It is well-known that the Great Wall is a symbol of China and enjoys great popularity. In c. 220 B. C., under Qin Shi Huang, sections of earlier fortifications (防御工事) were joined together     1     (form) a united defence system against invasions from the north. Construction continued up to the Ming dynasty (1368-1644),     2     the Great Wall became the world’s largest military structure. Its historic and strategic importance is matched only by its architectural significance.

The Great Wall was     3     (continuous) built from the 3rd century BC to the 17th century AD on the northern border of the country as the great military defence project of successive (连续的) Chinese Empires, with a total     4     (long) of more than 20, 000 kilometers. The Great Wall begins in the east at Shanhaiguan in Hebei province and     5     (end) at Jiayuguan in Gansu province to the west. Its main body consists     6     walls, horse tracks, watch towers, and shelters on the wall, and includes fortresses (要塞) and passes along the Wall.

The Great Wall reflects conflicts and exchanges between     7     (agriculture) civilizations and nomadic (游牧的) civilizations in ancient China. It is one of the significant physical     8     (proof) of the far-sighted political strategic thinking and mighty military and national defence forces of central empires in ancient China, and is     9     outstanding example of the superb military architecture, technology and art of ancient China. It embodies incomparable significance as the national symbol for     10     (safeguard) the security of the country and its people.

Layue falls on the     1     (twelve) month of the traditional Chinese calendar. The Chinese character “La” holds historical significance,     2     (appear) in ancient texts such as Book of Changes and Rites of Zhou.     3     (original), “La” meant “cured meat”. Layue is also the month with the richest traditional customs in one year.

The eighth day of Layue marks the Laba Festival, whose custom on this day is to enjoy Laba porridge. It is a delightful     4     (mix) of grains, peanuts, chestnuts, red dates, lotus seeds, and other ingredients (配料), all of     5     are mixed together to make it a main course of the Laba Festival. In the northern part of China, there is a saying, “Children, don’t be too eager; right after Laba, the new year is     6     its way.” Celebrating Laba means the approach of the Chinese New Year.

The Kitchen God Festival is a widespread custom     7     (observe) across the country. On this day, people would hang images of the Kitchen God     8     his wife around the kitchen stove (炉子). Today, many rural areas still uphold this tradition.

Layue     9     (regard) as preparation for the upcoming Spring Festival. If the Spring Festival is considered the most joyful celebration of the year, many would agree that the joy, noise and expectation of Layue are no     10     (little) significant than the main event.

Every year, from the 15th to the 18th day of the lunar month of March, the girls in the Miaozhai Village, situated by the Dou Shui River     1     Wuzhishan City and Baoting County meet,     2     (happy) celebrate the traditional Sister Festival.

During these days, following the age-old customs of the Heinan Miao people, they have a special meal known as the “Sister Rice”. It     3     (make) by girls picking wildflowers and leaves from the mountains, dyeing (给……染色) the rice different colors,     4     steaming (蒸) it. After     5     (enjoy) the rice, they join young men in special clothes for sports activities by the river.

Legend has it that the festival originated from the following story: A long time ago, many girls lived by the Dou Shui River. Due to its remote location, it was difficult for them     6     (meet) people from other places, and as a result, they remained unmarried. Later they came up with a     7     (wonder) idea. In March, each girl contributed some rice and invited girls and young men from other areas for a meal. During the meal, they did various lively     8     (activity): some sang and danced, some raced horses, some played drums, and a few even did bullfighting. Over time, the local girls and the visiting young men developed deep friendships, which eventually led     9     lifelong partnerships.

Since then, the village     10     (continue) the tradition, celebrating the Sister Festival every year.

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.

Chinese people have a strong need for cultural consumption, and the need pushes people who work in the field of cultural relics and museum to explore     1    (effect) ways to make cultural relics popular, said Ma Xiaolin, the head of Henan Museum.

In recent years, TV shows, performances and cultural products     2    (relate) to cultural relics have gone viral one by one.     3     inspired their creation was the combination of traditional Chinese culture and modern life. Moreover, innovative ideas and new technology come together to enable immersive experience of stories in the history, and social media helps the spread of new cultural products.