Fenghuang Ancient Town in the Xiangxi Tujia and Miao autonomous prefecture (辖区) in Hunan province has witnessed the revival of diverse customs and traditions in two typical festivals.

This year, the Flower-Jumping Festival kicked off on May 26 in Shanjiang township inFenghuang,     1     (attract) around 30,000 residents and tourists. The annual event,     2     (hold) on the eighth day of the fourth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, is     3     major traditional festival celebrated by local Miao people.

It has been a national intangible cultural heritage event and illustrates the long history of Miao culture. During the festival, Miao residents in splendid costumes     4     (cheerful) sing folk songs and dance together to celebrate the most important day of their ethnic group.

The Ganqiu Festival, another traditional Miao festival celebrating the approaching autumn, is a time     5     local people stop working in the fields, dress up, gather on traditional autumn slopes, play Miao drums and engage     6     entertainment activities like swings, bamboo flute playing, singing and dancing. All the people immerse(使沉浸) themselves in the     7     (passion) atmosphere of the festival, which     8     (list) as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2014.

The festivities are part of Xiangxi’s local culture, which expresses respect for the Miao     9    (ancestor). In recent years, relying on its unique tourism resources, Fenghuang county     10     (combine) these intangible cultural heritage projects with the tourism industry through performances, which helps protect ancient culture and art.

Gao Ershi is highly regarded     1     an outstanding scholar, poet and calligrapher of     2     20th century. In his lifetime, he mostly lived in his native Jiangsu province, and his achievements were     3     (large) known among cultural circles.

In recent years, his reputation has spread to the wider public, thanks to many     4     (donate) works and their display in art museums. One latest example is an exhibition of Gao’s calligraphy at the Art Museum of Beijing Fine Art Academy. Running until Sunday, A Trace of Lanting brings together     5     (dozen) of Gao's calligraphy works, as well as some by famous scholars and calligraphers in his close circle.

Since it was started last year, the exhibition,     6     received about 200,000 visitors, has been touring across China to mark the anniversary (周年纪念) of Gao’s birth. It was shown at Zhejiang Art Museum, in the provincial capital Hangzhou,     7     Zhengzhou Museum of Art, in Henan province and so on.

Works on display are from the collections of public institutions and private collectors. The exhibition shows the lasting appeal of calligraphy as an important part of Chinese civilization,     8     (link) the past and the present. It also     9     (demonstrate) the precious spiritual legacy (遗产) Gao left to the world through his     10     (vary) Chinese calligraphic works and efforts to reform the art.

In November 2023, China launched a three-year action plan to promote the use of bamboo as a replacement     1     plastic. Actually, I’ve been using bamboo products more often over the years.

The look and feel of bamboo are absolutely above and beyond plastic,     2     there must be more positive aspects to bamboo other than just aesthetics (美学). When compared to    3     (healthy) plastic, bamboo is a highly renewable, natural material that is biodegradable (可生物降解的) and     4     (become) the “green gold” of modern times in recent years because it has so many good qualities.     5     (live) in a time when most of our homes are filled with plastic, I think it’s time     6     (wake) up to the green alternative and realize     7     (it) full potential as a planet protector.

This super-powered plant is actually a grass and looks like a weed in terms of     8     quickly it can grow and where it can live. The production costs of bamboo are     9     (extreme) low due to the easy availability of this material, and it requires almost zero adjustment when people produce bamboo products. From household objects to decorative settings, the quantity of uses bamboo has     10     (go) beyond our wildest dreams and I’d love to see it becoming more popular as time goes on.

During the long history of traditional Chinese clothing, changes and improvements happened all the time. However, Chinese clothing can still be easily told apart     1     others, all because of     2    (it) unique features. Some of the general features include: cross-collar with junction leading to right, no buttons but tying with sash (腰带) on the waist. In addition, there are many other detailed features     3     make the style of Chinese clothing unique.

Traditional Chinese clothing has two basic     4    (form): blouse plus skirt, and long gown (长袍). They are designed to drop     5     (natural) from collar, and the sleeves are long enough     6     (cover) the hands.

    7     earliest materials used in making clothes are kudzu cloth, ramie cloth, and hemp cloth. About 4,700 years ago, silk     8     (invent), and it gradually became a very popular material, especially with the upper class. By the time of the Yuan (1271-1368 AD) and Ming (1368-1644 AD) dynasties, cotton was introduced from India and became widely used.

It is a tradition for Chinese people to express good wishes by     9     (use) patterns. The patterns used on clothes can be animals, plants, flowers, mountains, etc. They are not only beautiful, but also     10    (meaning). One example, dragons on an Emperor's robe are saying that the Emperor is the "son of the heaven".

With the worldwide celebration of the Chinese New Year, traditional Chinese cultural forms such as the Yingge Dance (Dance of Heroes) and dragon and lion dances have once again attracted widespread attention.

As the Chinese New Year is increasingly celebrated     1     (global), it has brought its traditional celebrations elsewhere and seen people of other countries join the festivities. This Spring Festival, a team of Yingge dancers from South China’s Guangdong Province     2     (invite) to the UK, bringing an exciting performance to London’s Burlington Arcade     3     (celebrate) the Chinese New Year.

Literally     4     (translate) as the “Songs of Heroes” dance, Yingge Dance is an old folk dance     5     originated from the Chaoshan area of South China’s Guangdong Province. Dressed in colorful costumes, performers wave wooden sticks in their hands while     6     (dance) in orderly formations to the music.

Based on the stories of the 108     7     (hero) of Liangshan Mountain from the classic novel Outlaws of the Marsh (《水浒传》), this is     8     folk art combining a variety of forms, from martial arts and Chinese operas to dance.

From a centuries-old art form to a magnum opus (杰作) of Chinese tradition worldwide, the     9     (popular) of Yingge Dance on the streets of London during the Spring Festival was a success     10     terms of traditional Chinese folk art sailing overseas.

Recently, Ma Xiaohui, a famous Chinese erhu     1     (perform) and composer with the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra, held     2     erhu concert with the theme of “Erhu Holding Hands with the World, New Music Trend, New Cultural Tour” in the Delegates’ Room at the UN headquarters in New York City.

Attendees from different backgrounds and participants in the World Madam Global Awards Ceremony were     3     (deep) moved by the unique charm of traditional Chinese musical instruments     4     (display) during the concert.

The concert began     5     the song “Woman Flower”. In the first movement, “Seven Colors of Erhu, Walking with Beauty, Colorful Silk Road,” melodies from Chinese and Western songs created an “ink painting” of the Silk Road.

In the next three     6     (movement), a classical repertoire (曲目) including “Butterfly Lovers”, “Thoughts on a Silent Night”     7     “The Spirit of My Erhu” attracted the audience. Next     8     (come) the theme song from the movie “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”,     9     beautifully celebrated the classic dialogue between erhu and cello (大提琴).

“This beautiful and     10     (inspire) concert wonderfully mixed classical, Chinese, and cross-cultural themes. It was a feast (盛宴) for the ears and souls,” multimedia artist Ranjit Bhatnagar said.

Some people might be of the opinion that heritages    1     (be) not necessary in the modern world. Maybe for some people they aren’t, but for most of us, being able to explore our heritages gives us many    2     (benefit).

Personal heritages can serve as connection with our past. For example, we might have some of the toys that belonged    3    our ancestors. As a part of our families’ heritages, they are important because they tell us where we come from.

It is true that knowing our personal heritage doesn’t    4     (full) define us. However, it can help us find our starting point in life. It can even help us find out the direction in which we wish to go. For example, if we happen to have people in our families    5    have done great things, we might find that we want to further    6     (they) achievements.

Understanding the cultural heritages, such as homegrown music styles, widely    7     (celebrate) festivals and unique cooking methods, allows us    8     (identify) with other communities that have a similar background. Cultural heritages can actually provide us with a sense of belonging and unity within a group. In a sense, the more globalized the world becomes,    9    more important it is not to lose forever these    10     (tradition) roots (根).

On October 15th, the 9th Silk Road International Arts Festival kicked off in Xi’an with the theme of “Silk Road New Movement, Beautiful New Future”. The event, which     1     (draw) artists from over 90 countries and areas, turned the city     2     a global cultural center.

“Ommi Chang’an”, directed by Zhang Yimou, made     3     (it) first appearance during the festival. This large scale performance is the fruit of nine artists     4     (lead) by Zhang Yimou. It is a mixture of tradition and modernity, history and the future, humanities and technology. It connects Xi’an with the world, bridging the present, future and past,     5     crossing distance and time to present the beauty of Silk Road culture.

This year’s festival had 37 outstanding performances,     6     (show) the achievements of the “Belt and Road” initiative (倡议).     7     unique addition to the festival was the “Silk Road Starting Point Cultural Tourism Experience” tour,     8     enabled artists to visit and experience     9     (variety) Silk Road themed cultural landmarks in Shaanxi, providing an opportunity to share the unique traditions and history with a global audience. The festival also hosted special events like Malaysia Culture Day and International Modern Art Week,     10     (far) enriching the cultural experience.

Carved out of a rocky hill, the Temple of the Rising Sun had showed the power of Egypt’s greatest pharaoh to the Nubian people in the Upper Nile. Over time, the great temple and the smaller buildings became     1     (cover) in sand for centuries, until     2     (they) rediscovery in 1813.

But just over a century later, the southernmost relics of this ancient human civilization were threatened     3     the rising waters of the Nile following the construction (建造) of the Aswan High Dam. The construction of the Dam was meant to develop agriculture (农业) as well as economy, and led to a global debate     4     has appeared on the front pages of every newspaper in     5     world ever since: Why should people care for ancient stones and buildings when so many people need food?

In an attempt     6     (save) the temples of Egypt, UNESCO said that humanity does not have to sacrifice (牺牲) the past to develop economy in the present. Cultural heritage sites help us understand who we are     7     also mean massive opportunities for development.

The race against time     8     (begin) in 1964, when experts from different    9     (nation) started working together. The whole site was     10     (careful) cut into large blocks, lifted and moved to a new location 65 metres higher and 200 metres back from the river, preserving it for future generations.

Located in the northeast of Zhaoping County, around 200 km away from Guilin, Huangyao Ancient Town boasts a rich history     1     (span) almost 1,000 years. Renowned as one of Guangxi’s most-visited tourist spots, this charming town showcases the region’s characteristic karst landscapes and abundant water resources, offering numerous expansive caves for     2     (explore).

Huangyao Ancient Town, with its thousand-year-old legacy, features majestic mountains     3     (dot) with caves, unique folk houses, delicate pavilions and temples, ancient trees, and stone pathways. Siting amidst steep mountains, the town’s strategic location not only makes it easy     4     (hold) but also poses challenges for potential attackers. As a result, Huangyao has been isolated from the outside world, allowing for the preservation of valuable relics, some of     5     include writings and paintings by distinguished Chinese scholars like Han Yu,       6     poet from the Tang Dynasty, and Liu Zongbiao, a man of letters of Qing Dynasty. Thanks to its isolation, many buildings in Huangyao still remain     7     (changed) in their architectural styles from the Ming and Qing eras. Traditional festivals and customs     8     (observe) for centuries, adding an authentic cultural touch to the town.

A visit     9     Huangyao would be incomplete without sampling its signature local delicacy, Huangyao tofu. This treat coupled with fermented (发酵的) black soybeans, exclusively crafted within the town,     10     (offer) a unique flavor that can’t be missed.