The Year of the Dragon comes with inspiration for creativity and the power to bring big ideas     1    life.

Designer Wang Zijian’s Dragon Out of Water, a creative tea infuser (泡茶器),shines on the wall at the exhibition of the winning works of the 2024 Global Zodiac Design Competition at the Beijing Overseas Cultural Exchange Center.     2     (it) cute dragon design and special function are bound to appeal to young consumers. “It’s     3    unique product, and we expect a positive response from young customers,” Wang told Beijing Review.

The item belongs to China Chic, or guochao, also     4     (know) as “national wave”,    5    refers to products of all sorts including traditional Chinese cultural elements. These products    6     (embrace) by the country’s younger generations in recent years. According to a report by Xinhua News Agency, Gen Z    7     (account) for 74 percent of consumers of China Chic goods in 2022, and the search volume of China Chic products has increased five times over the past decade.

As a young designer, Wang hopes     8     (capture) young consumers with his creative interpretation of dragons. “I’ve been    9    (thorough) studying the dragon’s historical connotations (言外之意) and the     10     (psychology) characteristics of Gen Z consumers,” the 34-year-old designer told Beijing Review.

We entered the Year of the Dragon. Or should that be the Year of the Loong? That is a question that has been     1     subject for debate in China, as some say there is a difference between the two in Chinese and Western mythology.

They point to dragons in the West being usually thought of as evil creatures. Dragons, they say, are     2     (typical) seen as symbols of chaos,     3     (describe) as enemies in Western mythology and literature. In Chinese culture, Loong are seen as symbols of power,     4     (excellent), and good luck. The Loong     5     (be) a central concept in Chinese culture for thousands of years, and its origins can be traced back to early Chinese civilization through mythology and religious beliefs.    6     Loong were believed     7     (have) control over natural phenomena such as rain, and water, and were associated with the productivity of the land, Loong became symbols of strength and good fortune.

The differences     8     the belief of the mythical creatures in China and the West     9     (root) in their different cultural values. Thus the answer to the question at the beginning is clear: Whether or not to use Loong instead of dragon is not important. What is important is     10     as we enter a new lunar year people globally appreciate the cultural values embodied in such Chinese symbols as Loong.

On February 20, leading Chinese e-commerce platform JD.com reported that sales of traditional Hanfu clothing had surged over 300 percent year on year since January. This trend was mirrored on Taobao,     1    , over the Double 11 shopping festival sales topped 730,000 units. Sales and search data signal a widespread and growing     2     (fascinate) with traditional Chinese clothing styles.

The horse face skirt is a traditional Chinese skirt     3     (feature) a distinct pleated (有褶的) design. It is     4     (occasional) referred to in a more generic sense as an apron. This type of skirt is     5     key component of Hanfu, serving as a lower garment (衣服). It is celebrated     6     one of the most emblematic styles of ancient Chinese skirts, showcasing a rich cultural heritage through     7     (it) unique appearance and historical significance.

Influencers and content creators play a significant role in promoting Hanfu and fostering a sense of community. To date, the horse face skirt on Douyin     8     (attract) more than 17.6 billion views across related topics and short videos. Meanwhile, on Xiaohongshu,     9     (search) for the same term have resulted in over 880,000 posts.

    10     the horse face skirt’s popularity reflects is the growing appetite for Hanfu-inspired designs as well as a deeper cultural revival for classical Chinese aesthetics.

2024 marks the 940th anniversary (周年纪念) of the birth of Li Qingzhao (1084-1155), one of the best-known female     1     (writer) in Chinese history.     2     (honor) the famous Song Dynasty (960—1279) poetess, the first International Qingzhao Poetry and Arts Festival will be held between June 20 and 27 at the poet’s birthplace, today’s Zhangqiu district of Jinan in Shandong province.

Themed on “What Springs Forth”, the week-long event will take place at the Zhangqiu Mingshui Ancient City, a     3     (new) opened tourist destination where Li’s former residence is located, with dozens of springs gushing (涌出) all year round.

During the festival, famous poets, artists, critics and translators from home     4     abroad will gather at the ancient city to join in a wide variety of activities. With a focus on     5     (fresh), experimentation and futurism, the festival’s organizing committee has designed     6     series of programs for young people. For example, two poetry awards for young poets and university students will     7     (present) after careful selection.

“Regarding the young poet awards, we should use our judging process to discover and reward those     8     have true breakthroughs in concepts, aesthetics, language, and even     9    terms of the relationship between poetry and society,” said the festival’s academic director Jiang Tao.

Meanwhile, international poets and translators will be invited to attend the festival, and translation workshops aimed at     10     (promote) translation between Chinese poetry and poetry of foreign languages will be held during the event.

During the 2023 Spring Festival Gala, an acrobatics how titled “Me and Grandpa Walking on Stilts” impressed global audiences. With children    1     (show) off their stilt-walking skills, the show definitely brought the joyful atmosphere to the world.

Stilts walking, or Cai Gao Qiao in Chinese, is a popular traditional folk performance often    2     (see) during the Spring Festival. It often appears at circuses or parades across China,    3    has the meaning of standing tall and having one step up in the new year.

Stilts walking has a long history in China and has been listed    4    a national intangible cultural heritage.    5    is believed that the practice started with ancient Chinese people using stilts to harvest fruits on trees and for fishing in ponds. Later, the practical use of stilts     6     (transform) into an art form with brightly-colored costumes, make-up, and even acrobatic moves.

The stilts are mostly made of wood with    7    support point in the middle partition (隔板)    8    can be used as a standing platform by the performers. Stilt walking requires a high degree of skill land the walkers must be brave enough to get around with merely two thin sticks tied to their    9     (foot). They need to practice a lot to learn to be steady while walking and to perform more beautiful movement patterns, they need to be even more     10     (exceptional) skillful.

The 24 solar terms     1     (recognize) as “the fifth great invention of China”. Every year around May 21st, the second solar term of summer, Grain Buds, or Xiaoman in Chinese, arrives. While it’s getting hotter and     2     (wet), the seeds of summer crops are already full       3     not ripe. The difference in temperature between the North and the South narrows and     4     greater amount of rainfall is on the way.

“Low rainfall during Xiaoman will bring problems for planting during Grain in Ear (芒种).” Such sayings     5     (guide) agricultural production and the daily life of the Chinese people for thousands of years. In the area south of the Yangtze River, three types of     6     (equip) start to work as Xiaoman gets closer. At this time, the waterwheel is pedaled (蹬)     7     (water) crops. Farmers use the oil mill to extract (提取) oil from the seeds freshly     8     (collect). They also use the weaving loom to reel silk threads.

Xiaoman is actually an interval (间歇) between harvests, so people in the past had to eat wild vegetables in order to survive these tough days,     9     led to a unique eating custom. Meanwhile, as Xiaoman is the birthday of the Silkworm God, people in some areas pray     10     a good silk harvest on that day.

The Zhenfeng Pagoda, located in Yingjiang Temple, is a renowned landmark in Anqing.     1     (original) named “Wanfo Pagoda”, it was renamed “Zhenfeng” later     2     (promote) literary style. There is a saying     3     before the Ming Dynasty, Anqing had not produced a top scholar, and its literary atmosphere was declining. To fix this, astrologers (占星家) advised     4     (build) the pagoda to retain literary talent. Upon its completion in 1570, the Zhenfeng Pagoda     5     (see) as a revival of literary excellence in the region, producing notable figures such as the father and son prime ministers Zhang Ying and Zhang Tingyu, the distinguished top scholar Zhao Wenkai, the renowned calligraphy master Deng Shiru,     6     the influential Tongcheng School of literature.

Standing at an impressive     7     (high) of 72.74 meters, the pagoda is the second     8     (tall) ancient brick and stone pagoda in China. Designated (任命) as a national key cultural relic protection unit in 2006, the Zhenfeng Pagoda remains a popular destination for tourists     9     visitors can climb 168 steps to the top     10     all-around views of the surrounding landscape.

About eight years ago, Li Jinglong visited the Palace Museum in Beijing. The cloisonne (景泰蓝) objects on display attracted him     1     particular.

    2     (amaze) by the beauty of it, he made a decision to launch Handcraft Addicted, a DIY workshop     3     participants can make cloisonne by themselves. Over the years, he and his wife have opened three workshops in Beijing.

The art of making cloisonne involves several     4     (step), including shaping the object’s body; bending and inlaying (镶嵌) copper wires; coloring in the shapes; heating and gilding. The technique     5     (introduce) to China in the late 13th century. It’s     6     (general) believed that cloisonne reached its peak and was given its present Chinese name during the reign of Emperor Jingtai in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

Li’s workshop allows participants to create the designs they want. Chang Yunqi,     7     high school student, was looking for a place to celebrate her birthday, and then she chose to try Handcraft Addicted. Since then, she     8     (become) one of the workshop’s many fans.

Li says modern people are satisfied to spend time alone     9     (focus) on one thing nowadays. “We have many participants who come to our workshop every week, not only to create art, but to take a break from     10     (they) busy lives.”

Maze Fist, also known as Mi Zhong Quan, is a traditional martial art from China. It     1     (know) for its clever footwork and advanced techniques.

Maze Fist masters use complex footwork     2     involves constantly changing directions and angles,     3     (make) it hard for opponents to predict and attack. They are also skilled at tricking opponents with tricky movements and mis-directions. Besides its     4     (effective) in fighting, Maze Fist also focuses on developing the mind and body. In fact, apart     5     improving physical strength, endurance and coordination, Maze Fist trainers also build discipline and concentration when practising.

Deeply     6     (root) in Chinese culture and history, Maze Fist represents Chinese martial arts’ wisdom and philosophy, emphasizing the balance between body and mind. Practicing Maze Fist leads to personal growth and self-improvement.     7     (master) Maze Fist, one needs dedication and continuous practice. It not only provides just a means to defend oneself but also     8     (promote) one’s self-discipline, respect, and humility. And it offers both     9     (practice) self-defense skills and a path to personal growth. All in all,     10     you are interested in martial arts or want an all-round approach to well-being, Maze Fist ensures you a rewarding experience.

Ancient China has a long history and fine culture,     1     (leave) the world a thousand-year civilization heritage, which is still     2     (inspire) .

However, when we pay a visit     3     the treasures and are shocked by them, we should admit the fact that time has caused harm to them, whether it is the     4     (break) pieces of porcelain (瓷器), the faded wall paintings or the grass roofs of ancient temples.

Fortunately, time also saw the hard work of those who     5     (careful) keep the past alive. Behind the shining museum collections, there are the people     6     clear away the dust from them, and bring     7     second life to them.

They work like doctors. And their “patients” include the palace of the Forbidden City in Beijing, wall paintings of Mogao Grottoes in Gansu Province, the Terracotta Warriors from the Qin Dynasty (221 BC-207 BC) in Shaanxi Province and the Great Wall that stands     8     (thousand) of years.

Generation after generation, skillful hands and bright eyes may grow old,     9     their hearts remain strong, and the enthusiasm (热情) never disappears.

More than 108 million cultural treasures     10     (house) in China’s public museums, and 767,000 ancient architecture, and heritage sites are listed in China. More than 160,000 people work on cultural relics across the country.