The lantern fair in Zigong. Southwest China’s Sichuan province, boasts a history of more than 1, 000 years. To mark the Year     1     the Dragon, many of the lanterns show the Chinese sign of the zodiac(生肖), but there are also     2     wide variety of other lantern designs to meet different needs. Visitors     3     prefer traditional lanterns can find lanterns with flowers and birds, and legendary figures, while lanterns with modem patterns such as cultural     4     (trend) and online games are gaining popularity among young people

In addition to the     5     (elegance) craftsmanship, modem technologies such as 3D printing and artificial intelligence have also been used to make the lanterns     6     (nice) and more vivid. The lantern show is also accepting the concept of environmental protection. A set of lanterns     7     (feature) the famous Chinese statue “Bronze Galloping Horse Treading on a Flying Swallow” from the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220AD) was created by using 21 different kinds of waste materials, including tires and plastics     8     (form) its outside decorations.

This year’s show will run until July 30. The sets of lanterns     9     (update) to keep up with other traditional Chinese festivals, such as the Qingming Festival and the Dragon Boat Festival. Visitors can also enjoy folk arts and Chinese music performances during     10     (they) lantern-viewing tours.

Over 400 pieces of Dehua white porcelain (德化白瓷) are on display in the National Museum of China in Beijing, with the exhibition     1     (run) from Aug 26 for three months.

Dehua white porcelain is famous for its pure white color. According to Chen Chao, an artist dedicated to porcelain research, Dehua porcelain is       2     (extraordinary) pure and white because the kaolin (高岭土) in Dehua county in Fujian has a low percentage of iron, making       3     porcelain stainless like white jade.

Sitting in Quanzhou city,     4     the ancient Maritime Silk Road started, Dehua white porcelain     5     (sell) like hotcakes at home and abroad since the Song Dynasty. In 2006, Dehua white porcelain     6     (list) as a national intangible cultural christiane.

Despite the past glories, Dehua craftsmen never stop    7     (improve) their skills. One     8     (impress) skill is “the eggshell technique”.     9     the technique improved by generations of craftsmen, today’s eggshell porcelain can be made as thin as paper.

“By combining traditional Chinese artistic skills with modern     10     (discipline) like material science and humanities, Dehua white porcelain will continue to enhance the cultural confidence of the Chinese people as they create even more outstanding works,” said Chen.

The lantern fair in Zigong, Southwest China’s Sichuan province, boasts (拥有) a history of more than 1, 000 years. To mark the Year of the Dragon, many of the lanterns at the show feature the Chinese sign of the zodiac (生肖), but there are also     1     wide variety of other lantern designs to meet different needs. Visitors     2     prefer traditional lanterns can find lanterns with flowers and birds, and legendary figures, while lanterns with modern patterns such as cultural trends and online games are gaining     3    (popular) among young people.

So far, modern technologies such as 3D printing and artificial intelligence     4    (use)to make the lanterns nicer and more vivid. The lantern show is also accepting the concept of     5    (environment) protection. A set of lanterns     6    (recreate) the famous Chinese statue “Bronze Galloping Horse Treading on a Flying Swallow” from the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 AD) was created by using 21 different kinds of waste materials, including     7    (tire), and plastics to form its outside decorations.

This year’s show will run until July 30. The sets of lanterns will be updated     8    (keep)up with the coming two traditional Chinese festivals-the Qingming Festival     9     the Dragon Boat Festival. Visitors can also enjoy folk arts, and Chinese music performances during     10     (they)lantern-viewing tours.

Tai Hang, a modern-looking neighborhood in Hong Kong, is home to the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance, a folk art form that    1     (perform) during the Mid-Autumn Festival for over 100 years.     2     started as a way to rid this fishing village of bad luck has become a cultural treasure.

The dragon is about 70 meters long and weighs more than 200 pounds, with     3     (it) body wrapped with pearl grass. More than 70,000 incense sticks (香柱) are lit and strung along the dragon’s back and head to make the “fire” of the fire dragon. At the festival, hundreds of people work     4     turn to parade the burning dragon through the streets of Tai Hang. The     5     (strong) man among the group has     6     honor of supporting the 30-kilogram head. Dozens of performers     7     (move) the dragon smoothly up and down through the air attract rounds of cheers and     8     (applaud) from surrounding crowds.

The inheritors of the dragon dance have set up workshops to demonstrate various aspects of the traditional art from the making techniques to     9     (base) dance skills. In June, 2022, the Hong Kong Tai Hang Fire Dragon Museum was opened to inspire more people     10     (learn) more about this traditional dance culture.

The Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, has been     1     (official) listed as a UN floating holiday in its calendar of conferences and meetings as from 2024.

The UN General Assembly, in a resolution (决议), acknowledges the significance of the Lunar New Year,     2     is observed in many UN member states, and invites the UN bodies at headquarters and other duty     3     (station), where observed, to avoid holding meetings on the Lunar New Year.

The resolution,     4     (adopt) on Friday without a vote, encourages this arrangement to be considered when drafting future calendars of conferences and meetings.

Dai Bing, China’s deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, said after the adoption of the resolution that the Spring Festival, not only bears the ideas of the Chinese civilization of peace and harmony but also     5     (carry) the common values of humanity such as harmonious family, social inclusion and sound relationship between man     6     nature.

Dai said China’s effort     7     (promote) the Spring Festival as a UN holiday is a practical step toward     8     (realize) its Global Civilization Initiative.

The resolution serves     9     a showcase of the influence of Chinese civilization and aims to enhance interactions between different civilizations worldwide. It also reflects the values of     10     (diverse) and inclusion promoted by the United Nations, he said.

Foshan, a city rich in cultural heritage, celebrates the arrival of autumn with a grand event known as the Foshan Autumn Parade (佛山秋色巡游). This traditional cultural festival    1    (hold) a special place in the hearts of the locals. The Parade,    2    (feature) various performances, including lion and dragon dances, martial arts, and traditional costumes, takes place    3    (annual) during the autumn season, usually in October or November.

    4    makes the parade most exciting is the lion and dragon dance, representing the spirit of strength. The colorful lion and dragon figures controlled by skilled performers catch the attention and    5    (admire) of the viewers. Traditional martial arts shows are another crowd favorite. With the martial artists moving gracefully, the audience    6    (remind) of the importance of traditional Chinese culture. Traditional costumes can also be seen    7    (wear) by those artists. The designs and colors of these costumes serve    8    a symbol of Foshan’s rich history and cultural diversity.

The Foshan Autumn Parade is more than just a cultural festival. It is a remarkable event    9    the community celebrate the beauty of autumn. By experiencing these ancient traditions, young people can gain    10    deeper understanding of their culture.