Nausicaa Giavarra, a drama teacher from Italy, moved to Ningbo with her husband in 2009 and is teaching drama lessons at a local international school.     1    (live) in Ningbo for 14 years, she often takes her friends to Tianyige Museum, as it is a     2     (peace) place that is perfect for walking and chatting.

Tianyi Pavilion, the oldest existing private library,     3     (surround) with forests and delicate gardens in Ningbo, Zhejiang province. It was built between 1561 and 1566 by a politician called Fan Qin     4     (house) the books he had collected throughout his life.

Giavarra says she loves the classical architectural style of Tianyi Pavilion, adding that walking in the courtyard and the bamboo grove (竹林)     5     (relax) her mind. What makes her really proud is     6    , in addition to Tianyi Pavilion, the other two most ancient surviving private libraries in the world, namely the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana and the Biblioteca Malatestiana, are both located in Italy. So far, Tianyi Pavilion     7     (join) the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana in     8     (prepare) for a dialogue on book restorers and is also connecting with the Biblioteca Malatestiana for     9     unique exchange on the “digital application of ancient books” later this year.

“I am very pleased that Ningbo has such a deep cultural connection with Italy. I hope and believe that China and Italy will have more     10     (opportunity) for communication and cultural exchanges in the future.” Giavarra says.

A skywell, or “tian jing” in Chinese, is a typical feature of a traditional home in Southern and Eastern China. They are commonly seen in homes     1     (date) to the Ming and Qing dynasties, which     2     (design) to house different generations of relatives. Despite their varied sizes and designs, these skywells are typically square and located in     3     heart of the house. They serve to allow in light, enhance airflow, and harvest rainwater.

Since decades ago, the government     4     (advocate) green buildings, promoting environmentally-friendly practice. The increased interest towards traditional Chinese architecture is leading to the restoration of historic buildings with skywells     5     modern use. Architects are also looking towards the principles behind skywells while designing new buildings     6     (save) energy. The Dongguan TBA Tower in Guangdong Province, for example, brings natural airflows into every floor with internal “windpipes”    7     function in a similar way to skywells. The aim is to keep the building's temperature     8     (comfort) in all seasons, using only natural airflow.

The fact that skywells still exist today shows     9     clever ancient builders were in using nature's elements to create energy-sufficient and sustainable living spaces. These timeless architectural     10     (wonder) continue to inspire architects in their efforts to find green solutions for cooling homes and buildings.

Being the most splendid and incredible in the world, Chinese gardens are not     1    (simple) a collection of plants and flowers, but a carefully designed space that     2    (combine) nature and culture in perfect harmony.

One of the typical characteristics of Chinese gardens is their use of space. Unlike Western gardens, Chinese gardens work with the natural landscape     3     (create) a smooth transition(过渡) between the built environment and the natural world. This,     4     (achieve) through the use of corridors stretching in the garden, leads the visitors ahead to the next superb view.

Another key feature of Chinese gardens is their consideration for     5    (detail). Every aspect of the garden is carefully considered,     6     the placement of rocks and trees to the design of the buildings and pavilions. These structures are not only functional,         7     serve as works of art.     8     (Wander) around the unique designs can undoubtedly bring much amusement to visitors.

    9     example of the Chinese garden is the Humble Administrator’s Garden in Suzhou, including fountains that contribute to the visible beauty of the garden. The cottage in the garden is an     10     (adore) teapot-shaped building that blesses visitors with its unique design and appeal.

The Cultural Landscape of Old Tea Forests of the Jingmai Mountain in Pu’er gained the World Heritage Site status on September17^th 2023, becoming China’s first World Heritage Site related     1     tea.

The heritage site, located in Lancang Lahu Autonomous County in Pu’er, Yunnan Province,     2     (consist) of five old tea forests and nine ancient villages. Jingmai Mountain is one of the world’s largest ancient tea forest     3     (site) . What most people do not know is     4     Jingmai Mountain is home to more than 1 million tea trees, most of which are over 100 years old.

In the long history, local people developed     5     unique tea growing technique on the basis of fully understanding nature with     6     (they) wisdom. The technique allows small tea trees     7     (grow) under the shades (树荫) of taller trees. It not only creates proper light conditions, but also serves as an effective measure to prevent insect attack,     8     (produce) an ideal environment for tea trees.

Originated in China, tea became popular     9     (global) over time. And Jingmai heritage site stands as a     10       (remark) example of harmonious interactions between humans and the natural environment.

After four days of wonderful performances, the 7th China Quanzhou International Puppet Festival     1     (come) to an end on December 12 in 2023 in Quanzhou, south China’s Fujian Province. The festival,     2     was held in the hometown of Chinese string (线) puppetry (木偶制作艺术), showed the high-level skills of Quanzhou’s puppetry artists, leaving audiences     3     (amaze).

In China, string puppetry is     4     important form of traditional theater that originated in Quanzhou during the Han Dynasty.     5     (actual), having been passed down over thousands of years, more than 700 traditional plays about folk beliefs and customs have been protected.

Each puppet is equipped with 8 to 16 strings, while more complex performances may require up to 36 strings. The strings     6     (divide) into several groups according to human movements, and all the actions are controlled by the hands of the puppetry artists.

To master string puppetry, skilled     7     (way) to perform puppets are not enough. Puppeteers also need to have rich life experiences     8     (understand) the emotional world of the characters to help bring the puppets to life.

On May 20, 2006, Quanzhou string puppetry was added     9     the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage list (非物质文化遗产名录).

As the hometown of string puppetry, Quanzhou was also the first city in China to hold an international puppet festival and succeeded in     10     (host) six sessions in 1986, 1990, 2000, 2015, 2017 and 2019.