, said the exhibition included more than 2, 000 English language books with     4     (theme) ranging from political theory, medical information to Chinese     5     (tradition) cultural practices.

Dave Bromwich, former president of the New Zealand China Friendship Society, who has visited China more than 50 times, said the exhibition represented “a very good insight into Chinese culture”. He encouraged New Zealanders to pick up     6     book and start to understand it.

Ye Su, minister-counselor of the Chinese embassy in New Zealand, said he was       7     (deep) impressed by the works     8     display. Ye said that he believed the wide variety of books at the exhibition would enable more New Zealanders to better understand China, which will help enhance understanding between the two countries.

The exhibition also included a range of children's books and a     9     (collect) of poems. It's expected that the books     10     (donate)to local libraries and schools and the paintings will be given to local children's hospitals.

October is a beautiful season in Qufu, the birthplace of Confucius, east China’s Shandong Province. The Eighth Nishan Forum on World Civilization,     1     took place here from Monday to Wednesday,     2    (provide) a platform for a dialogue among different civilizations.     3    (theme) “Diversity of Human Civilization and Common Values of Mankind”, the forum saw over 600 participants join online and offline. They shared     4    (view) on the thoughts of the ancient Chinese sage (智者), thus     5    (throw) light upon possible solutions     6     the most pressing challenges of the times.

Participants agreed that the diversity of civilizations     7    (be) the source of human progress and mutual learning. In     8     world where countries are     9    (increasing) interdependent and share weal and woe (祸福), respecting diversity is key to closer     10    (cooperate) and obtaining win-win outcomes.

“It is important that our cultures speak to one another,”Travis Preston, Dean of the School of Theater at the California Institute of the Arts, told Beijing Review.

In 2015, Preston worked with famous Chinese playwright, Stan Lai, often praised    1     Asia’s top theater director, on Night walk in the Chinese Garden,    2    was first shown in 2018. The production, created by Lai, was inspired by Chinese romantic tragicomedy The Peony Pavilion,    3    (write) in the 16th century about two lovers    4    (find) each other in dreams.

“For many in the U.S., the project was an extraordinary introduction to ancient Chinese culture in a contemporary context,”Preston said. “We have much to learn from Chinese    5     (artist) and I believe exchange is    6    (extreme) important to both countries.”

The collaboration (合作) with Lai also    7    (create) a significant chance for Preston to communicate with Chinese audiences through the Wuzhen Theater Festival. Lai is one of the founders of the festival,    8    annual event in the ancient water town of Wuzhen in east China’s Zhejiang Province. Founded in 2013, it is growing into a globally     9     (influence) theater festival.

“I don’t know of any other festival town in the world like it. It is truly an amazing gathering place,” Preston said.“It is an ancient town that has been restored perfectly to    10     (it) original beauty and then improved with contemporary touches.”