1 . An international design competition was held in 1955 for an art center to be built. There were 233 entries received from many countries. Danish architect Jorn Utzon won the competition with his unique design of shells that looked like sails on a boat.

The construction began on March 2, 1959 and was expected to be accomplished within 4 years. However, they quickly ran into trouble. The ground was not suitable to hold the weight of the building and huge concrete foundations (混凝土地基) had to be built. Mr Utzon had also made mistakes about how many columns (柱) would be needed to support the roof, thus making the concrete shells at the risk of falling down.

Mr Utzon figured out a new way to disperse the weight of the concrete by making each shell out of a part of a perfect globe. The 14 shells look like a single piece of concrete, but they are actually built across frames (框架) of concrete to hold them in place. They weigh as much as 15 tons each. The highest roof point of the building is 67 m above sea level — the same as a 22-storey high building.

This major correction saved the project but added one decade to the building time. The building consists mainly of two main halls, a number of smaller theaters, performance halls and other additional facilities. Both main halls are housed in relatively large sail-shaped structures, and the smaller performance halls are housed at the ground floor. In particular, the grand organ (风琴) in the concert hall is one of the world’s largest organs containing over 10,000 pipes.

The Sydney Opera House is a great success in the history of architecture. It is not only a world-famous performing arts center and the landmark of Sydney, but also recognized as one of the seven wonders of the world of the 20th century. In 2007, the Sydney Opera House was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

5 . An immersive and slow-paced Citywalk is becoming trendy across China. In contrast to rushing past overcrowded tourist landmarks, the new trend has emerged as a popular alternative to explore bustling markets, ancient streets, and charming alleys at a leisurely pace.

The appeal of Citywalk caters particularly to the younger generation often caught up in demanding work schedules. As evidenced by the increasing popularity of hash tags like “City walk for vacation” on lifestyle sharing platform Xiaohong shu, with a staggering 465 million views and nearly 464, 600 engagements, the trend is truly capturing unbelievable attention.

Citywalk, or meandering through the urban landscapes, means the act of walking freely along city streets unburdened by exhaustive plans. It offers people an avenue to intimately experience urban culture and local traditions. Citywalk is not merely about sightseeing. It creates an opportunity for social interactions and deep connections with the cities. Citywalk routes are tailored to the specific interests of both out-of-town tourists and locals. For tourists, the focus is on sharing local customs and traditions, while for locals, discussions revolve around the city’s past, present, and future. The growing trend of Citywalk reflects a changing attitude towards life, embracing a warmer, more relaxed, and slower-paced lifestyle.

As Citywalk expands beyond first-tier cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, to second-and third-tier cities across the county, it brings fresh opportunities for the tourism industry, in such areas as dining, shopping, and accommodation.

Governments in Beijing and Shandong have recognized the potential of Citywalk, incorporating it into their action plans to promote cultural tourism and leisure activities. In Shanghai, public bus lines specially designed have been introduced to elevate the overall Citywalk for participants.

“By slowing down and delving into the narrow alleys, observing the lives of city residents, and immersing oneself in the context of museums and art galleries, one is entitled to embrace the pleasure of life,” said Luo Jun, a cultural tourism enthusiast.

As night fell on the northwestern Chinese city of Zhongwei, with the Milky Way gradually revealing     1    (it), the astronomy photographer Dong Shuchang skillfully seized the moment.

In the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, under the administration of Zhongwei, stargazing tourism has emerged    2    a famous attraction. Since the year 2000, this inland region has actively pursued a rebranding plan,    3     (position) itself as the “hometown of stars”. This ambitious attempt marks    4    significant milestone in the region’s tourism landscape.

In the scenic destination of Shapotou,    5     is located within Zhongwei, an innovative star-shaped hotel has been constructed. This distinctive hotel, which includes a star theme and enlightens lectures on astronomy,    6     (attract) visitors from the south of China up to now. According to Wu Zhanjun, a marketing manager, the hotel receives such overwhelming demand during peak seasons     7     hotel rooms are consistently fully booked.

Ningxia is presently engaged in an    8    (explore) aimed at expanding its array of tourism products. The city’s task centers on the belief that its    9    (star) skies have the potential    10    (inject) energy into the conventional tourism.

After 53 years as Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, the southern shores of Lake Michigan     1     (rename) the United States’ 61st national park. Fifteen miles of beaches give way not only to     2     (impress) sand dunes, but also wetlands, maple trees, and fields of wildflowers that come and go with the seasons.

Don’t let its small size and     3     (recent) upgraded designation confuse you: Indiana Dunes National Park’s vivid biosystem ranks seventh out of more than 400 National Parks across America. Here is how you can make     4       most of your trip.

Indiana Dunes National Park is located in the Indiana Dunes State Park,     5     you can find the three tallest dunes: Mount Tom, Mount Holden, and Mount Jackson. However, the most dynamic dune—Mount Baldy, is slowly fading away, or “starving”,     6     (move) roughly four feet a year. The trail to its top is regularly closed; if     7     is open during your visit, go.

Aside from the spectacular sand dunes, the     8     (major) of the park’s annual visitors come for the swimming and surfing. Lake View, Kemil, Dunbar, and Porter beaches are all at your service, with small parking lots that fill up quickly in summer.

The Port of Indiana is a reminder that this area narrowly     9     (escape) industrialization. In fact, the once-largest dune, the Hoosier Slide, was carried off in boxcars as early as 1916. Activists fought to preserve the dunes; their eventual success resulted     10     today’s fascinating landscape.

8 . In China, tourist attractions often charge too much, with providers making use of foreign tourists’ lack of knowledge to charge visitors unusual prices.     1    . Here are some tips.

It’s good to do some research about the place you are going on your trip and which goods are its specialties, which prepares you well to bargain (讨价还价). It helps to read others’ tips and experiences and do price comparisons on websites.    2    .

Being in a rush gets the bargainer in trouble. Time is not on your side. The provider has all the time in the world, and can sell that thing tomorrow.    3    . If you can, plan ahead, take your time and don’t be rushed. If the seller isn’t coming down on the item you want, walk away.

Walking away works very well in big tourist places. If the price is still too high, you give your final offer and walk away slowly while looking at other things. You will usually be called back.

    4    

Typically, if shopping for things which are not expensive, you can try to go 25 to 50 percent of the asking price. If the thing is very expensive, it’s better to start lower. Just say 10 percent of the asking price, so you have more room to bargain.

    5    . You’ll hear everything from “Now my child won’t have any dinner”, to “You are getting this for less than I paid for it!” These are lies. The seller is making a profit, so don’t worry. They are not going to sell you anything out of the goodness of their heart. It’s a game and it’s fun to play. So play right back and say something like, “Yes, but now I can’t afford to have any dinner, either!”

10 . Mia, 12, is now on a year-long trip with her parents and three younger brothers. Far from their home in Quebec, Canada, the family rode horses in Mongolia, kayaked in Cambodia, camped in Namibia and flew in a hot air balloon in Turkey, looking to collect as many once-in-a-lifetime memories as they could.

The memories really matter because unless science makes a breakthrough soon, three of the children will become blind, likely in adulthood. They have been diagnosed with a disease that has no effective treatment and no specific timeline as it gradually robs them of their sight.

The diagnoses came in 2015. Despite the grief, the parents were surprised to find Mia, then 7, was calm about it. She announced that she would need to start keeping her bedroom especially neat, with everything in its place. “In the future, I’ll need to know where things are,” Mia said.

“She’s finding solutions on her own,” the parents told each other. “We need to follow her lead.” And so the idea of a yearlong trip was born, one that would show the kids the world, in person and at close range – while the kids could still see it. For the next two years, the parents saved money and researched places to visit. “How we adults see the world and how kids see the world are so different.” says the mother, Edith. “It would have to be less about temples and museums and more about whatever caught their eyes.”

By the time the trip began to wind down in early 2023, the family had traveled 52,000 miles and visited 18 countries. Mia grew taller and when entering adolescence, needed more independence. Her brothers became more confident and outgoing. The kids were very aware that they had learned a lot. “There’s a lot of suffering, a lot of poverty, but lots of good and interesting things too. We should be positive.” said Mia.