As China’s catering (餐饮) income reaches record highs, new trends are developing that combine ancient and modern elements. This comes among the noticeable growth of trends like guochao,       1     features modern designs mixed with Chinese cultural elements. Guochao has now found     2     (it) way into dim sum, a traditional food.

Beijing’s time-honored dim sum brand Daoxiangcun, founded in 1895,     3     (become) quite popular among young people in recent years. At Location Zero, a renewed Daoxiangcun store, the counter is filled     4     all kinds of Chinese pastries (糕点) .

The pipa cake, shaped like the traditional Chinese musical instrument, the     5     (delicate) made “paper cuttings” square pastry, and the “jade cabbage” pastry all draw     6     (inspire) from elements of traditional Chinese culture.

Among the new products, the cloisonne cake, like a gourd-shaped (葫芦形) vase, is a special product jointly    7     (launch) by Beijing Daoxiangcun and the Beijing Cloisonne Factory. The gourd shape symbolizes blessings and prosperity (繁荣) , showing the unique beauty of traditional craftsmanship.

With the rapid development of live-streaming e-commerce and cross-border e-commerce, innovations in Chinese dim sum     8     (product) are speeding up. Data from Tianyancha,     9     online query (查询) platform for company information, shows that there are currently over 25, 000 enterprises related to Chinese dim sum.

Chinese dim sum, with its characteristic of being low in sugar and fat, is gradually becoming a new favorite     10     is welcoming new opportunities, gradually moving towards healthier and more diversified channels of development.

Chengdu is a nice lively city with a busy street life which people always find amusing. If you are traveling to Chengdu with children, a stop at one of the Giant Pnda Reserves will be     1     you must try. But that’s not all there is to see for children.

Kids will also enjoy     2    (take) a walk around ancient Jin Li Street, with its colorful market atmosphere, temples, the river and bridges. Stop at the teahouses, enjoy the markets, and try some    3    (taste) Sichuan dishes. Just around     4     corner you will find all sorts of Tibetan clothes and cultural objects, different from the usual souvenirs     5    (find) throughout China.

In addition, Chengdu can     6    (use) as a base for many one-day hikes in Sichuan Province. Besides the Giant Pandas,     7     the city is well-known for, there will be plenty to keep the kids busy in this area.     8    (certain), it is worth staying for a few days if you have the time.

Chengdu is also considered the gateway for travel into Tibet. Sichuan Province itself has a large Tibetan population and offers plenty     9     opportunities for interacting with minority cultures. Children can enjoy and learn from these     10    (encounter) here.

Walking through his neighborhood supermarket in Australia,     1     packs of Chinese sauerkraut (酸菜) line the shelves, Huang Xiqing feels like he’s shopping in his hometown of Shenyang in Liaoning province. “The sauerkraut soup tastes just like home,” says the 45-year-old Chinese living in Canberra,     2     (sound) a little homesick.

Chinese sauerkraut, a pickle which     3     (make) of Chinese cabbage, is a traditional specialty of the northeastern region and is now sold around the country     4     exported overseas. Chinese cabbage has gained     5     (popular) with ordinary household, because it is cheap and can be stored for a relatively long period of time.

During the last decades, Chinese businessmen have set     6     several sauerkraut companies. Among them, the Xinmin agricultural product company of the Heilongjiang Cuihua Group has sold its Chinese sauerkraut not only     7     (domestic), but also to countries including Canada, Japan and the United States. When people were making purchases for Spring Festival, sales of Chinese sauerkraut on Douyin increased more than10-fold,     8     (compare) to the previous year.

But for Huang, Chinese sauerkraut is an everlasting link to home. “Although I have tried delicacies from across     9     globe. Chinese sauerkraut is still one of my     10     (favourite), and reminds me of my hometown,” Huang says.

Chinese opera, has a rich history dating back thousands of years. There are various types of Chinese opera, each with its own unique characteristics and traditions. Kunqu Opera, for example,     1     (consider) an old form of Chinese opera, characterized by its elegant lyrics and beautiful melodies. Peking Opera, another famous type, is noted     2     its colorful costumes, facial makeup and movements.

One of the     3     (remarkable) features of Chinese opera is its integration (融合) of singing, dancing, acting, and acrobatics. The singing in Chinese opera is an impressive aspect. In addition to singing,     4     fascinates people most is actors’ dance and acrobatics. These     5     (performance) require years of training and dedication, making Chinese opera actors true masters of their craft.

The stories     6     (tell) through Chinese opera are often drawn from historical events, legends and folklore. These narratives not only entertain but also educate,     7     (pass) down cultural values and moral lessons from generation to generation. The themes of loyalty, bravery and filial piety (孝) are repeated, which promotes social harmony and moral behavior.

In     8    (conclude), Chinese opera is a treasured art form     9     (deep) rooted in Chinese culture. Whether you’re a fan of theater     10     simply interested in Chinese culture, Chinese opera is definitely worth exploring.

Beloved as they may be, many Chinese dishes only show up on family tables once a year,     1     (mark) holidays or seasonal observances. When the Qingming Festival approaches each spring, qingtuan, a sweet, jade-coloured treat begins to appear in supermarkets     2    bakeries all over the country

“In Chinese culture, it’s really important to always honour and remember your ancestors,” said Lillian Luk,     3     founder of the London pop-up Shanghai Supper Club. During the Qingming Festival people all over China go on trips to their deceased loved ones’ burial sites    4     ( sweep) the graves, burn incense and present offerings.

    5     (make) with glutinous rice flour, qingtuan dough is emerald-green because of the addition of mugwort (艾草). “Mugwort also gives the qingtuan a nice medicinal benefit. It’s meant to    6     (low) blood pressure,” said Luk, who now makes and sells the green    7     (treat) at her pop-up restaurant when the Qingming Festival rolls around.

In recent years, Luk     8     (notice) qingtuan evolving. She’s seen all sorts of novel versions pop up, from dumplings dyed green with matcha (抹茶) instead of mugwort,     9     ones filled with custard or sweet potato. Luk acknowledges the value of unexpected flavour options—seeing her children become excited and curious about foods from their culture. “Somehow, I have kind of woven this thread     10     ties my kids to my heritage, unintentionally,” said Luk.

An exhibition,     1    （feature）around 200 culture artifacts from the era of interaction between the Chinese and French royal courts in the 17th and 18th centuries, kicked off at the Palace Museum in Beijing on Monday, marking the opening of the 18th     2    （edit）of the Festival Croisements. Croisements, meaning “crossover” in French, symbolizes mutual influence and     3    （connection）between Chinese and French cultures.     4     exhibition is a key event for the China-France Year of Culture and Tourism,     5     celebrates the 60-year diplomatic bond between the two countries.

Highlighted exhibits, from the collections of the two museums, include a gilt copper watch with a portrait of French King Louis XIV, most likely a gift from the monarch（君主）    6     Qing Dynasty（1644—1911）Emperor Kangxi; two pieces from Ten Tribute Horses, a booklet     7    （sign）by French Jesuit painter and missionary（传教士）Jean-Denis Attiret（1702—68）; and a porcelain panel painting of Qing Emperor Qianlong, which     8    （purchase）by French King Louis XV I in 1776 and kept at the Palace of Versailles ever since.

Launched in 2006, the Festival Croisements is dedicated to     9    （active）promoting exchanges and dialogues between Chinese and French art institutions and artists, presenting innovation and energy of their culture and art,     10     enhancing mutual understanding and friendship.

Since last year a fascinating new phenomenon     1     (sweep) through major cities across China — the explosive rise of night schools catering to young professionals. Usually with one class a week, these schools offer short learning courses regarding     2     (subject) from dancing to vocal training, from traditional handicrafts, beauty, and fitness classes, to wine tasting and vlog filming, and the list of possibilities for new learning experiences is seemingly     3     (limit).

The pacesetter has been the Shanghai Night School, which offers 12 classes     4     (lead) by masters in their fields for only 500RMB ($70). When Shanghai’s autumn 2023 semester enrollment began, a striking number of students, approximately 650, 000,    5    (immediate) flooded on to the registration website. Soon the trend     6     (follow) by some major cities like Beijing, Xi’an, and Shenzhen, which launched their own distinctive night schools.

These night schools do not just provide standard academic content,     7     are tapping into the personal passions and unfulfilled dreams of China’s urban youth. Yang Song, a student at Shanghai Night School, said, “I have many hobbies and I want to learn all the things     8     I didn’t take the time to learn when I was studying in the past.”

For ambitious yet overworked urban professionals, these schools also promise self-cultivation, community bonding, and most importantly, a happy environment     9     (lack) in the irregular workplaces, which seems to offer an escape     10     the burnout workplaces, even only for a few hours each week.