In Xinjiang, China, the beautiful scenery can often take miraculous forms. Anjihai Town has become famous the world over due to one canyon (峡谷) in particular. The river,     1     originates in the Tianshan Mountains,     2     (rush) down the steep slopes, carving its way through cliffs formed over thousands of years.

The canyon is about 30 kilometers     3     length, with the valley floor being 3 to 4 hundred meters at its     4     (wide), while the narrowest part is only two or three meters. From above, Anjihai Grand Canyon is rich in colors. On either side of the canyon, red sandstone and gray mudstone alternate to create an astonishing landscape. The colors are formed as the river erodes and dissolves the sandstone and mudstone,     5     (draw) abstract pictures on the land. It is one of the most beautiful and yet     6     (virtual) unknown canyons in Xinjiang. Because it is so     7     (hide) and the land on either side of the canyon is the same     8     (high), people sometimes come across it without warning. If they don’t stop in time, they are likely     9     (fall) off the cliff. No wonder it     10     (recognize) as one of the steepest cliffs in China.

Ancient charm of China: Huangyao Ancient Town

Located in Zhaoping County in Hezhou City, South China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Huangyao Ancient Town is 200 kilometers from Guilin—one of the most-visited tourist     1    (spot)in Guangxi. It is said that the town was named after two common surnames back then—Huang and Yao.     2    (cover) an area of 3.6 square kilometers, Huangyao boasts typical karst landscapes and abundant water resources.

Huangyao has a history of nearly 1,000 years with its origins dating back to the Song Dynasty （960-1279）. It     3    (reach) its prime in the Qing Dynasty(1644-1912) under the ruling of Emperor Qianlong (1733-1735). For this reason, there are many buildings from the Qing and Ming eras     4     remain unchanged in their architectural styles today. Now it is home to     5    (approximate) 300 folk houses,20 temples and ancestral halls, and 10 opera stages.

Traditional festivals and customs have been carried on for hundreds of years. During Chinese Lunar New Year, over 20 traditional performances     6    （hold）, including the dragon dance, lion dance and suona horn （Chinese trumpet) show.

Huangyao tofu is     7     must-try local dish when you visit, as it is exclusively made and sold in Huangyao. Also, fermented(发酵的) black soybean is often added     8     its local specialties(特色菜) to create a distinctive flavor.

It usually takes a day or two to tour around the old town due to     9    (it) small size. But you can always stay longer     10    (experience)more of its local hospitality and culture.

When Juni Stefanus Santoso from Indonesia rode a camel in a desert in Dunhuang, Gansu Province — an important cultural center on the Silk Road     1     cultures from the East and the West met and mixed hundreds of years ago — he felt like he was “stepping into another world” that was foreign, and very different from his previous     2     (impress) of China.

On a four-day trip to Dunhuang in late April, Santoso, together with other foreign students, mostly from nations along the Silk Road,     3     (be ) on a cultural journey to explore the desert landscape, to visit the local museum, the Mogao Caves and craftsmen,     4     to communicate with students from the Dunhuang College of Northwest Normal University. All of these activities offered the 23-year-old Indonesian an impressive experience,     5     which he could learn the culture of ancient China.

“It was so     6     (amaze). It’s like another side of the country,” says Santoso. Before he came to China, he thought it was a country full of technology-related companies — an impression that was supported by the fast and convenient technology-     7     (drive) services that came to be a part of his daily life when he moved to Tianjin.

“I was impressed by China’s science and technologies before coming to China. You can do everything on your phone,” says Santoso,     8     (refer) to services like electronic payment and online shopping.

The cultural trip, however, showed Santoso a view of China     9     art and goods were transported along the Silk Road more than a thousand years ago. The young man said he     10     (teach) a little bit about the Silk Road in his middle school history class.

The term “Erbin”, a, nickname of Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, known for its ice and snow festival,     1     (gain) popularity across China recently. Many tourism officials are using techniques to promote cultural tourism,     2       (leave) netizens screaming in amusement. Shifting from online hype (炒作) to offline engagement, tourism authorities in other provinces also compete     3     tourists.

The essence of this “fancy rat-race” lies in     4     fact that various regional cultural tourism initiatives     5     (target) at the Spring Festival tourist boom, using hype to attract tourists and boost the local economies. But to attract more tourists,     6     seems unwise is to rely merely on publicity and luxury strategies. Cities and tourist spots should focus on three factors to attract more tourists.

First, they need to build better roads to scenic spots and tourist service platforms,     7     set proper traffic signs. Second, they should provide related supporting services to enhance     8     (tourist) experience. For that, the tourist spots and cities need to     9     (far) develop tourist attractions and supporting facilities. It is also important     10     (tell) convincing local cultural stories.

Tourism authorities should, therefore, focus on promoting local cuisine, natural resources and personalities.

“A barbecue restaurant owner I know told me to come back on Monday, so as to leave the weekends to out-of-town visitors.” said Huang Yang, a native of Zibo city in Shandong province     1     works outside his hometown. He recently returned home for a visit and wanted to have some barbecue,     2     he failed to find seats in four different restaurants.

Thanks to social media recommendations, Zibo has gone viral on Chinese social media platforms.    3     (video) on sites such as Xiaohongshu show thousands of people traveling to the city to try its local barbecue, which they say     4     (wrap) in a pancake and has a “distinct taste” .

Taking advantage of the barbecue craze, Zibo has gone all out to promote local tourism resources, while     5     (work) to ensure the safety of visitors and the quality of tourism products. To provide visitors     6     a happy experience, market regulators have carried out inspections on barbecue restaurants to ensure food safety. Police have increased     7     number of patrol (巡逻) personnel to ensure visitors’ safety. Railway authorities have even added two additional high-speed trains between the     8     (province) capital Jinan and Zibo on weekends to meet the growing passenger demand. The local government now has released a map of barbecue joints and added 21 new bus routes     9     (facilitate) urban transportation.

According to data from on-demand service platform Meituan, Zibo has seen an 800 percent increase in accommodation bookings for the upcoming holiday     10     (compare) to 2019, ranking first in Shandong province in terms of growth rate.

Despite its rapid industrialization, there are still some corners in China that have maintained its original color.

Ancient towns and villages in China are places     1     traditions are well preserved in terms of architecture, lifestyle and folk customs. All of these can be found in Huangyao Ancient Town, one of the most-visited tourist     2    (spot) in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

    3    (cover) an area of 3.6 square kilometers, Huangyao has a history of nearly 1,000 years     4     its origins dating back to the Song Dynasty. People     5    (carry) on traditional festivals and customs here for hundreds of years up to now. During Chinese Lunar New Year, over 20 traditional performances     6    (hold), including the dragon dance and suona horn show. On July 14 in the Chinese lunar calendar, residents often come to the riverbank and put lanterns into the river     7    (celebrate) Zhongyuan Jie, the Hungry Ghost Festival.

Black soybean is often added to its local food to create an     8    (extreme) distinctive flavor. When you visit, Huangyao tofu is     9     must-try local dish as it is sold only in this town.

It usually takes a day or two to tour around the old town due to its small size, but you can always stay     10    (long) to experience more of its local hospitality and culture.

As the morning sun went above the hills, Liu Dachun’s wife was guiding her cow through the wetland, while Lu’s daughter, a college art student, spotted the pair and     1    (pencil) a quick drawing.

Shiyanping, a traditional Tujia village, has 182 well-preserved buildings    2    (construct) in the typical wooden building style,     3     (most)built in the Ming and Qing dynasties. In 2013, the ancient architecture complex    4    (recognize) as one of the nation’s major historical and cultural sites.

In recent years, the village’s unique building complex, as well as other Tujia cultural activities, have attracted a stream of tourists. The village received more than 100,000 visits and achieved     5    income of about 5 million yuan from tourism in 2022.

Liu Dachun, a skilled farmer, is hard at work preparing for spring plowing (犁地). He has tried out the rice-fish farming system,     6     not only benefits the environment but also local residents. According to Wu, fish raised in rice fields are more popular among consumers as they are environmentally-friendly — the fish waste can add natural fertility (肥料)to the soil    7    hence promote rice output. Quan Xiping,another 59-year-old villager, was among the first in the village    8     (establish) a family-run hotel. Meanwhile, his son started an online specialty store, capitalizing on the rapid     9     (grow) of rural tourism in the area. His e-commerce business is working more efficiently due to the village’s    10     (rise) appeal.

Fu, 60, has been a cycling enthusiast for many years, and it has always been his dream to go to Lhasa by bike. In 2019, he retired and has been able to devote more time to cycling    1     then. After over half a year of    2    (prepare), on May 22, he set off.

Fu    3    (ride)up to more than 100 km per day, and along the way he had encountered rain, fog and wind. Worse still, he    4    (see)wolves which made him    5    (desperate)tired sometimes. The biggest difficulty is climbing mountains at a high altitude, for there is a severe lack of oxygen.    6     he was not alone. During the ride, he posted what he saw and heard on social media and attracted many followers.

After 82 days, cycling    7    total of 5,600 km, he finally got to Mount Qomolangma, passing    8    six provinces and regions.

Fu believes it was his scientific approach to training that enabled him     9    (overcome)those difficulties and reach his destination.

“Also, My family, friends and cyclists from all over the country all gave me great encouragement and support. Without them, I might not have finished,” says Fu.

For the future, Fu has many    10    (much)plans. “I will continue riding every year and try to realize my dream of riding around China,” he says.