The Chinese couplet (对联) refers to two poetic lines obeying certain rules, often written on red paper for     1     (appreciate).

As a form of Chinese literature, the couplet     2     (vary) in content and style. Some express people’s love to their motherland, some describe the beauty of nature,     3     some convey best wishes for the coming year.

Chinese couplets originated in the Five Dynasties, and     4     (become) ubiquitous (无处不在) in the Ming and Qing dynasties. It was a custom for people     5     (hang) peach wood charms to drive away evil spirits during the Spring Festival. Nowadays, couplets are used     6     a similar way.

It was said that the     7     (early) couplet was written by Meng Xu, king of Houshu State and it was     8     (extreme) popular in the Northern Song Dynasty. Since the Ming Dynasty, to write couplets     9     (regard) as a mark of the cultured life of scholars.

The couplet has two equal-length lines. However,     10       number of characters in each line can be from four to seven or more. The first and the second lines have opposite tone patterns. The last character of the first line is of an oblique tone (仄声), and its opposite in the second line, of a level tone (平声).

The artists of Dafen can paint like Van Gogh

The village of Dafen was once thought     1     (produce) the most oil paintings in the world every year.     2     (recognize) as the “world’s art factory”, Dafen impressed visitors with its many workshops, in which painters created mock masterpieces by Van Gogh, Monet and Warhol. But the village was always seen more as a production line     3     a place of culture. Today the future of Dafen may depend on     4     it is able to earn respect of the art world.

Things started to change for Dafen in 2008,     5     the global financial crisis cut down overseas orders. With more demand     6     (come) from domestic market, artists began painting different subjects. New customers preferred Chinese styles, says     7     painter in Dafen. He learnt the art of Shan Shui which involves representing natural landscapes. In some ways Dafen reflected the broader economy. As exports start to decline as a share of GDP, domestic     8     (consume) plays a larger role in driving growth.

China is the world’s second-largest art market.     9     it is not clear where Dafen fits in. Li Jinghu, an artist from nearby Dongguan, often visits the village hoping to discover new talent. But locals say the demand for their paintings     10     (decline) in the past two pandemic-struck years. “Most people would probably be surprised that Dafen still exists. It does and it will,”says Lisa Movius, a writer in Shanghai who covers art.

Locally     1     (know) as “mosquito writing”, Nüshu looks like dancing Chinese characters at first glance. On     2     (close) inspection, however, it is unreadable to readers of Mandarin (普通话).

Nüshu was used by women who lacked access     3     education in reading and writing. It enabled them to express themselves freely. It was taught mainly by mothers,     4     daughters then practised among themselves and friends.

Surprisingly, for hundreds of years, Nüshu remained unknown outside of Jiangyong. It wasn’t until the 1980s     5     Nüshu was learned of by the outside world. There are only a few remains of Nüshu texts, as most were traditionally buried or burned.     6     (lucky), after years of research, over 95% of all       7     (exist) original documents written in Nüshu have been collected and translated.

Now, this little-known written language     8     (experience) something of a rebirth. Local governments are inviting Nüshu specialists to prepare easy-to-understand manuals (手册)     9     (promote) Nüshu culture as well as stress the need for its preservation.

Nüshu represents a typical Chinese traditional female culture and remains an empowering means to appreciate women’s beauty and     10     (strong).

On a cool day in winter, I boarded a small bus for Nuanquan Town, or Warm Spring Town in Zhangjiakou. It is an old town with ancient walled     1    (village) dating from the Ming and Qing dynasties,     2    (relative) untouched by the influence of modern redevelopment.

I went there not for its springs or well-preserved buildings, but for its performances of Dashuhua, literally     3    (translate) as “striking tree flowers.” It is usually performed at the Lantern Festival, when ironworkers throw hot melted iron against a cold brick wall to create a splendid shower of sparks (火花), just like the     4    (flower) branches of a large tree, and hence the name.

When the freezing cold night fell, the visitors sat around the stage     5     the fire show was performed. As the performers took center stage, all thoughts about the bone-cracking temperatures     6    (forget). And in the following hour, we witnessed firework-like sparks light up the town.

Dashuhua is a game for the brave.     7     requires not only professional skills but also physical     8    (strong) and courage. Maybe that is the reason why fewer and fewer young people want to learn this skill and take better-paying jobs in     9    (large) towns.

Luckily, the tradition has been listed     10     an intangible cultural heritage (非物质文化遗产) in China.

In 1968, many precious relics were unearthed in the tombs of the Western Han Dynasty including the Changxin Palace Lamp, which is acknowledged     1     “the first lamp of China”.

The bronze lamp bears the shape of a girl on her knees     2     (hold) a lamp. The lamp plate is on her left hand while her right hand,     3     is covered by a loose sleeve (袖子), carries the lampshade. The brightness of the lamp and the direction of the light can be adjusted with a handle and it controls two movable shades.     4     (remarkable), the girl’s right sleeve traps smoke from the burning lamp oil     5     channels it into the hollow body where water is stored, thus preventing the lamp from polluting the indoor air. Apart from that, the six component parts of the lamp can all be taken apart, and     6     (be) easy to clean.

The delicate Changxin Palace Lamp provides a glimpse into China’s glorious past, showing     7     wisdom of ancient Chinese people as well as ancient China’s achievements in science and technology. The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic flame lantern     8     (inspire) by the Changxin Palace Lamp. Being a perfect     9     (marry) of green initiative and the Olympic Spirit, it uses double glass and a hidden division channel     10     (reduce) the smoke and carbon deposition (沉积).

Featuring a dynamic design, the horse-face skirt is widely preferred by fans of traditional clothing in China. Exploring ways     1     (promote) the culture, they prefer to wear traditional clothing when taking part in cultural activities and share the beauty on the Internet.

The horse-face skirt     2     (originate) in the Song Dynasty and grew popular during the Ming Dynasty due to its functionality and artistic style. It is     3     (traditional) composed of two identical overlapping (部分重叠) panels     4     (wrap) around the left and right side of the lower body. Each   panel is   composed of a   large   rectangular (长方形的) panel of fabric, a side piece made up of several smaller panels and another rectangular panel narrower than the first.     5     (attach) to a waistband by ties, the two sides overlap each other so that one of the large straight panels on each piece is in the front and back of the skirt. This overlapping nature leaves openings in the front and back of the skirt, making     6     very suitable for horse-riding.

While maintaining the essential design     7     (element) of the horse-face skirt, modern designers change its outline, length, or detailing to match current fashion trends, appealing     8     a broader audience for usual daywear or formal evening fashions.

“This kind of skirt shows the grand     9     (elegant) that is admired in Chinese culture. Knowing     10     we come from, we can then be clear about where we are going, ” Daben, a Chinese vlogger, told the Global Times.

Ai Kanxiang is about to finish his first semester at college,     1     he is working hard to make his dream come true. As a physical education major, he hopes     2     (become) a PE teacher and train China’s future soccer     3     (play).

Two years ago, though, his dream was even bigger. Ai wanted to join the men’s     4     (nation) soccer team, but the 20-year-old has experienced twists and turns on the soccer field.

    5     (raise) in a small village in Yunnan, Ai got public attention last year after videos of him playing soccer in a river became popular. Demonstrating creativity, such as the way to do a precise bicycle kick in the water, he became     6     online celebrity, with some fans even     7     (say) that he was “better than professional players”.

But when Ai     8     (final) played with the team, he was beaten. He was barely able to keep up. His skills were not as strong as he     9     (imagine), and he had little awareness of teamwork. Ai realized he needed more experience. So he set a new and more practical goal-to apply to university     10     become a PE teacher.