The Mount Changbaishan Geopark, along with five other Chinese geoparks,     1     (recognize) as a Global Geopark by UNESCO on March 27. The number of Global Geoparks in China has increased to 47, making     2     the country with the most such geoparks in the world.

“China is rich in geological heritage, with a broad distribution and a complete range of geological types,” Ren Fang,     3     expert with the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, told People's Daily. “It is one of the first countries worldwide to propose and establish national geoparks.”

China set up national-level geoparks and began applying for Global Geopark status in 2003 in response to UNESCO's initiative     4     (establish) the Global Geoparks Network (GGN) . In 2004, Beijing witnessed the First International Conference on Geoparks,     5     17 European geoparks and eight Chinese geoparks joined the GGN. The network aims to promote best     6     (practice) and high standards for the conservation of geological heritage and the promotion of     7     (sustain) regional economic development.

The Mount Changbaishan Geopark, newly     8       (add) to the GGN network, is situated in Jilin Province and is home     9     the “millennium eruption,” a massive volcanic event that occurred roughly1, 000 years ago. Renowned for its Quaternary volcanic landforms, the park, spanning 2, 723 square km,     10     (feature) giant compound volcanic cones, ancient eruptions and their deposits, and the splendid Tianchi lake. With over 380 craters, it boasts the highest number, greatest density, and widest distribution of volcanic rock types in East Asia.

The Year of the Dragon comes with inspiration for creativity and the power to bring big ideas     1    life.

Designer Wang Zijian’s Dragon Out of Water, a creative tea infuser (泡茶器),shines on the wall at the exhibition of the winning works of the 2024 Global Zodiac Design Competition at the Beijing Overseas Cultural Exchange Center.     2     (it) cute dragon design and special function are bound to appeal to young consumers. “It’s     3    unique product, and we expect a positive response from young customers,” Wang told Beijing Review.

The item belongs to China Chic, or guochao, also     4     (know) as “national wave”,    5    refers to products of all sorts including traditional Chinese cultural elements. These products    6     (embrace) by the country’s younger generations in recent years. According to a report by Xinhua News Agency, Gen Z    7     (account) for 74 percent of consumers of China Chic goods in 2022, and the search volume of China Chic products has increased five times over the past decade.

As a young designer, Wang hopes     8     (capture) young consumers with his creative interpretation of dragons. “I’ve been    9    (thorough) studying the dragon’s historical connotations (言外之意) and the     10     (psychology) characteristics of Gen Z consumers,” the 34-year-old designer told Beijing Review.

Shadow puppetry—also called shadow play—     1     (get) its start thousands of years ago in China and India. This unique form of storytelling is the     2     (old) type of puppetry in the world so far.

    3     is placed between a light and a screen is a vividly—shaped shadow puppet. Moving it creates the illusion(错觉) of a moving image on the screen.     4     experienced puppeteer can make figures appear to walk, fight and dance.

The first shadow puppets were likely made out of animal hides (兽皮). Their strength and     5     (flexible) allowed the puppeteer to move the puppet easily to create the desired effects. Today, a wide variety of materials are accessible     6     people. You might see shadow puppets made out of paper, plastic, wood or cloth. There’s no end to how creative puppeteers can be when     7     (make) puppets.

Shadow puppets are usually constructed in     8     (whole) separate pieces that are then put together with strings or wires. The strings or wires are usually attached to long rods (杆) that the puppeteer will use     9     (control) the movement of the puppet.

Although shadow puppets can be very creative and elaborate, they also can be very simple. With little       10     no experience, a classroom can put on a simple shadow play with little expense and just a little time.

The apsaras, angel-like beings known as feitian in Chinese, are a symbol of the city of Dunhuang. Here, in     1     historic Silk Road oasis in Gansu province, feitian-themed decorations and designs are common, ranging from towering sculptures of heavenly musicians holding Chinese pipa lutes     2     complex drawings of charming beauties bearing flowers on the cups.

Dunhuang has amazed the world with its nearby Mogao Caves, one of the greatest “storerooms” of ancient Buddhist art.     3     (date) back to the 4th century, these artworks cover the     4     (gold) age of the Tang (618-907) and other influential dynasties,     5     the city played an important role as a centre of exchanges between East and West.

Today, the great impact of the murals, sculptures, scripts     6     other major objects discovered in the early 20th century at the UNESCO World Heritage Site still     7     (continue) to be felt beyond the cultural, historical and religious field.

As a major     8     (represent) of traditional Chinese culture, Dunhuang art also offers an important way     9     (distinguish) traditional Chinese culture and help spread an appreciation of     10     all over the world.

On February 20, leading Chinese e-commerce platform JD.com reported that sales of traditional Hanfu clothing had surged over 300 percent year on year since January. This trend was mirrored on Taobao,     1    , over the Double 11 shopping festival sales topped 730,000 units. Sales and search data signal a widespread and growing     2     (fascinate) with traditional Chinese clothing styles.

The horse face skirt is a traditional Chinese skirt     3     (feature) a distinct pleated (有褶的) design. It is     4     (occasional) referred to in a more generic sense as an apron. This type of skirt is     5     key component of Hanfu, serving as a lower garment (衣服). It is celebrated     6     one of the most emblematic styles of ancient Chinese skirts, showcasing a rich cultural heritage through     7     (it) unique appearance and historical significance.

Influencers and content creators play a significant role in promoting Hanfu and fostering a sense of community. To date, the horse face skirt on Douyin     8     (attract) more than 17.6 billion views across related topics and short videos. Meanwhile, on Xiaohongshu,     9     (search) for the same term have resulted in over 880,000 posts.

    10     the horse face skirt’s popularity reflects is the growing appetite for Hanfu-inspired designs as well as a deeper cultural revival for classical Chinese aesthetics.

Have you ever seen the scene?     1     (wear) a traditional Li ethnic group costume, a woman sits on the ground and weaves colorful yarn (纱线) into delicate brocade (织锦缎). These scenes are common in China s southernmost province of Hainan.

Li brocade, created by the Li ethnic group on Hainan Island, has     2     history of around 3,000 years. The entire process of the Li brocade tradition, from spinning, dyeing and weaving, to embroidery (刺绣),     3     (include) in the World Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2009. Hu is one of the few provincial-level inheritors of Li brocade in Hainan.

In recent years, Hainan has invested     4     (heavy) in opening training institutes to teach the techniques of Li brocade. Since 2012, it has been a course at primary and secondary schools in the province. Local authorities have taken a series of measures to strengthen the systematic     5     (protect) of Li brocade and the development of Li brocade, which is so     6     (benefit) to the survival of the traditional skills.

To spread Li brocade skills as widely as possible, Hu has compiled teaching materials by     7     (she). Over the years, she has taken her brocade work to participate in the exchange activities of intangible cultural heritage in Japan and France on behalf of Hainan. A set of her handcrafted double knit Li brocade was added to UNESCO’s collection when     8     (exhibit) in Paris.

Hainan is vigorously pushing Li culture to go global as well, with the ancient craft expanding its presence on the international stage over the past five years. 2019 was the year     9     Li brocade techniques became the first Chinese intangible cultural heritage project to be put on display at UNESCO headquarters. In addition, Li brocade has appeared in the Boao Forum for Asia annual conferences for many consecutive years and has been presented     10     a national gift to guests in China and abroad.

90 percent of the world’s fireworks are produced in China. The biggest importer is the US, which     1     (ship) in more than US $650 million worth in 2021.

The details of fireworks’ invention are lost to history, but     2     folk tale tries to fill in the gap. It goes that monk named Li Tian created fireworks around 1400 years ago by packing gunpowder into bamboo tubes     3     (scare) off evil spirits.

An explosive mixture of gun-powder and chemical compounds (化合物) is     4     makes fireworks flash in pretty colours and fun shapes. The images they make depend on the placement of these compounds inside the shell of the firework. Crowd     5    (favorite) include “comet”, featuring a long trail of sparks; “peony”, a flower-like burst; and “strobe”, which produces a blinking effect.

The single biggest firework shell ever shot was part of a 2020 winter-carnival display in Colorado, US.     6     (weigh) 1268 kilograms, it rose more than a kilometre into the sky     7     bursting, turning the night sky red.

For centuries we had to light firework     8     hand, but since the 1980s, there’s been another option: computer-controlled lighters, which made music at displays more     9     (precise) timed and safer. An even greener alternative recently     10     (adopt) is using drones to trace flashy patterns in the sky. The future of fireworks, like so much else, may be robotic.

The 37th International Kite Festival in Berck-sur-Mer opened on April 20 on a beach in France. As the largest and     1     (influence) kite-themed event in France, it attracted global visitors and kites from 25 countries and regions. China made a wonderful     2     (appear) as the first-ever guest country of honor at the event.

Chinese-inflected cultural activities took place at the festival, including flying performance at the opening ceremony, workshops for kite-making     3     (technique) by artisans (工匠) from Weifang, as well as performances and experiential activities from lion dances     4     martial arts and performances of traditional Chinese instruments and tea ceremonies.

Yan Zhenquan, minister counselor of the Chinese Embassy in France, Jacques Billant, governor of Pas-de-Calais,     5     Liu Hongge, director of the China Cultural Center in Paris attended and     6     (deliver) speeches. Liu said, “the kite is a key image representing     7     friendship between China and France.” In 1958, the two countries coproduced a film titled Fengzheng    8    (concern) the adventures and friendship between Chinese and French children     9     (create) by a kite. Liu also noted that as the organizer of guest country activities, the China Cultural Center in Paris would continue to use kites as a medium     10    (tell) stories about kite culture in China and France, foster mutual understanding between peoples, and contribute to the success of the China-France Year of Culture and Tourism.

Jiyou village in Jianhe county, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong autonomous prefecture, is known by many     1     its ancient trees and Miao love songs. With simple folk customs and a forest coverage rate of more than 90 percent, the village is rich in Miao culture,     2     was officially listed in the second group of Chinese     3     (tradition) villages in August 2013. A grand festival     4     (hold) on the second day of the second lunar month—the Bridge Worship Festival. At this time, the ethnic Miao prepare food and wine and perform songs and dances.     5     (walk) into Jiyou village during the festival, one can see villagers     6     (dress) in Miao costumes. Men hold Lusheng and flags, women carry baskets of wine and food and children are wearing new clothes. All converge (汇集) for the “bridge sacrifice” ceremony and celebrate under the leadership of village     7     (elder) . During the day, along with the lilting rhythm of the Lusheng, residents dance     8     (joyful) in the square, while tourists take photos and broadcast live     9     (record) the moment. At nightfall, villagers and tourists light a bonfire in the center of the square. By     10     light of the fire, they savor food and wine and enjoy the general atmosphere of friendship.

The 24 solar terms     1     (recognize) as “the fifth great invention of China”. Every year around May 21st, the second solar term of summer, Grain Buds, or Xiaoman in Chinese, arrives. While it’s getting hotter and     2     (wet), the seeds of summer crops are already full       3     not ripe. The difference in temperature between the North and the South narrows and     4     greater amount of rainfall is on the way.

“Low rainfall during Xiaoman will bring problems for planting during Grain in Ear (芒种).” Such sayings     5     (guide) agricultural production and the daily life of the Chinese people for thousands of years. In the area south of the Yangtze River, three types of     6     (equip) start to work as Xiaoman gets closer. At this time, the waterwheel is pedaled (蹬)     7     (water) crops. Farmers use the oil mill to extract (提取) oil from the seeds freshly     8     (collect). They also use the weaving loom to reel silk threads.

Xiaoman is actually an interval (间歇) between harvests, so people in the past had to eat wild vegetables in order to survive these tough days,     9     led to a unique eating custom. Meanwhile, as Xiaoman is the birthday of the Silkworm God, people in some areas pray     10     a good silk harvest on that day.