During the summer holiday I had the chance to visit Pingtang County, Guizhou Province in southwest China. It’s     1     experience I will never forget.

Traveling to Guizhou by high-speed rail from Beijing, I     2    (astonish) at the rapid change in scenery from skyscrapers to beautiful tree-filled mountains     3     (rest) under a clear blue sky.

Upon arrival, I visited the Pingtang International Experience Planetarium, which displays China’s     4     (remark) achievements in science and space technology. The Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST) there is the largest one of its kind in the world. To visit FAST, visitors are not permitted     5     (bring) any electronic devices due to security measures. So they must record this once-in-a-lifetime moment with their hearts and minds.

    6    (truthful), my favorite part of the trip was my personal interaction with the local community. Following the instructions, I worked on two community farms, went hiking and swam     7     a fresh community river alongside fish. I was educated on the regional history of the Miao people     8     culture is rich in fashion, food, pottery and music.

After this adventure, my     9     (appreciate) for Chinese culture has snowballed. While I am content living and working in Beijing, Pingtang County in Guizhou has opened my eyes to the endless positive     10     (possibility) China has to offer.

Recently, Guangzhou has successfully hosted the “Understanding China” International Conference 2023, the 5th World Media Summit, and other significant events, once again highlighting its role as    1    window for the world to comprehend China’s high-quality development. So,     2    Guangzhou? Let’s find out.

    3    (gain) a deeper understanding of China, one must experience its history and culture. With a history of over 2, 000 years and a rich cultural heritage, Guangzhou offers a variety of historical and cultural    4    (treasure). In this city, you can sip a cup of coffee while watching Cantonese opera in Yongqingfang or taste Cantonese dim sum while gazing at Western-style architecture on Shamian Island.

Economy is another crucial aspect in understanding China. In recent years, Guangzhou has    5    (active) participated in the Belt and Road international cooperation, gradually    6     (establish) a comprehensive, multi-level, and wide-ranging pattern of opening-up. As a thousand-year-old commercial city known for the Canton Fair, Guangzhou has drawn    7    (globe) attention with its open genes and prosperous economy.

Connecting with the world also requires a highly    8    (develop) transportation network. Guangzhou has constructed a modern three-dimensional transportation system that links airports, seaports, railway ports, and digital ports, providing easy access    9    both domestic and foreign participants.

Guangzhou’s openness, inclusiveness, vitality, and innovative spirit make it an ideal choice for hosting international events, which, in turn,     10     (help) the economic and social development of the city.

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.

5 . Not every architectural landmark is grand in scale, with splendid decorations, or amazing colors. Suzhou Gardens may just be the opposite.

When a group of monks during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) first constructed Lion Grove Garden, they may have just wanted to enjoy a quiet place, hidden away from urban noise, while in the following centuries, this charming garden - most notable for its waterside rockeries resembling the shape of lions—has attracted a constant stream of celebrity guests, who have left a long list of poems, paintings and historical anecdotes (轶事).

In recent years, nine of the best-known classical gardens of Suzhou, including Lion Grove Garden, Humble Administrator’s Garden and Great Wave Pavilion, were registered into the World Heritage List. As UNESCO remarks, “Classical Chinese garden design, which seeks to recreate natural landscapes in miniature (缩略图), is nowhere better illustrated than in the nine gardens, which reflect the profound natural beauty in Chinese culture and inspire people to pursue harmony with the world.”

Nowadays, relevant administrations have been trying to restore the historical landscapes of Suzhou’s classical gardens. Consequently, last year, a new project was launched allowing tourists in small groups to reserve places to enter the garden in the early morning before the regular opening time. Their visit ended with them completing the last step in making a traditional folding fan, adding a poem about the garden on its surface. The experience was also regarded as a way to help people understand the wisdom, elegance and philosophical worldview of the ancient Chinese literati (文人).

The delicate beauty of the gardens still flows via the canals that snake across Suzhou. Hardly felt, their strength in shaping the city’s character seems to last forever.

Mount Emei,    1    (locate) in the southwest of Sichuan Province, is an ancient and famous attraction in China.

Three million years ago, the main part of Mount Emei    2    (rise) sharply along a fault line here. Due to a complex combination of erosion (侵蚀) and weathering，a massive    3     (high) difference of over 2,600 meters was formed between today’s mountain top and the Emei Plain. The Summit of Ten Thousand Buddhas,    4    an altitude of 3,099 meters, is the highest peak of Mount Emei. In a commanding position, The Golden Summit with the biggest concentration of temples and scenic spots on Mount Emei    5    (call) the largest and highest place of worship of Chinese Buddhism in the world.

The Buddha statue of Samantabhadra,    6    (measure) 48 meters high, is the highest golden Buddha in the world. The ten heads of the Buddha statue are divided into three layers, each with different expressions,    7    represent the ten mentalities of ordinary people. The Golden Summit is also the most suitable place    8    (appreciate) the impressive Mount Emei “Sea of Clouds.”

    9    (incredible), the 72 peaks of Mount Emei are mostly over 2,000 meters above sea level. The scenery features high peaks a love the clouds and white mist. Formed by ever-changing mist and fog, they present    10    unique full view. Now Mount Emei has become a famous scenic spot in the world.

China’s newest online sensation is a pink fox called LinaBell from Shanghai Disneyland. After     1     (make) her debut (初次登台) on September 29, the life-size figure has taken the Chinese social media. Unlike other Disney     2     (character), LinaBell has never been on the big or small screen. All we know is that she met Duffy, Mickey Mouse’s teddy bear gifted to him by his sweetheart Minnie, in the forest and     3     (help) him find his way home, according to Disney’s introduction video of the character. Since her first debut, the fluffy (毛茸茸的) character     4     (win) the hearts of many visitors that were attracted by her unique personality and     5     (adore) appearance.

Footage of meet-and-greets with the pink fox are all over the Internet and LinaBell can be seen communicating     6     every visitor through expressive body language. She corrects those visitors     7     mispronounce her name, shows love for those queuing up for hours to meet her and hands out free candy.

Visitors to Shanghai Disneyland were the first people     8     (meet) LinaBell as she made her global debut from the Chinese city. As a “     9     (local) born” character, LinaBell can understand different Chinese dialects beyond that of Shanghai, and can interact with visitors from different parts of China.

Disney’s localization efforts, including the company’s IP products have resulted in its popularity in China. Shanghai Disneyland has been     10     considerable financial success compared to Paris and Hong Kong.

10 . Madrid’s Incredible Museums

CaixaForum

CaixaForum is a museum and cultural center that occupies an old power plant. From the outside the building appears to be floating, and there’s a vertical (垂直的) garden with 15,000 plant species growing on the side of one wall. Inside are four floors of paintings, photos, andmultimedia exhibitions, as well as workshops and a theater-auditorium. Even if you don’t enterany exhibitions, it’s worth stopping by to admire the building’s striking outer and innerarchitecture.

Hours: 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM daily

Free admission: May 15, 18, and November 9

Museo Sorolla

This small art gallery is dedicated to the Impressionist painter Joaquín Sorolla (1863-1923).The gallery is in his former home and studio, and they’ve preserved the original atmosphere wellso you get a feel for what it was like when he was living and working there.

Hours: Tuesday to Saturday from 9:30 AM to 8:00 PM

Sundays and holidays from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM, closed Mondays

Free admission: Saturdays after 2:00 PM and Sundays

Museo del Romanticismo

This small museum focuses on the history and daily life of the Romantic period. The museum recreates the Romantic atmosphere in its room displays with furniture, carpets, jewelry, paintings, and other antiques of the time period.

Hours: Tuesday to Saturday from 9:30 AM to 6:30 PM

Sundays and holidays from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM, closed Mondays

Free admission: Saturdays after 2:00 PM and Sundays

Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza

The Thyssen Museum began as the Thyssen family’s private collection of seven centuriesof European painting, regarded as one of the most important collections of the last century. In1992, it was converted into a public museum. It has a great variety of artists, styles, and time periods.

Hours:Mondays from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM,

Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM

Free admission:Mondays from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM