New Year pictures are an ancient Chinese folk art.     1     (date) from the Song Dynasty, they reflect the customs and beliefs of the people. New Year pictures, as their name suggests,     2     (create) especially to celebrate the Lunar New Year holiday. The custom is popular with the people in the countryside,     3     will be busy cleaning the whole house and sticking     4     (vary) pictures on their doors, windows, walls, and stoves at the Spring Festival. They are often updated     5     (annual), meaning “say goodbye to the past and welcome the future”.

Traditional New Year pictures, famous for simple lines, brilliant colors and scenes of prosperity, have the     6     (feature) of both woodcut prints and Chinese paintings, making a special branch in traditional folk art. New Year pictures are produced in all regions in China with different local characteristics     7     (meet) the specific needs of the vast rural population.

Besides, viewed     8     the symbol of good luck and happiness, New Year pictures cover     9     wide range of themes, but the message in all pictures is related to nice things in the wish of the people. There are more and more new materials for New Year pictures. Meanwhile, New Year pictures     10     (become) a hot collectors’ item for both Chinese and foreigners in recent years.

Foshan, a city rich in cultural heritage, celebrates the arrival of autumn with a grand event known as the Foshan Autumn Parade (佛山秋色巡游). This traditional cultural festival     1     (hold) a special place in the hearts of the locals. The Parade, featuring various performances, including lion and dragon dances, martial arts, and traditional costumes, takes place     2     (annual) during the autumn season, usually in October or November.

    3     makes the parade most exciting is the lion and dragon dance, representing the spirit of strength. The colorful lion and dragon figures controlled by skilled     4     (perform) catch the attention and admiration of the viewers. Traditional martial arts shows are another crowd favorite. With the martial artists moving gracefully, the audience     5     (remind) of the importance of traditional Chinese culture. Traditional costumes can also be seen     6     (wear) by those artists. The designs and colors of these costumes serve     7     a symbol of Foshan’s rich history and cultural diversity.

The Foshan Autumn Parade is more than just a cultural festival. It is a remarkable event     8     the community celebrate the beauty of autumn. By     9     (participate) in and experiencing these ancient traditions, young people can gain     10     deeper understanding of their culture.

Hanfu, or Han-style clothing, one of the     1     (old) types of clothing in the world, is becoming popular again. Walking in downtown areas or scenic spots in the Chinese mainland, one can’t miss the sight of girls and boys elegantly     2     (dress) in Han-style clothing posing for photographs with either     3     oil paper umbrella or a circular silk fan in hand.

Actually, the clothing style of Chinese Hanfu kept changing over the centuries due to the     4     (change) in people’s taste, requirements and the availability of new clothing materials. However, the development of Han-style clothing came to a sudden stop, when the Manchus, after establishing the Qing Dynasty,     5     (essential) banned people from wearing Hanfu.

For a long time, Hanfu was worn only by some brides and grooms during weddings and a few other special occasions. Attracted by the elegance and beauty of Hanfu, a few brave youngsters began to wear Han-style clothes a decade ago     6     (take) photos in ancient towns. They immediately drew the attention of the public and the media,     7     in turn prompted (促使) others to try on Hanfu.

Thanks to the country’s emphasis     8     cultural confidence, Han-style clothing has been developing into a trend. Some cities     9     (hold) Hanfu festivals or Hanfu fashion shows so far. The     10     (grow) popularity of Hanfu has also fueled public interest in other traditional cultural elements, Chinese painting, calligraphy, kung fu and so on.

Nausicaa Giavarra, a drama teacher from Italy, moved to Ningbo with her husband in 2009 and is teaching drama lessons at a local international school.     1    (live) in Ningbo for 14 years, she often takes her friends to Tianyige Museum, as it is a     2     (peace) place that is perfect for walking and chatting.

Tianyi Pavilion, the oldest existing private library,     3     (surround) with forests and delicate gardens in Ningbo, Zhejiang province. It was built between 1561 and 1566 by a politician called Fan Qin     4     (house) the books he had collected throughout his life.

Giavarra says she loves the classical architectural style of Tianyi Pavilion, adding that walking in the courtyard and the bamboo grove (竹林)     5     (relax) her mind. What makes her really proud is     6    , in addition to Tianyi Pavilion, the other two most ancient surviving private libraries in the world, namely the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana and the Biblioteca Malatestiana, are both located in Italy. So far, Tianyi Pavilion     7     (join) the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana in     8     (prepare) for a dialogue on book restorers and is also connecting with the Biblioteca Malatestiana for     9     unique exchange on the “digital application of ancient books” later this year.

“I am very pleased that Ningbo has such a deep cultural connection with Italy. I hope and believe that China and Italy will have more     10     (opportunity) for communication and cultural exchanges in the future.” Giavarra says.

Oracle bone script (or jiaguwen), the earliest-known Chinese characters     1     (carve) on tortoise shells (龟壳) and animal bones, today has made its way into modern life. Chen Nan, an     2     (enthusiast) professor with the Academy of Arts and Design at Tsinghua University, is among those responsible for its resuscitation (复兴).

The protection of Chinese character culture     3     (achieve) good progress in recent years. And the ancient characters have also gained growing global influence. In 2017, the script     4     (official) entered the UNESCO Memory of the World Register. Oracle bone script calligraphy exhibitions even took place in Morocco and Japan in 2018-19. International experts, too, have participated     5     the research on and promotion of the characters. One such expert is Adam D. Smith from the U.S., who said he once visited Anyang     6     (see) the unearthed script and further introduced the ancient characters through lectures and workshops abroad. He suggested     7     (take) the research online so     8     more people can better understand the roots of Chinese culture.

For Chen, the global promotion of oracle bone script culture is far from sufficient, given people from other cultural     9     (background) may still consider it mysterious and abstract. “I hope modern designs can break down cultural barriers,” said Chen,     10     newly made designs have been published and exhibited overseas.