On March 31, the Eiffel Tower celebrated its 130th anniversary since it opened.     1    (original) planned to last only 20 years, the people of Paris wisely decided to keep it standing,    2     (recognize) its importance. Millions of people     3     (visit) the tower so far, according to its official website.

The tower was created by the French engineer Gustave Eiffel and was first intended as the main entrance     4     the 1889 World’s Fair. It was built in a little over two years and faced criticism from some locals initially. However, it quickly captured the attention of fair visitors, attracting more than two million people. It also had a     5     (practice) use as a radio antenna during World War I.

Visitors today can choose to climb 1,665 steps or take one of the original elevator cars    6     (reach) the top. At the top of the tower,     7     the tower’s administrative office is located, guests can enjoy a drink at the champagne bar on the top floor.

Today, the Eiffel Tower is a symbol of France, representing a feeling of pride and thankfulness. It is a global icon that can bring together people from different     8    (background). The tower is not only     9     popular tourist destination but also a widely recognized symbol, a     10     (believe) held by many who appreciate its enduring charm.

A cultural exchange event was hosted in Chongqing last month to welcome young representatives     1     Vietnam and Laos, who visited the local ancient town, learned about intangible cultural heritages and experienced cultures of the Tujia and Miao ethnic groups.

    2     pottery-making technique of Shijituo was included in the intangible cultural heritage list of Chongqing municipality in 2016. This ancient craft is passed down by the Tujia ethnic group and involves the use of locally sourced white sandstone. The process is rather complicated,     3     (consist) of over 10 steps, such as clay collection, refining, mixing, etc. Under the     4     (guide) of masters, young foreigners tried their hands on making pottery, who placed     5     (prepare) clay on the pottery wheel and shaped it into various forms by hand.

The pottery-making tradition of Shijituo boasts a long history, producing a wide variety of utensils with unique craftsmanship     6     reflects the imagination and skill of the artisans. These intangible cultural heritage crafts are a proof to human ingenuity, which are both useful and beautiful. The pottery of Shijituo preserves the traditional hand-making techniques which     7     (pass) down over the last generations. It uses locally sourced clay, a pedal pottery wheel,     8     a traditional wood-fired kiln.

Now an intangible cultural heritage inheritance base and a     9     (poor) alleviation workshop have been set up at Shijituo, which provides pottery making trainings to college students and local farmers, as well as introducing jobs for them after graduation. This initiative makes     10     worthwhile to promote the inheritance of intangible cultural heritage.

Hangzhou City is a charming mix of the old and the new. It was     1     capital city of the Southern Song Dynasty in the     2     (twelve) century. Even in those days, it was an     3     (extreme) booming (繁荣的) urban area with a population of about one million. The West Lake Scenic Spot takes one back to ancient times with the reconstructed Leifeng Pagoda (塔). The original pagoda     4     (build) in 975 AD. When it was destroyed, an exact replica (仿制品) appeared in its place.

    5     (compare) with other tourist cities, Hangzhou City is well-known for its beautiful scenery. Almost everyone will be attracted     6     the West Lake Scenic Area when visiting Hangzhou City. The West Lake Scenic Spot consists of several smaller scenic areas like Guo’s Villa, Orioles Singing in the Willows, Su Causeway, Fish & Lotus Pond, etc. The lake is so vast that there are many unique is lands in     7     (it) waters, classic Chinese bridges, flowering gardens, ancient trees and more. There are     8     (bench) near the Broken Bridge so people can either just sit and admire the beautiful sight     9     walk along the path. There is a ferry (摆渡) service that takes visitors all around the lake, so one can spend a wonderful day     10     (explore) all its treasures. Visitors also choose the boat ride around the lake.

Northwest China’s Tianshui spicy hot pot goes viral on social media

Tianshui malatang, a version of a spicy hot pot in northwest China’s Gansu Province, has recently gone viral on Chinese media,     1    (attract) many tourists from all over the country to taste the dish.

Malatang,     2    means ”numbingly (使麻木地) spicy soup,“ is a one-pot noodle soup with hot pot flavor. It is a tongue-numbing spicy dish loved for its    3    (satisfy) flavor and the richness of colors. Different from Sichuan cuisine, another place in Southwest China famous for     4     (it) hot pot, the secrets for tickling the taste buds come from local specialty ingredients in Tianshui－Maiji peppercorns (胡椒) and Gangu chili peppers.

According to the China News Agency, а restaurant owner in Tianshui said he has been serving more than 400 customers a day, as people from other cities and    5     (province ) drive to the city to try the malatang.

”There     6    (be) a long queue outside my restaurant recently," one shop owner said. One customer posted on Chinese social media giant Sina Weibo that she had queued for six hours     7    (get) the dish.

Many malatang shops in Tianshui have even extended their business hours to satisfy the increasing number of customers from all over the country.

Nowadays, a Tianshui spicy hot pot restaurant is    8    must-go visit in the city.     9     the same time, the local authority     10    (provide) special bus lines for tourists to help them to experience the charm of local culture.

Lijiang Old Town, also known as Day an Old Town, was a former trading town and as top for traders carrying goods on the Ancient Tea and Horse Road. It    1    (list) as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

In Lijiang Old Town, you’ll find a mix of architectural style influenced by several    2    (culture) — Naxi, Bai, Yi, Tibetan, and Han. The town also possesses    3    ancient water supply system of great creativity. Every year, millions of tourists visit Lijiang Old Town, which features ancient street sandstone bridges    4    (decorate) with flowers. In addition, there    5    (be) many ancient buildings, beautiful parks, and museums.

The Mufu is one of Lijiang’s famous attractions. It was the residence of the Naxi People’s Mu clan (宗族) who were in charge     6     Lijiang during the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. It was     7    (actual) the heart of Lijiang Old Town for 800 years. Another    8    (attract) is the Black Dragon Pool. The water is as beautiful as jade and reflects Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, so it is also called Jade Spring Park. It is a wonderful place    9    (take) pictures of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Nobody will miss the Lion Hill, on the top of which there is Wangu Tower     10    you can lookout to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and the surrounding crop fields and villages.

What are you waiting for? Come to explore Lijiang right now!