The Xi’an City Wall is the most complete city wall that has survived China’s long history. It     1     (build) originally to protect the city     2     the Tang dynasty and has now been completely restored (修复). It is possible       3     (walk) or bike the entire 14 kilometers.

We accessed the wall through the South Gate. The wall is 12 meters high and from here you can see streams of people moving inside and outside the City Wall.

After     4     (spend) some time looking at all the defensive equipment at the wall, we decided it was time for some action and what     5     (good) than to ride on a piece of history!

We     6     (hire) our bikes from the rental place at the South Gate. My bike was old and shaky     7     did the job. It took us about 3 hours to go all     8     way around the Xi’an City Wall. Supposedly you can do it in two hours, but we stopped at the different gates and     9     (watchtower) to take pictures or just to watch the local people going about their     10     (day) routines.

Camping was so popular as to even become a fashion across China during the just-concluded National Day holiday, with some joking that “half of the friends     1     WeChat were camping. Outdoor camping sites were popular during the holiday and had to     2     (book) several days in advance.

According to research firm iiMedia Research, the core market size of China’s camping economy reached 74.75 billion yuan ($10.5 billion) in 2021,     3     was 62.5 percent up year-on-year.

More market-sensitive players are plowing into the industry. In 2021, more than 20,000 new camping-related enterprises sprang up in China,     4     over 5,000 have been set up this year, according to the information provider Tianyancha.

Huzhou,     5     popular tourist destination in East China’s Zhejiang province, hosted the first Camping Conference in the Yangtze River Delta in June. It also became one of the first to     6     (official) regulate the construction standards and     7     (safe) supervision (监管) of camping sites.     8     (follow) Huzhou, Beijing and Nanjing in Jiangsu province have also introduced related policies for the healthy development of the industry.

“Consumers’ demand for outdoor activities     9     (increase) in recent years. I believe     10     (many) people will join in camping and other outdoor activities in the long run,’’ said Liang Qidong, vice president of the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences.

4 . I’m in the area of Noailles in Marseille, France’s second largest city and its main trade seaport. Some small shops sell vegetables, meat, and, it seems, all the spices of the Middle East. In addition to French, languages spoken on the busy streets include Arabic and African French. It all adds up to one of the most ethnically diverse cities in Europe.

Close to the downtown street, I discover an Algerian restaurant, whose owner makes his signature dish-couscous with barley, not the usual wheat, using a recipe that hasn’t changed since the 1920s. Couscous is an necessary part of Marseille culture. The dish was added to the UNESCO’s Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2020.

To be honest, before I travelled here, couscous had not been the first meal that came to mind when I thought of Marseille. It was bouillabaisse, the rich soup with olive oil, garlic and saffron. I imagined enjoying it at a small portside cafe. This was clearly a romantic fantasy. For one thing, there are no small cafes at historic city. For another, the restaurants do serve bouillabaisse, but when I see the price at one place I am shocked: 69 euros! No bowl of soup should cost that much.

I give up and end up two streets away from the old harbor in a new restaurant, Ourea. For 28 euros, Chef Matthieu Roche serves a three-course lunch that includes tuna steaks and couscous.

More and more young, talented people are discovering that Marseille is an ideal place to live. There is also a growing number of Parisians moving here every year. Tired of the rush and expense of life in larger cities, the newcomers come looking for the more relaxed Mediterranean way of life.

Walking through these contrasting neighborhoods of Marseille. I think about the distinct communities here living in the same neighborhoods — together, side by side, but not mixed. They may also feel they are Marseillais first regardless of nationalities.

6 . Travel is an important part of your life, and it will make a comeback soon. Here are the most powerful benefits of traveling, including health, happiness, and more!

    1     From running to get to airports and train stations to hiking along the beach to get some vitamin D, there are some reasons why travel is beneficial to your health. According to a study, travel decreases the risks of heart attacks and makes your brain healthy.

Travel can contribute to your happiness.     2     If you can go out and escape from your work, lessons or any other things possibly weighing you down, you will surely have a smile on your face. Travel will also leave you with a longer-lasting sense of happiness.

Travel relieves stress and anxiety. According to a trial conducted by Austrian researchers and published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, one of the great travel benefits is that it can reduce stress level and anxiety. Even just one short vacation has positive effects on your emotions.     3    

Travel enables you to experience new things. When you travel, you are stepping outside your comfort zone, for one thing.     4     Even if your destination is relatively nearby (across the country rather than internationally), you can learn something new.

Travel can improve your creativity. Are you a student, artist, writer, photographer, advertising manager, or video game designer struggling with coming up with your next great idea?     5     So head on to book some international flight tickets if you’re considering improving your creativity.

8 . Would you take a trip if you couldn’t use your cellphone? A new tour company called Off the Grid is asking travellers to put their cellphones away and not even use them for photos. The company founder, Zach Beattie, is developing his business, using money he saved from a tech job at a mapping company. He’s hired guides for every trip but will help lead the first few himself.

The first trip is to Lisbon, Portugal, in July. It takes 7 to 10 days, with small groups of up to 16 people. Prices range from $1,500 to $1,650, including accommodations, meals and ground transportation. The plan includes at least three excursions (远足) and two social events, with an emphasis on unique experiences over bucket-list sightseeing. The tour also includes surfing lessons, yoga on the beach, a day of sailing and dinner with a local family.

“When you’re somewhere new, there’s a lot to see and a lot of cool and interesting people to meet,” Beattie said. “Your phone can distract (使分心) you.” The phone ban won’t be enforced quite as strictly as it seems at first glance. “We want it to be voluntary,” he said. “We’re not collecting phones and throwing them in a locked trunk. It’s held by you, but put in your pocket, and you state your intentions for the week, whether that’s checking your social media once or twice a day or a total blackout.”

Tour-goers also get a “dumbphone” without Internet access that’s loaded with numbers for group leaders and other participants, both for emergencies and to promote socializing. Participants may bring regular cameras, but Beattie is hiring a photographer for each tour so there will be plenty of photos to remember the trip. Once the trip is over, participants will have access to those photos for use in social media posts.

Dayushan Island is located in Fuding, Fujian province, known     1     its untouched nature, green grasslands and attractive coastlines.

Its coast is eroded (侵蚀) by seawater,    2     (reveal) bare bedrock and reefs. But the thick trees accommodate tens of thousands of migratory birds. It     3     (list) in the “Top 10 of the most beautiful islands in China” by Chinese National Geography in 2005. It is     4     uninhabited island and a true hidden treasure that has still preserved its quietness and     5     (origin) form.

The best thing to do here is to hike up the hills and find a high spot     6     overlooks the sea, the grasslands and the lakes! Besides hiking, camping enjoys grea t    7     (popular) on the island. The lakesides are great camping     8     (destination) with peaceful water and grassland scenery. Remember to bring mosquito repellent   (驱虫剂) and not     9     (swim) in the sea, because of the dangerous currents. The wind from the sea slowly blowing, the island morning mist     10     (gradual) disappears, and beautiful scenery unfolds in front of you.