Geography of China

Geography (地理)

• China, (中國) aka. People’s Republic of China — located in the eastern part of Asia and the Pacific Ocean.

  • 9.6 million square kilometers

  • Largest in Asia

  • Third largest in the world.

• Famous mountain ranges:

  • Himalayas, Kunlun, Tianshan, Taihangshan, Qinling, and Daxing'anling

  • Mount Everest — main peak of the Himalayas (8,848 meters); the roof of the world.

• Major rivers:

  • Yanjiang River: Longest river in China — a total length of 6,300 km and a basin area of 1.809 million square kilometers.

  • Yellow River: Second longest river — a total length of 5,464, km and a basin area of 752,000 square kilometers.

  • Huai River: Third longest river — the dividing line between the natural climate of the north and south of China.

    • Northern part of the river is a warm semi-humid zone.

    • Southern part of the river is a subtropical humid area.

• Major lakes:

  • Lake Tai

  • Lake Poyang

  • Lake Dongting

  • Lake Hongze

Climate (氣候)

• China has a continental seasonal climate, with four distinct seasons in most areas and a large temperature difference between the north and the south.

• Summers are hot and rainy, while winters are cold and dry.

• The average temperature varies from 50°C in January to more than 20°C in July.

• Due to the topography, rainfall varies from region to region, with annual rainfall in the coastal areas of Southeast China being more than 1,600 mm, while in Northern China it is less than 50 mm.

Natural Resources (自然资源)

• China is rich in natural resources, but due to its large population, the per capita share of resources is insufficient.

  • It is also rich in mineral and oil resources.

  • Oil production is constantly increasing.

  • China is the world's highest coal production country, coal storage accounts for the world's first.

• Water is the most basic resource for human production and life.

  • Although China has the fourth largest total water resources in the world, its per capita share is only a quarter of the world average, making China one of the countries with severe water shortages in the world.

  • China also has serious problems such as water pollution and soil erosion.

Wildlife and Plants (野⽣動物和植物)

• China has a vast area, complex terrain, numerous rivers and diverse climates, and these natural conditions provide a superior living environment for various wild animals and plants.

• Endemic Animals:

  • Giant pandas

  • Golden Monkeys

  • South China Tigers

• Unique Plants:

  • metasequoia

  • silver fir

  • ginkgo trees.

• In order to protect natural resources and the natural environment, the Chinese government has drawn boundaries between representative natural environmental zones and the natural habitats of rare animals, such as:

  • Wolong in Sichuan

  • Wuyi Mountain in Fujian

  • Baishan in Jilin, and

  • Shennongjia in Hubei Province.

Giant Pandas (⼤熊貓)

• The giant panda has a short round head and tail, a fat body, and a dark and white coat on its head and body.

• They are China’s national treasure.

• The diet of giant pandas is very special, mainly eating a variety of bamboo.

• Pandas feed for more than ten hours a day.

• A giant panda can eat up to 30 kilograms per day.

• Due to the extremely high requirements for the living environment, the fertility rate of giant pandas is low, and coupled with the indiscriminate hunting and killing of humans, the number of giant pandas has decreased sharply.

• However, these pandas are listed as endangered animals in the world.

Administrative Divisions (⾏政區域劃分)

• China's administrative regions are divided into provinces, cities, counties and other units.

• China has more than 20 provinces and five autonomous regions.

• China has four municipalities directly under the Central Government, Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Chongqing, as well as two special administrative regions, Hong Kong and Macao.

• Beijing — the capital of China; a famous historical and cultural ancient city

  • Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties were built in Beijing.

  • It is one of the cities in the world with the largest number of cultural heritage items.

  • Its population has reached 20 million already.

Population (⼈⼝)

• According to the results of the sixth national census in 2010, the total number of Chinese population is 1.37 billion.

• China is the most populous country in the world, accounting for about 20 percent of the world's total population.

• In terms of sex ratio, the male population accounts for 51.27% of the total population and the female population accounts for 48.73%.

• In terms of population age groups, people over 60 years old account for 11.3% of the total population, marking that China has become the country with the largest number of elderly people in the world.

Ethnic Group (⺠族)

• China is a unified multi-ethnic country consisting of 56 ethnic groups.

• The Han ethnic group has the largest population, and the other 55 ethnic groups have smaller populations, so the smaller ethnic group is called the minority ethnic group.

• The distribution of ethnic groups in China is "large mixed and small settlement," and this distribution characteristic is conducive to mutual exchanges, unity and cooperation among various ethnic groups.

• China adopts a political system of regional autonomy for the ethnic group in light of its specific conditions such as historical development, cultural characteristics, relations among ethnic groups, and distribution of ethnic groups, as well as the common interests and development of all ethnic groups

History

Sun Yat-sen (孫中⼭)

• Real Name: Sun Wen

• Nickname: Yixian

• Born in Guangdong Province, China (1866)

• Died in Beinjing (March 12, 1925)

• Buried in the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in Nanjing's Purple Mountain.

• He is known as the “Father of the Chinese Nation.”

Xinhai Revolution (⾟亥⾰命)

• A nationwide revolution that took place between 1911 and 1912 to overthrow the autocratic rule of the Qing Dynasty and establish a republican form of government.

• In a narrow sense, it refers to the revolutionary events that occurred in the period from the Wuchang Uprising in October 1911 to Sun Yat-sen's appointment as the provisional president of the People's Republic of China.

• In a broader sense, it refers to a series of revolutionary movements aimed at overthrowing the Manchu rule.

• The Xinhai Revolution initiated by Sun Yat-sen in 1911 successfully overthrew the rule of the Qing Dynasty, put an end to China's imperial system, opened a new era of the ruling republic, promoted the development of China's constitutionalism and rule of law, and played a key role in establishing good relations among various ethnic groups in the country.

Festivals and Customs

Spring Festival (春節)

• It is the most important traditional festival in China.

• It is also known as the New Year or Chinese New Year.

• In ancient times, the Chinese used the lunar calendar.

  • The Spring Festival used to refer to the beginning of spring in solar terms.

  • The Chinese New Year was called "Yuan Dan", which means the first day of the year.

• After the "Xinhai Revolution," China adopted the Gregorian calendar.

  • In order to distinguish between the Lunar New Year and the Gregorian New Year, people call the Lunar New Year "Spring Festival", while the Gregorian New Year is called "New Year's Day".

• Since China is a country of many ethnic groups, the New Year celebrations of various ethnic groups have different forms.

• During the Spring Festival, the whole family is reunited. People eat rice cakes, dumplings, and a variety of hearty meals.

• The celebrations during the Spring Festival are very rich, and customs such as setting off firecrackers, dancing lions, sticking Spring Festival couplings, hanging New Year paintings, playing dragon lanterns, and greeting the New Year are still popular.

Dragon Boat Festival (端午節)

• It is a traditional Chinese festival, which falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month.

• There are many legends about the origin of the Dragon Boat Festival, among which the more popular one is that the Dragon Boat Festival is a festival to commemorate Qu Yuan.

  • Qu Yuan was the leader of Chu State, he was worried about the country, he hoped that the nation would be prosperous and strong.

  • He wrote the famous patriotic poems "Li Sao" and "Nine Songs" in exile.

  • However, Qin State defeated the Chu State and invaded the land.

  • He was totally heartbroken with all of what happened and committed suicide by throwing himself into the river on May 5th, expressing his patriotic enthusiasm with his life.

• Legend has it that after Qu Yuan's death, the people of Chu State were very sad, and they all rowed to the river to look for Qu Yuan's body.

  • A fisherman took out rice balls, boiled eggs and other foods prepared for Qu Yuan, threw them into the river, and fed them to the prawns in the water so that they would not bite Qu Yuan's body again.

• Later, rice balls became Zongzi today, and thus the folk custom of racing rice dumplings and eating Zongzi on the Dragon Boat Festival began.

Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋節)

• Every year on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month is the traditional Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival.

• In the Chinese lunar calendar, a year is divided into four seasons, and each season is divided into three stages: Meng, Zhong and Ji, so the Mid-Autumn Festival is also called Zhongqiu.

• On August 15th, the moon is the roundest and brightest. At night, the whole family sits in the yard, eating sweet mooncakes and admiring the round moon.

• Because the moon cakes are round, so is the moon, which symbolizes the reunion of a family, so the Chinese also call this day "Reunion Festival".

• When the Mid-Autumn Festival comes, those who work and study outside will rush home as much as possible to reunite with their families.

Double Ninth Festival (重陽節)

• The ninth day of the ninth lunar month.

• The ancient Chinese believed that the Double Ninth Festival was an auspicious day, so the Chinese began to celebrate this.

• There are a variety of activities to celebrate the Double Ninth Festival, which generally include activities such as traveling to enjoy the scenery, climbing high to overlook, viewing chrysanthemums, eating cakes, and drinking.

• Because "jiujiu" has the same pronunciation as "jiujiu", and nine is the largest number among digits, Chongyang also means "Yijiu" and "Yijiu".

• In 1989, China designated September 9th as the "Older's Day", combining tradition and modernity to become a festival for the elderly to respect, love and help the elderly.

Chinese Family Virtues

Bao Gong Abandoning his Position (包公棄官)

Filial piety comes first.

• Filial Piety is the most important virtue.

  • Parents devote all their heart and soul to raising their children. As children, they must repay their parents for their kindness.

• The story of Bao Gong who abandoned his official position for his parents has been passed down to this day.

• Bao Gong was a well-known upright official in ancient China, and he was also the embodiment of fairness and justice in the world, and his story of honoring his parents was also praised.

• He showed talent since he was a child. He passed the Jinshi examination at the age of 28 and got an official position far away from his hometown.

• But when the father's parents did not want to leave their hometown with him, Baogong resigned from the official position without hesitation and stayed at home to take care of his parents.

• Baogong's filial piety was well received by officials.

Taste the Decoction (親嚐湯藥)

• Liu Heng, Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty in ancient China, was a well-known dutiful son.

  • Liu Heng is very filial to his mother. No matter how busy he is, he always puts his mother's affairs first.

  • Once, his mother was seriously ill, and the illness lasted for three years.

  • During these three years, Liu Heng often stayed by his mother's bedside to take care of her after handling the country's major affairs.

• Every time the palace ladies brought the decoction boiled for his mother, Liu Heng had to taste it himself to see whether the decoction was bitter or hot, and then fed it to his mother spoon by spoon.

  • Three years later, his mother was finally cured, but he himself collapsed from overwork.

• The story of the emperor tasting the decoction was known to all women and children at that time, and the emperor's filial piety moved the whole country.

  • Under his influence, filial sons emerged in endlessly throughout the Han Dynasty.

Zilu Nemesis (⼦路負⽶)

• Zilu, Confucius's student, was very filial to his parents.

  • Because he grew up in a poor family, Zilu was very frugal in life and often relied on eating wild vegetables to survive, but he was worried that his parents often ate wild vegetables and were unhealthy, so he wanted to buy some rice for his parents to eat and supplement nutrition.

  • In order to let his parents eat rice, Zilu worked tirelessly to run a hundred miles away to buy it, and then carried it home to make food for his family. No matter how hot and cold the winter was, it didn't stop him from carrying rice for his parents.

  • Later, Zilu's parents passed away, and he went to the State of Chu to become an official.

• During the days when he was an official, Zilu's living conditions were very good. Three meals a day, mountain and sea delicacies, go out and follow a hundred carriages.

• Instead of being happy about a prosperous life, Zilu often lamented that his parents died too early, otherwise he would have been able to live a good life with them.

Chinese Mythology

Goddess Nuwa Mending the Sky (⼥媧補天)

• Nuwa is the ancient Chinese goddess who cultivated all things and benefited mankind.

• Legend has it that after the creation of heaven and earth, there will only be mountains, rivers, lakes, flowers, plants, animals, and no humans on the land.

• She created human beings by molding mud while imitating her own reflection as she seen it in the water. Later, Nuwa let those men and women give birth to offspring, and the extension continued.

• However, great changes took place in the universe, half the sky collapsed, and terrible black holes appeared one after another. There were also big cracks in the ground. There was a big fire in the forest, and a lot of water flowed out of the ground. Wild beasts also came out to harm humans.

• When Nuwa saw such a disaster, she repaired the world. She first filled the holes in the sky with multicolored bricks, killed the four birds, put the four feet of the birds on the four trees of the earth, and raised the sky. Later, she also killed the wild animals and blocked the flood.

• Since then, the disaster has been quelled, the human race has been saved, and the world has a thriving scene.

• The myth of "Nuwa mending the sky" reflects the initial understanding of the origin and natural phenomenon of the ancient Chinese labor force.

Jingwei Reclamation (精衛填海)

• The daughter of Yandi (the God of Sun) went to the East Sea to play, but accidentally fell into the sea and drowned.

• After she died, she became a little bird named Jingwei. Jingwei not only looks lively and cute, but also has a kind heart.

• In order to prevent others from falling into the sea, Jingwei kept bringing branches and stones from the mountains and throwing them into the sea, trying to fill up the sea.

• She travels back and forth between the mountains and the East China Sea non-stop.

• Jingwei's kind wishes and grand ambitions are respected by people.

• In the literary works of all dynasties of China, there are poems praising Jingwei's spirit of daring to fight against the sea.

Houyi Shooting Day (后羿射⽇)

• Houyi is a legendary god who is good at archery.

• When Yao was emperor, there were ten suns in the sky. The sun burned the seedlings to death, and the beasts also ran out to harm humans, bringing serious disasters to mankind.

  • So, the emperor called Hou Yi to the world to rescue people.

• Houyi went to the world and was welcomed by people. He picked up his bow and arrow and aimed it at the fireball in the sky, and after a while, the fireball exploded and a cloud fell to the ground. People ran to watch, and it turned out to be the sun spirit.

• There was one less sun in the sky, the air was cooler, and people cheered in unison.

• After Hou Yi was encouraged, he began to shoot the sun again, and the fireballs in the sky burst one by one, and the sky was full of fire.

• Yao thought that people could not live without the sun, so he ordered Houyi to leave one sun for the benefit of mankind.

Chang’e Flies to the Moon (嫦娥奔⽉)

• Legend has it that Chang'e was a goddess in heaven and the wife of Houyi.

• One day, Hou Yi brought home an elixir of immortality. Hou Yi gave the medicine to Chang'e and told her that if the two of them took this medicine together, they would not die.

• If one eats alone, one can become a god. Hou Yi told his wife that they would eat together on an auspicious day.

• But one night, Chang'e took advantage of Houyi's absence and took the elixir alone. As soon as the medicine was swallowed, Chang'e's body could not help but float out of the window, fly into the sky, and fly into the Moon Palace.

• In the Moon Palace, Chang'e is very lonely, and only a white rabbit accompanies her. Chang'e misses her husband Houyi very much.

• Later, the Heavenly Emperor made Houyi a heavenly general, and let the two of them reunite and reunite during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

• Since then, Chang'e and Houyi have lived a happy and satisfying life in heaven.

• The Heavenly Emperor also stipulated that the moon is full once a month on the fifteenth day to wish a good full moon night, and there are lovers in the world who become dependents.

Dayu’s Flood Control (⼤禹治⽔)

• In ancient times, the land was a vast ocean, and there was no place for human beings to live.

• Some people go to the mountains in search of caves to live in, while others use bird's nests in trees to hide. Later, the Heavenly Emperor ordered Dayu to control the flood and save mankind.

• Dayu first mobilized the gods to drive away the water gods, and then led them to pile up mountains and dig up river channels to channel floodwaters into the rivers and seas.

• Because of the busy treatment of water, Dayu passed by his door three times and did not enter. After hard work, Dayu finally cured the flood.

• Since then, the world has been peaceful, people have lived and worked in peace and contentment, and Dayu has thus become the son of heaven, and has spent his life seeking peace and happiness for mankind, and has been loved by people.

Idiom Stories

Steady Efforts Can Work Miracles (鐵杵磨針)

• A story about a young child named, Li Bai who often skip his classes. One day, he saw an old woman grinding a thick iron to make an embroidery needle.

• Li Bai asked "Embroidery needles? The iron rod is so thick, when will you be able to grind it into an embroidery needle?”

  • The grandmother said, "A dripping water can penetrate a stone, and a fool can remove a mountain, so why can't I sharpen an iron rod into a needle? As long as you put in the effort, there is nothing that cannot be done. ”

• After listening to the grandmother's words, Li Bai felt very ashamed, silently left the grass hut, and went back to class. Since then, Li Bai has never skipped school again. He studied hard every day and finally became a famous poet in history.

• The story of the iron pestle sharpening needle tells us that no matter what you do, as long as you persevere to the end, you will definitely succeed.

Dong Shi imitation (東施效顰)

• In the Spring and Autumn Period, there was a woman named Shi Shi, who was very beautiful, so her every move was particularly attractive.

  • Unfortunately, Shi Shi was in poor health and often fell ill. One day, as she was walking home, her chest hurt again, and she quickly covered her chest with her hands and frowned involuntarily.

  • Although Shi Shi's body was very uncomfortable, the way she covered her chest with her hands and her brows furrowed seemed very beautiful to the people next to her, which made people love and pity.

• There was a girl in the crowd named Dong Shi, who was very ugly.

  • Dong Shi saw that everyone praised the good look of Dashi with his hands over his chest, so he learned how he looked, covered his chest with his hands, frowned, and walked slowly in front of the people, hoping to get everyone's praise as well.

  • However, because Dong Shi was originally very ugly, and deliberately learned the movements of Shi Shi, people disliked her even more.

• The story of Dong Shi Xiao tells us that if you deliberately imitate others, you will only leave a bad impression on others and even become everyone's laughing stock.

Four Grand Works in Chinese Literature

“Dream of the Red Mansion“ 《紅樓夢》

• The author of "A Dream of Red Mansions" is Cao Xueqin, a great anthropologist of the Qing Dynasty.

• A Dream of Red Mansions reveals the darkness and shield of the end of China's feudal society through the description of the changes in the families of seven feudal aristocrats, and reveals the historical fate of the feudal society that is bound to perish.

• The main character in "Dream of Red Mansions" is Jia Baoyu.

  • Jia Baoyu is a descendant of the Jia family and the heir of the hope of this big family.

  • Although Baoyu lived in a large feudal family, he looked down on fame and fortune and was unwilling to follow the road of "learning and excelling."

  • He despised secular men and respected women at the lower levels of society.

  • He departed from the life path arranged for him by his feudal family and demanded the autonomy of marriage.

  • Although the love with Lin Daiyu ended in tragedy, it reflected Jia Baoyu's rebellious character.

• Another main character in the novel is Lin Daiyu.

  • Lin Daiyu is smart, beautiful, naïve and talented.

  • She lost her parents at an early age and lived in the Jia family.

  • Although Jia's mother loves her very much, her high-minded, self-respecting personality makes her sentimental.

  • She shares the same ideals and interests as Baoyu.

  • She loved Baoyu deeply, but was bound by feudal rites and could not confess, and died of depression on Baoyu's wedding day.

“Romance of the Three Kingdoms“ 《三國演義》

• The Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong, a popular orator in the Ming Dynasty, describes the historical story from the Eastern Han Dynasty to the Jin Dynasty, especially focuses on the struggle between the three kingdoms of Wei, Shu and Wu, and provides a rich and colorful image of historical objects.

• Zhuge Liang's image is the most prominent among the stories, leaving a deep impression on the readers, becoming a household name and a well-known object for women and children, and being loved and respected by the world.

• There are countless idioms and idioms produced by Zhuge Liang.

• For example, when people praise Bie Zhuge for his intelligence, they often call him "Sai Zhuge", "Sai Zhuge", or "three stinking craftsmen, three Zhuge Liang".

• They regard Zhuge Liang as the embodiment of wisdom.

“Water Margin“《⽔滸傳》

• The Water Margin, written by Shi Nai-an, a literary scholar who lived in the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties, is considered a model among the legendary works of Chinese heroes and the first novel in China to reflect the struggle of the masses.

• "Water Margin" truly reflects the darkness of feudal society in its unique art form, revealing the social reality of official coercion. The novel is based on the spoken language, showing a strong breath of life.

• Wu Song is one of the important characters in this Literature. Here, he bravely fought tigers which makes a lot of people see him as someone so courageous.

“Travels”《⻄遊記》

• The author of "Travels" was Wu Chengen of the Ming Dynasty.

• The novel is based on the story of the Tang Dynasty monk Xuanzang who took the scriptures, telling the story and shaping the image in a combination of divinity, humanity and materiality.

• Through rich artistic imagination, the novel has created a mythical world and vivid literary images.

• The language of the novel is processed on the basis of spoken language and is expressive.

• The story of "The Journey" tells us that on the long road, it is impossible to sail smoothly. Like Sun Wukong (the main character), we should work hard to pursue our ideals.

Chinese Characters (漢字)

• Chinese characters are the written text that records the Chinese language and are one of the oldest scripts in the world.

  • These are based on pictograms, and shape, sound, and meaning are combined into one, becoming a unique square-shaped ideographic system.

  • The earliest and most mature Chinese characters found now are oracle bone scripts from the Shang Dynasty in China.

• From the development of oracle bone script to the Chinese characters used today, it has gone through the evolution process of big seal, small seal, subordinate script, kaishu, cursive, and xingshu.

  • In form, Chinese characters gradually changed from pictures to strokes, from pictorial to symbolic, and from complex to simple.

• The methods of making Chinese characters include "pictography", "referring to things", "meeting meaning", and "shape sound".

  • According to the ancient Chinese "Six Books," the method of making characters also includes "transfer notes" and "false borrowing."

  • Hieroglyphics refers to the use of lines or strokes of writing to draw the physical characteristics of the object to be expressed.

  • Huiyi characters are composed of two or more separate characters, which are combined to express the meaning of the word.

  • Transcription and borrowing are actually methods of using words.

• The smallest unit of composition for Chinese characters are strokes. When writing Chinese characters, they should be written in sequential order

  • The basic rule of stroke order is horizontal and then vertical, skimming first and then twisting, from top to bottom, from left to right, first outside and then inside, and then sealed, first middle and then both sides.

  • About 2,000 commonly used words can cover more than 98% of written expressions.

Calligraphy (書法)

• Calligraphy is the art of writing Chinese characters, and it is a unique plastic art formed in the process of the evolution and development of Chinese characters.

• The tools and materials of Chinese calligraphy are basically composed of pen, ink, paper and inkstone, and people call them the "Four Treasures of Wenfang".

  • Brush: Used for Chinese calligraphy writing. Nowadays, the best brush is the lake pen; produced in Huzhou, Zheijang.

  • Ink: Black color is commonly used in writing. Nowadays, Huimo is the most famous used ink.

  • Rice Paper: a white and soft paper, most commonly used for painting and calligraphy.

  • Inkstone: A tool used for grinding; Duanyan — the most famous inkstone in China.

• Elements of Calligraphy Art

  • Structure of the Word

  • Overall Layout

  • Method of Writing

  • Degree in Coloring

  • Rhythm

  • Styles

• Characteristics of Calligraphy Art

  • Styling: The art of calligraphy is the art of shaping beauty through the combination of dots and lines.

  • Abstraction: The reflection of the beauty of reality by the art of calligraphy is completed by the structure of dots, lines and glyphs. It is not as specific as painting to depict something.

  • Expression: The art of calligraphy is imbued with the thoughts and feelings of the calligrapher, reflects the character and taste of the author, and is an art of expression.

Chinese Arts and Crafts

Cloisonne (景泰藍)

• Cloisonné is a famous traditional handicraft in China with a history of more than 600 years.

• It is made of precious metals such as gold, silver and copper through various processes such as welding, blue burning, polishing, and gold plating, and at the same time introduces traditional painting and carving techniques, but it combines the essence of Chinese history, culture, art and other traditions.

• Cloisonné handicrafts are simple and elegant, exquisite and luxurious.

• The earliest surviving cloisonné is a product of the Yuan Dynasty.

• Beijing is the birthplace of cloisonné technology, and Beijingers love to decorate their homes with cloisonné crafts.

Paper Cuttings (剪紙)

• Paper cutting is a popular art in China. Common methods of paper cutting are scissors and knife scissors.

• The former uses scissors, after cutting, several pieces of paper are pasted, and then the pattern is processed with scissors; The latter is to fold the paper into several stacks, place it on a soft dong and slowly carve it with a knife.

• In rural China, paper-cutting used to be a handicraft that every girl had to master, but professional paper-cutting artists were often men.

• Paper cutting is often used in religious ceremonies, decorative and plastic arts.

• In the past, people often used paper to make different forms of people and objects, buried with the deceased or burned at funerals, which shows that the art of paper-cutting is symbolic.

• Today, paper-cutting is more used to decorate walls, doors and windows, mirrors, etc., and can also be given as gifts to others.

Kite Flying (⾵箏)

• Kite flying is an ancient Chinese art, and kite flying is a traditional Chinese leisure activity.

  • According to legend, during the Spring and Autumn Warring States period, Mozi made kites out of wooden boards.

  • After Cai Lun of the Eastern Han Dynasty invented papermaking, he began to use paper to make kites.

• It is said that Chinese flew kites for Tugili. People put the kite high, and when it was about to get into the clouds, they cut the kite line and the kite flew away, indicating that they had taken the bad things with them.

• According to records, Beijingers have been flying kites for a long time. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, the kite-making technology of the Pekingese was quite mature, and different kite genres were formed.

• Today, kite flying has become a leisure activity. The advantage of flying a kite is that it can be viewed from a close place and played from afar, and the whole body movement is conducive to nourishing and strengthening the body.

Great Inventions of Ancient China

Compass (指南針)

• During the Warring States Period, the ancient Chinese people made a guide to the direction of the signifier with natural magnets and wheels.

• In the Song Dynasty, Chinese people invented the magnetic needle and compass.

• Later, the compass needle was made by combining the magnetic needle with the compass.

• The invention and operation of the compass promoted the development of navigation and the exchange of economic globalization.

Papermaking (造紙術)

• Before the invention of paper, different ways were used around the world to record things, such as ancient Indians using leaves, ancient Babylonians using mud bricks, ancient Romans using wax plates, etc.

• The Chinese Shang Dynasty carved the text on oracle bones and bronze vessels.

• In the Eastern Han Dynasty, Cai Lun invented papermaking on the basis of summarizing the experience of his predecessors. He made fiber paper from bark, hemp heads, rags, old fish nets and other raw materials.

• The paper invented by Cai Lun has many raw materials, low cost and high quality, and is very popular.

• The invention and application of paper have played an important role in the recording and preservation of social history and the exchange and dissemination of cultural ideas, and have made tremendous contributions to human civilization.

Gunpowder (⽕藥)

• Gunpowder was invented by the ancient Chinese.

• The emperors and nobles of ancient China all hoped that they would never grow old, so they asked some Taoist priests to refine the elixir, and the recipe of gunpowder was produced in the process of refining the elixir.

• Ancient alchemists used saltpeter and sulfur, which had been mastered as early as the Han Dynasty, and invented gunpowder in the Tang Dynasty after a long period of alchemy practice.

• By the end of the Tang Dynasty, gunpowder was already used militarily. Later, gunpowder and gunpowder weapons spread to Arab countries and then to some countries in Europe.

• The invention of gunpowder played an important role in the development of science and technology in China and the world.

Printing (印刷術)

• In the early years of the Tang Dynasty, books printed by woodblock printing appeared in China, and the Diamond Sutra is the world's earliest surviving print with an engraving time.

• Bi Sheng, a native of the Song Dynasty, invented movable type printing on the basis of woodblock printing. It is engraved with cement, one print per word, and made into a word print after burning.

• The word printing is arranged on the iron plate, and the printing plate is made into a printing plate through the barbecue and pressing process, which is used for printing.

• The characteristics of movable type printing plates that can be used repeatedly have the basic process of modern printing.

• The invention of printing technology promoted the development and spread of human civilization.

Traditional Chinese Medicine

Traditional Medicine (傳統醫學)

• Traditional Chinese medicine is composed of three parts: traditional Chinese medicine, ethnic medicine, and Chinese herbal medicine.

• Traditional Chinese medicine takes the theory of yin and yang and the five elements as its foundation.

  • "Looking" is a purposeful observation of the patient's spirit, color, shape, and other aspects to determine the pathological changes of the internal organs.

  • "Listening and smelling" is to distinguish the patient's condition by changes in the tone, strength, and urgency of their speech and breath.

  • "Inquiring" is to understand the patient's condition through questioning.

  • "Palpating" is the method by which a doctor uses their fingertips to touch, feel, press, and palpate a certain part of the patient's body to understand the patient's condition.

Ancient Famous Doctors (古代名醫)

• Bian Que

  • A famous doctor in the era of Emperor Yu and the ancestor of traditional Chinese medicine.

  • On the basis of summing up the previous medical experience, he created the methods of "looking", "smelling", "asking" and "cutting" to diagnose diseases.

  • Bian Que has traveled all over the world to study medicine, and is good at all kinds of subjects.

• Hua Tuo

  • A medical expert in the Han Dynasty.

  • In the era when Hua Tuo lived, warlords were in chaos, droughts and plagues, epidemic diseases were spreading, and the country was in deep heat.

  • He often sympathized with the oppressed and exploited labor, and the heat relieved the suffering of the oppressed.

  • He invented the drunken surgery, improved the technique and efficacy of surgical treatment, and expanded the scope of surgical treatment.

  • He also created a set of medical gymnastics "five birds play", which can stretch all muscles and joints.

• Li Shizen

  • Among the rich medical heritage of ancient China, there are many famous scientific works, among which the "Compendium of Materia Medica" is a world-famous pharmaceutical masterpiece.

  • The author of the "Compendium of Materia Medica" is Li Shizhen, a medicinal scientist of the Ming Dynasty.

  • Li Shizhen was born in a family that has practiced medicine for generations, and her grandfather and father were famous local doctors.

  • Since he was a child, he followed his father to the patient's house to see a doctor, went up the mountain to collect herbs, and developed a strong interest in medicine.

  • In his medical practice, Li Shizhen cured many difficult diseases and accumulated rich medical knowledge.

  • In the course of practicing medicine, he read many medical works and felt that there were many shortcomings in the pharmaceutical works of previous generations, and he was determined to compile a pharmaceutical work.

  • In order to compile the book, he visited many places, humbly asked others for advice, collected drug specimens, and collected prescriptions.

  • He spent 27 years working hard and referring to more than 800 books, and finally wrote a new pharmaceutical magnum opus, "Compendium of Materia Medica."

  • The "Compendium of Materia Medica" contains nearly 2,000 kinds of medicines, each of which explains its origin, shape, color, and function.

  • The book also contains more than a thousand drug diagrams and records of more than 10,000 medical prescriptions.

  • This book played a big role in the development of pharmacology.

Traditional Chinese Architecture (傳統建築⾵格)

• The artistic characteristics of Chinese architecture are manifold.

  • First of all, Chinese architecture uses wooden columns and beams to form the frame of the house, and the weight of the roof and eaves is transmitted to the column through the beam frame, and the wall cannot bear the weight of the house.

  • Secondly, Chinese architecture has a courtyard-like group layout.

• Traditional Chinese houses, palaces, official offices, temples, etc. are composed of a number of single buildings and some corridors, walls, etc. surrounded by courtyards.

• Courtyard-style clusters and structures are designed in a balanced and symmetrical manner, such as the Forbidden City and the courtyard in the north.

  • This structure is closely related to the patriarchal and religious systems of Chinese feudal society.

• Traditional Chinese architecture not only attaches importance to the science of architectural technology, but also shows the artistic level of the builder.

• Ancient Chinese architecture absorbed Chinese painting, sculpture, arts and crafts and other artistic characteristics created a rich and colorful artistic image and formed its own characteristics, such as decorative roofs, the application of supporting buildings (Huabiao, stone lions in front of the main entrance of the palace) and the use of color.

Imperial Palace (故宮)

• The Forbidden City is the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties in China, and is also the largest and most complete ancient building complex in the country.

• The place covers an area of more than 720,000 square meters, with a total of more than 9,000 palaces, all of which are wooden structures, yellow glazed tile roofs, white stone bases, and decorated with colorful paintings.

• The Forbidden City is surrounded by a city wall on all four sides, with a corner tower at each corner, and the outside of the wall is surrounded by a moat 52 meters wide.

• The architecture of the city palace is divided into an outer dynasty and an inner court, and their architectural atmosphere is also completely different.

  • The Outer Dynasty was the place where the feudal emperor exercised his power and held ceremonies.

  • The inner court was where the emperor and his family lived.

• The Forbidden City is majestic and magnificent, and is the essence of ancient Chinese architectural art.

Siheyuan (四合院)

• Siheyuan is a traditional form of residential architecture in China.

• The earliest courtyard houses appeared more than 3,000 years ago in the Zhou Dynasty.

• They are characterized by a regular appearance and symmetrical midline.

• Large courtyards can be built into imperial palaces and royal palaces, while small courtyards are ordinary residences of ordinary people, represented by Beijing's courtyards.

• It is famous firstly because of its long history and secondly because of its unique composition.

• The courtyard contains profound cultural connotations and has left a deep impression in people's hearts. However, because the traditional courtyard does not have basic sanitary facilities, let alone modern equipment such as air conditioning and garages, it is difficult to meet the needs of modern life.

• In addition, there are fewer and fewer traditional large families living together for several generations, and modern young people want to live in their own independent living space, preferring to buy a villa with convenient transportation in the suburbs rather than continue to live in a crowded city.

• Therefore, whether the courtyard, which is an ordinary residence of ordinary people, still has value is a matter of debate.

Classical Gardens (古典園林⾵格)

• Classical Chinese gardens can be divided into:

  • Royal garden: It is mainly a garden for the emperor to rest and enjoy, and its characteristics are grand scale, there are many real mountains and real water, the buildings in the garden are rich in color, and the buildings in the garden are tall.

    • Famous imperial gardens include the Summer Palace in Beijing and the Summer Resort in Chengde, Hebei.

  • Private garden: It is a garden for the leisure of wealthy families, which is characterized by a small scale, commonly used rockeries, fake water, small and exquisite buildings, and elegant colors.

    • Existing private homes such as Prince Gong's Mansion in Beijing, Humble Administrator's Garden in Suzhou, and Yu Garden in Shanghai.

• The geographical location of the garden is different, and the architectural style is also different. The northern garden architecture is magnificent, but not beautiful enough.

  • Most of the representatives of northern gardens are concentrated in Beijing, Xi'an, Luoyang, Kaifeng, and other places, with Beijing as the head.

• The southern part is densely populated, so the area of the garden is small. And because there are many rivers and lakes and evergreen trees, the garden is exquisite and delicate.

  • Most of the representatives of southern gardens are concentrated in Nanjing, Shanghai, Suzhou, Yangzhou and other places, especially Suzhou gardens are world-famous and most distinctive.

Summer Palace (頤和園)

• Located on the outskirts of Beijing, the Summer Palace is one of the world's most famous gardens.

• It was built by Empress Dowager Cixi of the Qing Dynasty with funds from the navy.

• It is composed of Wanshou Mountain, Kunming Lake, and a group of exquisite buildings surrounding the mountains and lakes, including the political activity area, the main living area.

• The background of the entire Summer Palace is the peaks of the mountains, and the buildings are integrated with the mountains and lakes in the park, making the scenery changeable.

• The Buddha Pavilion in Wanshou Mountain is the symbol of the Summer Palace.

• The palace-like complex centered on the Paiyun Hall was the place where Empress Dowager Cixi celebrated her birthday.

• Under Wanshou Mountain is Kunming Lake, which has 273 houses and a 728-meter corridor, combining political activities, living and tourist areas.

• The gallery is beautifully painted and listed as the "World's Longest Gallery" in the Guinness Book of Records.

• The Summer Palace not only concentrates the essence of classical Chinese architecture, but also accommodates the garden styles of different regions, and is known as the "Museum of the Imperial Garden"

Traditional Performing Arts

Peking Opera (京劇)

• During the Qing Dynasty, the four famous opera troupes of Anhui came to Beijing, and after several decades of integration with Beijing's Kunqu opera, Han opera, and other operas, they gradually evolved into China's largest opera genre — the Peking Opera.

• Peking Opera is a comprehensive performing art. It combines singing, reading, doing, fighting, and dancing, and uses procedural performance methods to narrate stories, portray characters, and express ideas.

  • The roles can be divided into "Sheng" (male), "Dan" (female), "Jing" (male), and "ugly" (both male and female). The characters are beautiful, ugly, good, and evil.

• The facial makeup of Chinese Peking Opera is traditional art, which is a procedure for actors to make up.

  • All kinds of objects in Beijing opera have specific styles and colors, highlighting different characters of objects.

  • The evolution and development of facial makeup is a complete artistic method gradually formed by the artists' observation, experience, and synthesis of the living phenomenon and the continuous analysis and judgment of the living in the play in their artistic practice.

• In 1927, several newspapers in Beijing held an event to select the "Best Actor of the Beijing Opera", and Mei Lanfang, Cheng Yanqiu, Shang Yunyun and Xun Huiyu were selected as the "Four Famous Actors" of Beijing Opera.

  • Mei Lanfang [梅蘭芳] (1894-1961) — born in Jiangsu Province, was born in a Peking Opera family.

    • Representative works include Farewell to My Concubine and Drunken Imperial Concubine.

    • He has led the Beijing Opera Troupe to perform in China, the United States and other countries for many times, and is an internationally renowned opera performing artist.

  • Cheng Yanqiu [程硯秋] (1904-1958) — a native of Beijing, has followed Mei Lanfang to learn Beijing Opera since then.

    • His representative works include "Yingtai Resists Marriage", "Dou E's Grievance" and other plays, which mostly show the tragic fate of women in feudal society.

  • Shang Yuyun [尚⼩雲] (1900-1976) — from Hebei Province, was called "the first child actor" at the age of 14.

    • His representative works include "Go to the Palace", "Zhaojun Go out of the Frontier" and so on.

    • In the play, he created a number of heroes.

  • Xun Huiyu [荀慧⽣] (1900-1968) — a native of Hebei Province, is good at playing the innocent, lively and gentle woman, who is famous for her plays such as "Hong Niang" and "Hong Lou You".

Crosstalk (相聲)

• Crosstalk is a traditional Chinese folk art performance art. It originated from the rap and singing folk art in North China and flourished in the Ming Dynasty.

• It can be classified into satirical, eulogical and entertaining types according to content.

• According to the form of performance, it includes single crosstalk, pair crosstalk, and group crosstalk.

  • Pair crosstalk is the most popular form among the audience.

• "Say", "learn", "tease" and "sing" are the four basic skills of crosstalk actors.

  • "Say" is to tell a story.

  • "Learning" is to imitate all kinds of things, sounds and sounds in nature.

  • To "tease" is to make jokes and make people laugh.

  • "Singing", often considered as opera and singing, is actually a kind of folk song in Beijing.

Education

Private School (私塾)

• The "private school" education in ancient China was the main education system in China's feudal society.

• Since the Han Dynasty, China has had an "official school" for training and selecting officials, and after the Song Dynasty, the number of famous "academies" run by scholars began to increase.

• At the end of the Qing Dynasty, modern educational schools began to appear in China. The modern education system continued to improve in the 20th century.

• In the 1990s, China's education system has undergone great changes, and the phenomenon of private schooling has resumed.

Imperial Examination System (科舉制度)

• The imperial examination was a kind of examination system for selecting officials in ancient Chinese feudal society.

• It is called the imperial examination because it adopts the method of taking the imperial examinations according to the different departments.

• It originated from the Sui Dynasty, and was gradually improved in the Tang Dynasty, and changed in the Song Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty was the heyday of the imperial examination system.

• By the Qing Dynasty, the ancient imperial examination system was going to perish, which lasted for more than 300 years.

• The imperial examinations in the Ming and Qing dynasties were divided into three levels: local examination, joint examination and palace examination.

  • Local examination is for the locals, and the joint examination is the national examination. These two kinds of examinations are mainly about poetry and literature.

• The imperial examination was held in the same year after the joint examination, and was administered by the emperor.

• The main content of the examination is "Gu Gu", that is, from "Poems", "Book", "Rites", "Yi", "Spring and Autumn", choose questions to write. Both the title and the writing style have a fixed format.

• The venue for the test is the Imperial Court.

• People from all parts of the country came here to take the exam, as if they had contributed famous products to the emperor, so they were called Gongyuan.

• The imperial examination system has had a positive impact on China, East Asia and the world. The original purpose of the imperial examination is to promote talents for the government from the government, which is relatively fair, open and just.

• At first, the imperial examinations of China were also imitated by other countries such as Japan, South Korea and Vietnam.

• Missionaries also introduced China's imperial examination system to European countries through their travel notes.

• The negative impact of the imperial examination system is mainly in its examination content and form. The rigid content of the examination limits the creative ability and independent thinking ability of the examiners.

• Although the imperial examination system has been abolished, it still leaves many traces in Chinese society. Today's examination system is still the continuation of the imperial examination system to a certain extent.

Nine-year compulsory education (九年義務教育)

• China implements nine-year compulsory education from primary to junior high school, legally protecting students' right to receive compulsory education. Primary schools in China are divided into six years.

• The primary school offers Language (Chinese), mathematics, English, physical education, society (including geography, history and political knowledge), nature (including physics, chemistry and biology), music, art and computers.

• Secondary school is divided into two stages: junior high school and high school.

  • The subjects that need to be studied at the junior middle school stage include Chinese, mathematics, English, physical education, physics, chemistry, biology, geography, history, ideology and politics, and computer courses are also offered in schools with good conditions.

    • At the end of the third year of junior high school, students have a preparatory examination, the secondary school entrance examination.

  • Subjects in the secondary examination are Chinese, Mathematics, English, Physics, Chemistry and Physical Education.

    • After graduating from junior high school, students can continue their studies in high school to prepare for university, as well as attend secondary specialized schools and vocational secondary schools.

  • In high school, students learn Chinese, mathematics, English, physics, chemistry, biology, geography, history, politics, physical education, and computers.

  • In general, at the end of the first year of high school, students need to determine whether their future study direction is science or liberal arts.

  • In the second year of upper secondary school, if you choose science, you will study Chinese, mathematics, English, physics, chemistry, biology, politics and physical education.

  • If you choose liberal arts, you will need to study subjects such as Chinese, English, and history.

  • In the second year of high school, students need to pass the graduation examination of a certain subject, and after the third year of high school, students will prepare for the university examination.

Gaokao (⾼考)

• Gaokao, which is China's entrance examination for higher education institutions, is one of the platforms for candidates to choose universities and enter university qualifications.

• Since 1952, China has implemented a national unified entrance examination in ordinary colleges and universities.

• However, from 1966 to 1976, during the Cultural Revolution, colleges and universities stopped enrolling students uniformly, and it was not until 1977, after the end of the Cultural Revolution, that the gaokao was reinstated.

• At present, China's university entrance examination adopts the method of unified propositions of the Ministry of Education and free propositions in various places. Either way, basically only one exam per year.

• The subjects of the college entrance examination include three main subjects: Chinese, mathematics, and foreign language, and a comprehensive examination.

• The comprehensive examination part mainly refers to the candidate's choice of examination subjects according to their own wishes from subjects such as politics, history, geography in the liberal arts or physics, chemistry and biology in the sciences.

  • This examination scheme is currently the most widely used and mature in China, and it is also the most accepted by candidates.

  • The college entrance examination has realized to the greatest extent the fairness and rationality of selecting qualified personnel, and provided conditions for the children of ordinary people, especially rural students, to change their fate and improve their economic status.

  • However, it is not conducive to personal development to decide a person's life with just one exam.

• Therefore, China's current college entrance examination system needs to be continuously improved.

Higher Education (⾼等教育)

• Higher education in China includes higher vocational schools, junior colleges, and bachelor's degrees.

• There is no degree for vocational high school and college graduates, and bachelor's degrees can be obtained after graduation.

• After graduating from a bachelor's degree, you can enter graduate school.

• Generally, graduate students finish in 3 years with a master's degree, followed by a doctorate.

• China's education series also includes adult education.

  • Chinese adult education is to provide education and training in cultural knowledge and professional skills for those who already have jobs and those who are unemployed, and to provide continuing education opportunities for professional and technical personnel and managers.

  • The forms of adult education are diverse, and adult education schools have become one of the important educational resources in China.

Chinese Martial Arts

Wushu (武術)

• Wushu, also known as kung fu, is a sport formed by the Chinese ethnic group during the historical changes of the Chinese people.

• Chinese martial arts originated in primitive societies. At that time, humans used sticks and other tools to fight wild beasts, and gradually accumulated some offensive and defensive experience.

• The differences in geography, climate, and human body form between the north and south of China have formed different schools of martial arts in China.

  • The northerners are tall and the weather in the north is cold, so the northern martial arts have the characteristics of imposing and majestic.

  • The south is watery, and the southerners are short, forming the delicate style of southern martial arts.

• There is no uniform naming method for the schools of Chinese martial arts. Some are named after mountain ranges, such as the Wudang Sect. Some are named after the surname of the grandmaster, such as Yang's Taijiquan.

  • Chinese martial arts schools have different methods of teaching, but they generally include the mastery of basic skills, routines, and internal and external skills.

  • Practicing internal exercises is good for the body's organs and adjusting the body parts.

• Ordinary Chinese people have practiced qigong as a way to strengthen their health.

• Wushu taolu sports and combat sports, with technical strikes as the central content, have played a role in enhancing physical fitness and can also improve people's ability to defend themselves and self-defense.

• Practicing basic skills during the short period is helpful to cultivating people's will and moral character of diligence, hard work, tenacity, and courage to forge ahead.

Shaolin Temple (少林寺)

• Shaolin Temple is a famous Buddhist temple in China.

• The Northern Wei emperor built the temple in order to arrange for Indian monks to spread Buddhism. Because the temple is located in the dense forest of Shaomuro Mountain in Henan Province, people call it "Shaolin Temple".

• Later, another Indian monk also arrived at the Shaolin Temple. This senior monk advocated the universalization of all sentient beings, so he accepted many believers in the Shaolin Temple and spread Zen Buddhism.

• Soon Zen Buddhism became popular in China, and Shaolin Temple was also known as the ancestral garden of Zen Buddhism.

• At the end of the Sui Dynasty and the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, the Shaolin Temple was highly respected by the imperial court because 13 monks saved Li Shixuan, the king of Tang, and because they made great achievements, Shaolin martial arts became famous all over the world.

• As the saying goes, Chinese Kung Fu is the best in the world, and Shaolin is the best martial arts in the world. Shaolin Wushu is recognized as the authentic school of Chinese Wushu.

• The regular residents of Shaolin Temple are the core residents of Shaolin Temple, with a total population of more than 30000 square meters.

  • The Mahavira Hall is the central building of the whole temple, and it is the place for monks to enter the Buddhist activities.

  • Shaolin Temple has the largest existing pagoda forest in China.

  • It is the tomb tower of Shaolin monks of all dynasties.

  • These tomb towers have their own lattices due to their different building ages.

  • The Pagoda Forest of Shaolin Temple is of great reference value to the study of ancient Chinese and foreign cultural exchanges and Shaolin martial arts.

Traditional Entertainment

Mahjong (⿇將)

• Playing mahjong is a traditional Chinese cultural activity.

• There are many opinions about the origin of mahjong. Some people think that mahjong appeared during the Spring and Autumn Warring States period, and some people think that mahjong was born in the Ming Dynasty, but there is no doubt that mahjong is the national essence of China.

• Mahjong, originally called "Sparrow", is a game played by four people together. There are many rules for playing mahjong, but due to the different customs and cultures of different places, the rules of mahjong are not uniform, and the way of playing is different.

• The sport of mahjong in China has rich cultural connotations. Not only is it a unique and fun game, but it is also good for developing people's intelligence.

• Playing mahjong is very popular in China, and its popularity involves all social strata and fields, and has entered thousands of households, becoming the most influential intellectual activity in the country.

Dragon Dance (舞⿓)

• According to a legend, there is a mountain in Zhejiang that has a large river underneath it, and the locals use its water to irrigate their fields and cook rice every day.

• One day, a county official came to the countryside and saw some men carrying a large snake in a cage with tears in their eyes. He asked to buy it from them.

• The county official took the big snake home and tried to feed it meat, but the snake wouldn't eat it. He later learned that the snake, like humans, only ate grains.

• During a hot and dry summer, the river dried up, and the crops were severely affected, causing trouble for the locals.

• The county official had a dream that if he released the big snake into the river, it would rain. He followed the advice and soon, it started raining.

• People burned incense and threw grains into the river to worship the serpent, but they didn't know that they were breaking the rules of heaven.

• The big serpent was actually a dragon responsible for food problems, and when the Jade Emperor found out that people were wasting grains by throwing them into the river, he killed the dragon.

• After the dragon was killed, it rained every day, and the rain was like blood. People regretted their actions and started to dance with a dragon on the 15th day of the first lunar month to pay homage to the dragon's spirit.

• This custom of dragon dancing has been passed down through generations.

Lion Dance (舞獅)

• Lion dance is an excellent art in China. Every Lantern Festival or gathering celebration, there is a custom of lion dancing to help the fun. This custom has been passed down for more than a thousand years.

• In the process of development, the lion dance formed two different performance styles: southern lion and northern lion.

  • Northern Lion is represented by Anhui and Hebei.

    • It is mainly based on the performance of "Wu Lion", the small lion is danced by one person, the big lion is danced by a pas de deux, one person stands and dances the lion's head, and one person bends over to dance the lion body and lion tail.

    • In addition, there is a person dressed as a samurai who guides it to perform various tricks in front of the lion.

  • Southern Lion dance performances are meticulous in their expressions and cute movements.

    • Southern lions are mainly found in Guangdong and are popular in Hong Kong, Macau and Southeast Asia.

• The lion is majestic, and the ancient Chinese regarded it as a symbol of bravery and strength, believing that it could bless mankind with peace.

• Chinese used lion dances during the Lantern Festival and other major events to hope for auspicious and peaceful life.

Cultural Heritage

Zhoukoudian Peking Man Site (周⼝店北京⼈遺址)

• Zhoukoudian Peking Man Site is located in Zhoukoudian, Fangshan District, south of Beijing.

• In the 20s of last century, the first Peking Man skull was discovered in Zhoukoudian, providing a solid foundation for the study of ancient humans.

• The results show that Beijingers lived between 700,000 and 200,000 years ago.

• It is estimated that the height of the Beijinger is 156 centimeters for men and 150 centimeters for women.

• Beijingers have a short life expectancy, with most dying before the age of 14 and very few over 50.

• Pekingese belong to the Stone Age, were the first ancient humans to use fire and hunt animals.

Huangshan (⿈⼭)

• Huangshan is located in the south of China's Anhui Province, about 40 kilometers north and south and about 30 kilometers east, with an area of about 1,200 square kilometers.

• The main peak of Yellow Mountain, Lotus Peak, is 1864 meters above sea level.

• Huangshan Mountain is divided into six parts: Hot Spring, Yungu, Songgu, Beihai, Yuping and Fishing Bridge.

• The strange pines, strange rocks, sea of clouds and hot springs of the Yellow Mountains are known as the "Four Exceptions".

• The Yellow Mountain concentrates the beauty of China's famous mountains, so Xu Xiake, a famous traveler in ancient China, said: "When the five mountains return, you don't look at the mountains, and when you return from the Yellow Mountains, you don't look at the mountains."

• Huangshan is a national-level scenic spot and summer resort with rich resources, complete ecology, and important scientific and ecological environmental value.

Sichuan Giant Panda Habitat (四川⼤熊貓棲息地)

• The giant panda habitat in Sichuan Province, China, covers an area of 9,245 square kilometers, spanning several cities, autonomous prefectures and counties in the province.

• It is rich in plant species, inhabiting more than 30% of the world's wild giant pandas, making it the largest and most complete giant panda habitat in the world.

• It is also home to endangered species such as red pandas and snow leopards.

• Among the several nature reserves:

  • Wolong Nature Reserve mainly protects giant pandas and forest ecosystems.

  • Siguniang Mountain Nature Reserve mainly protects wildlife and alpine ecosystems.

  • Jinshan Nature Reserve mainly protects rare animals and the ecological environment.

Traditional Clothing

Hanfu (漢服)

• Hanfu, also known as Han Clothing, is the traditional clothing of the Han people.

• The clothing tradition of the Han nationality has lasted for thousands of years, and has developed rich and colorful styles with the changes of the times and the blending of the Han nationality.

• The most important feature of the Han nationality's clothing, "the right lapel, the upper garment and the lower garment", has been preserved.

• Hanfu represents the gorgeousness, elegance and broad temperament of the ancient Chinese people.

• The basic form of hanfu provided the standard for the eastern world, and both traditional Korean clothing and Japanese kimono were developed on the basis of hanfu.

Zhongshan clothing (中⼭裝)

• Zhongshan clothing is internationally known as the representative clothing of Chinese men's dress.

• When Dr. Sun Yat-sen lived in Japan, he saw that the clothes worn by Japanese students were simple, convenient, and generous, so he asked the costumer to transform it and create a Zhongshan costume.

• The hallmark of the Nakayama suit is that its top has a lid and buttoned pocket on the left and right.

• Zhongshan clothing pays attention to workmanship, symmetrical shape, beautiful appearance, generous, elegant and stable clothing, convenient activities, and plays the role of warmth and protection.

• In addition to the common blue and gray, there are also black, white, beige and so on. In general, southerners prefer light colors, and northerners prefer dark colors.

• Zhongshan clothing can be used as both ceremonial and casual clothing. The color of the Zhongshan costume taken as a gift should be solemn and calm, and the color can be bright and lively when taken as a casual clothing.

• On 1 October 1949, President Mao Zedong, dressed in a Zhongshan costume, stood at the Tiananmen Tower to solemnly announce to the world the founding of the Chinese People's Republic.

• Since then, Zhongshan clothing has entered the homes of ordinary people and has become the "national uniform" of that era. Because President Mao always insisted on wearing Zhongshan clothing, foreigners also called Zhongshan clothing "Mao clothing" or "Chinese clothing.”

Cheongsam (旗袍)

• The cheongsam is a traditional Chinese dress, which originates from the dress of the Qing Dynasty's clothing.

• The improved cheongsam has a wide variety, but its main structural features are the collar, right lapel and tight waist.

• In China, the choice of cheongsam must be very specific. It is necessary to decide what cheongsam to wear according to needs.

• For example, the wedding cheongsam should not only be made of good material, but also have bright colors.

• The appearance of the cheongsam for welcoming guests and dinner should be stable and elegant.

• The casual cheongsam can be whatever you want, as long as it can highlight the personality, show the beauty of body shape, and wear comfortable clothes.

• Since the cheongsam sold on the market is made of popular material and shape, it is not easy to buy a suitable cheongsam.

• Every cheongsam is different, the bust, waist and hip of cheongsam must be measured accurately before purchasing. It also depends on whether the length of the collar, sleeve and sleeve is appropriate.

• Because the cheongsam can fully display its sexual and physical characteristics, from the 1920s to today, cheongsam has always been popular with the wide range of sexual friends.

Traditional Food

Eight Major Cuisines (⼋⼤菜系)

• Due to the differences in geographical environment, climatic products, cultural traditions and customs of the Han nationality, Chinese local cuisines also have their own characteristics, forming different cuisines.

• Shandong cuisine

  • It is also called Lu cuisine.

  • Shandong Province is surrounded by mountains and the sea, rich in products, which provides good conditions for the development of food culture.

  • It uses a wide range of materials, pays attention to the selection of materials, fine knife work, and comprehensive cooking skills.

  • Its flavor, salty and delicious, crisp and tender.

  • These food pays attention to the use of soup, and the "clear soup family portrait" is a famous Lu dish.

  • Lu cuisine has a unique feature in cooking seafood, such as "crab yellow shark fin" and "chicken and fish bones" are unique seafood foods.

• Cantonese Cuisine

  • It is also called Guangdong cuisine. It is said to have originated in the Han Dynasty.

  • Cantonese cuisine uses a wide range of ingredients, a variety of colors, good at variation, and pays attention to freshness and tenderness.

  • The poultry raised at home, the fish and shrimp in the water are all cooking materials for this cookery, and even snakes, rats, cats, etc., which are never used in other cuisines, can be made into delicious dishes in Cantonese cuisine.

  • Famous Cantonese dishes include "snake fat beef", "roast suckling pig" and "winter melon cup".

  • With the exchange of Chinese and foreign cultures, Cantonese cuisine has gone to the world, and it is said that there are thousands of Cantonese restaurants in New York alone.

• Sichuan cuisine

  • It appeared in the Qin and Han dynasties, developed rapidly during the Tang and Song dynasties, and by the Ming and Qing dynasties, Sichuan cuisine was already very famous.

  • Sichuan cuisine is unique in terms of taste, especially in the use of spicy flavors, and the seasoning is flexible and changeable.

  • In terms of ingredients, chili pepper is the most common condiment in Sichuan cuisine.

  • Sichuan cuisine pays attention to knife work and heat in terms of cooking methods.

  • "Boiled beef" and "Mapo tofu" are famous Sichuan dishes.

  • Authentic Sichuan cuisine is represented by dishes from Chengdu and Chongqing, Sichuan.

  • Nowadays, not only Sichuan cuisine is spread throughout the country, but Sichuan restaurants are also spread all over the world.

• Jiangsu cuisine

  • It is also called Huaiyang cuisine. It is characterized by its attention to firework, mellow taste, and preservation of its original taste, and is famous for cooking mountain and sea delicacies. In terms of material selection,

  • Huaiyang cuisine pays attention to the breadth of ingredients selection and scientific nutrition preparation.

  • In terms of craftsmanship, Huaiyang cuisine focuses on cooking firework.

  • In terms of shape, pay attention to the combination of color utensils, showing exquisite artistry.

  • Famous dishes include "the world's first ball", "eight treasures of gourd", "one shrimp and two flavors" and so on.

• Zhejiang cuisine

  • It is based on the cuisine of Hangzhou, Ningbo, Wenzhou and other places.

  • Because Zhejiang is close to the sea and rich in shrimp, Zhejiang cuisine has the characteristics of clear, tender and fresh.

  • Famous Zhejiang dishes include "Vinegar Fish in the Lake", "Chicken Called Hua Tong Chicken", "Pop Cuttlefish Roll" and so on.

• Hunan cuisine

  • It is a local cuisine with a long history. As early as the Han Dynasty, the cooking skills of Hunan cuisine had a fairly high level.

  • The characteristics of Hunan cuisine are that the taste is fragrant, sour and spicy, and the visual attention is paid to the appearance of beauty.

  • There are more than 1,000 kinds of Hunan cuisine, among which representative dishes include ancient meat, lotus seed pot, crispy chicken, etc.

• Hui cuisine

  • It is also known as Huizhou cuisine, is mainly formed in the flavors of southern Anhui, along the river, and along Huai.

  • Influenced by the simple and elegant local style of Huizhou, Hui cuisine is good at cooking mountain and sea delicacies, paying attention to maintaining the original taste.

  • Hui dishes such as "stewed horseshoe", "snowy winter roasted pheasant", and "milk fat king fish" have long been famous.

• Fujian cuisine

  • It is based on Fuzhou cuisine and incorporates the characteristics of other Fujian cuisines.

  • Fujian cuisine has the characteristics of beautiful color and fresh taste.

  • Because Fujian is located on the southeast coast and is rich in a variety of seafood, it is mostly cooked with seafood as raw materials.

  • Famous Fujian dishes include "Buddha jumping over the wall", "sour and spicy rotten squid", "Taiji prawns" and so on.

Mapo Tofu (⿇婆⾖腐)

• It is said that Mapo Tofu was created during the Qing Dynasty by a small restaurant in Chengdu, Sichuan.

  • The wife of the owner of the hotel, Boss Chen, had a lot of pockmarks on her face, and everyone called her Chen Mapo.

  • The roasted tofu invented by Chen Mapo is called "Chen Mapo Tofu".

  • Later, they changed the name of the small restaurant to "Chen Mapo Tofu Shop".

• The main ingredients are tofu, garlic seedlings, beef, oil, salt, soy sauce, cooking wine, green onion, ginger, garlic, wren, etc. The burning method of mapo tofu is very distinctive.

  • On top of the snow-white and tender tofu, add brown-red minced beef and oil-green garlic seedlings, plus some shiny red oil.

  • People use the seven words "hemp, spicy, hot, fresh, tender, fragrant, crisp" to vividly summarize the characteristics of mapo tofu.

• Many books also record the history of Mapo Chen's invention of Mapo tofu.

  • At the beginning of the last century, "Chen Mapo Tofu Shop" was listed as "Chengdu Famous Food Store", and Mapo Tofu quickly spread throughout the country, and later spread to Japan, Singapore and other places.

Chinese Astrology

Zodiac Signs (⼗⼆⽣肖)

• The zodiac comes from the worship of animals in primitive times, and is also closely related to the twelve earth branches.

  • In the traditional Chinese concept, if six kinds of domestic animals, such as cows, sheep, horses, pigs, dogs, and emans, prosper, it represents the prosperity of the family and the auspicious beauty of the family.

  • Wild animals such as tigers, rabbits, monkeys, rats, and snakes are also closely related to people's lives.

  • Tigers and snakes are feared by people, rats are hated and taboo by people, and rabbits and monkeys are loved by people.

  • The dragon is a mascot in traditional Chinese culture, and its body concentrates the characteristics of many animals, representing wealth and auspiciousness.

  • It can be seen that the animals of the zodiac sign Chinese chosen from different angles and carry a certain meaning.

• Regarding the arrangement of zodiac animals, there are different theories.

  • It is said that when the Yellow Emperor wanted to choose 12 animals as guards, the cat asked the mouse to help him sign up, but the mouse forgot about it, and as a result, the cat was not selected, and from then on, the cat regarded the mouse as an enemy.

  • The elephants also came to the race, but they were driven away by rats that got into their noses.

  • At the beginning, everyone chose the cow to be the first, but the mouse jumped on the back of the cow, and the pig followed, so the mouse ranked first and the pork chop last.

  • The tiger and the dragon are the kings of the mountains and the kings of the sea, respectively, how can they be convinced by the rats and cattle?

  • The rabbit was also not convinced, so he raced with the dragon and ended up in front of the dragon.

  • The dog bit the rabbit in a fit of anger, and as a result, he was punished and placed in the penultimate position.

  • Snakes, horses, sheep, monkeys, and emu also went through a contest and arranged their positions one by one, and finally formed the order of rats, cows, tigers, rabbits, dragons, snakes, horses, sheep, monkeys, chickens, dogs, and pigs.

• Due to the different backgrounds of animal words, people's understanding and methods of animal words are not completely the same.

  • The Chinese zodiac animals come to symbolize the willing and cowardly.

  • In English, animals can also be used as metaphors, but the meaning is not completely the same.

Chinese Taboos

Color Taboos (顏色禁忌)

• Yellow and purple are all aristocratic colors, and they were once the exclusive colors of the royal family and nobles, and the common people could not use those colors on clothing.

• Most Chinese emperors liked yellow.

• Chinese see white and black as unlucky colors, colors associated with the dead and the ghosts of the underworld.

• In the past, Chinese funeral, you had to wear white filial clothes, and today there is also the custom of wearing black yarn and white flowers.

• In Chinese tradition, people are forbidden to wear pure white and black clothes on festive days such as marriage, childbirth, and New Year's celebration, fearing unluck.

• Red is the auspicious color, and Chinese like to wear red clothes on festive days. Because red is the same color as blood, it is easy to cause a sense of terror of injury and bloodshed, so in the Chinese tradition, people cannot wear red clothes during funerals, for fear of offending the gods.

Number Taboos (數字禁忌)

• "One" is a singular number, if you give gifts to people who get married or celebrate their birthdays, you should try to avoid giving the singular, because the gifts of Chinese contain the good wishes of "good things become pairs".

• Like the homophony of words, digital homophony in China is an art that has influenced modern life from traditional culture to modern life.

• The homonym for "nine" is "long," and nine is a number worshipped by ancient Chinese emperors, so the steps of the imperial palace have nine levels, and the officials of the imperial court have nine grades.

• In some parts of China, "eight" is an auspicious number.

  • It is said that the "eight" culture comes from Cantonese, because it is the same as "fa", and for those who do business, it means that they will become rich later.

• The homonym for "three" is "scatter," and many people avoid days related to this number when they celebrate their birthdays or get married. Birthday wishes and congratulations will also deliberately avoid this number when giving gifts.

• The homonym for "four" is "death," so some Chinese are reluctant to use this number on house numbers and car plates, lest things go bad.

Food Taboos (食物禁忌)

• Chinese pay attention to "following the customs of the countryside", so when visiting Chinese home, you must be clear about the local food customs. Otherwise, there will be jokes and even misunderstandings.

• China is a country with many ethnic groups, and different ethnic groups have different food culture habits and customs.

  • When visiting a Hui house, you must not mention pork when eating.

  • When visiting Uyghur homes, when eating, you cannot casually touch the food on your plate.

    • Before eating pilaf, you should wash your hands first, usually wash them three times, and then dry them with a handkerchief, and you must not throw the water on your hands indiscriminately in order to save trouble, which is disrespectful to the owner.

    • Kazakhs cannot touch food with the back of their hands or sit on a dong with food. In addition, drinking in front of the elderly in Kazakhstan is considered impolite.

  • When eating at Han people's homes, there is a saying that "guests do not turn over fish," and people feel that turning fish over when eating fish is an unlucky thing.

• Han Chinese invite guests to dinner, and before eating, they should hand guests hot towels, and ask guests to wash their faces and wipe their hands.

  • The host will seat the guest in the chief's seat.

  • During the meal, the host should personally serve dishes and toast the guests.

  • When serving a meal, the spoon should not be turned outward, so that the money in the family will not flow out.

  • When entertaining guests, the host should always sit with him and not leave the table early.

  • When eating, we should not take away empty bowls and plates in advance, because it is easy to misunderstand "rushing customers."

• In the past, eggs were a valuable food for entertaining guests.

  • When guests come to the house, you can't make two emu eggs, because "two eggs" means "fool".

  • When serving guests to eat fruit, they cannot eat one pear separately, because there will be a meaning of "separation".

Addressing Someone Taboos (稱謂禁忌)

• In China, there has always been taboo against directly calling ancestors and elders by their names.

  • Some ethnic groups believe that calling ancestors by their name is disrespectful and can bring disaster to their descendants.

  • For elders, one cannot call them by their name, and even tell someone else their name since it can result in the birth of unhealthy children in the family.

  • If a younger generation has the same name as an elder, the younger one must change their name, or it will affect their lifespan.

• When addressing elders, the general practice is to use kinship terms instead of their given names, such as grandpa, grandma, paternal grandpa, paternal grandma, dad, mom, etc.

  • This not only clarifies the relationship between generations but also shows respect.

• Even among peers, there are sometimes taboos on addressing each other.

  • In interpersonal communication, out of respect, Chinese people often do not call each other by their name but use terms like brother, sister, senior, lady, master, etc.

• In some ethnic groups, even spouses cannot call each other by their name.

  • After getting married and having children, others cannot call them by their name anymore, but call them "so-and-so's dad" or "so-and-so's mom."

• The Han ethnic group also has similar customs, and even the way of addressing changes after getting married.

  • For example, wives call their husbands "the head of the family," and husbands call their wives "the one in the house."

  • Otherwise, they don't call each other anything and just greet each other with "hey" or "hmm."

  • When addressing them, outsiders also use terms like "so-and-so's grandfather" or "so-and-so's grandmother.”

Language Taboos (語⾔禁忌)

• In Chinese culture, when people need to refer to something that is considered taboo or sensitive, they may use body language to express themselves if language is not convenient.

• If this is still not accurate enough, people may use alternative expressions to hint at their intended meaning, which is known as language taboo.

• For example, death is generally feared and taboo, so people are usually unwilling to use the word "death" directly.

  • Instead, they may use phrases such as "passing away" or "gone" to refer to it.

  • For those who die for their country and nation on the battlefield, people may use terms such as "sacrifice" or "glorious sacrifice" to refer to their death. People use these positive terms instead of the word "death".

• In daily life, in order to avoid using the word "death", some regions may say "it made me angry" instead of "it made me so angry that I could die", or "it made me laugh" instead of "it made me laugh so hard that I could die".

• In some regions, people even avoid using words that sound similar to the word "death".

  • For example, in some regions, people may call a man with the surname "Shi" "Mr. Li", and a woman with the surname "Shi" "Mrs. Sheng".

Guests/Visitors Taboos (做客禁忌)

• Chinese people are known for their warm hospitality.

• When guests come to their home, they are expected to treat them politely, otherwise they will be mocked.

• When guests arrive, the host should greet them and invite them to sit. It is impolite to not speak to the guest or only speak while standing without inviting them to sit.

• Once the guest is seated, the host should not only offer tea but also brew it promptly, otherwise it shows disrespect and lack of welcome.

• When treating guests to a meal, it is customary to serve "light tea, full wine, and a whole box of cigarettes."

  • This means the tea should be lightly brewed, the wine glasses should be full, and a whole box of cigarettes should be offered.

  • When serving tea, wine, or cigarettes, it should be done with both hands, not just one.

  • The dishes served should also be in even numbers, which symbolizes good luck.

• Seating arrangements are also important.

  • The seating direction should be arranged properly, with the main seat facing the entrance.

  • The main guest should sit facing south in the main seat, while other seats should be arranged in a specific order.

• During the meal, guests should show respect to the host by allowing them to begin eating first, as the saying goes, "the host does not move, the guests do not eat" and "the host does not eat, the guests do not drink.”

Chinese Influential Figures

Confucius (孔⼦)

• Confucius was born in the state of Lu during the Spring and Autumn period in China.

• He was a renowned educator, philosopher, and the founder of Confucianism.

• Confucius established the first private school in Chinese history and developed a complete set of educational theories and teaching methods through his rich teaching practices.

• His educational principles of teaching students according to their abilities, and teaching through patient guidance and reviewing the past to learn new things, have been passed down to the present day.

• According to legend, Confucius was the author of the first Chinese historical book, "Spring and Autumn". Additionally, his thoughts, actions, and conversations with his disciples were recorded in the "Analects of Confucius". Confucius' Confucianism has had a profound impact on China's thousands of years of history and the entire Asian region.

• His political ideas, such as the importance of social justice, order, honesty, and the well-being of the people, continue to be relevant today.

Emperor Qin Shi Huang (秦始皇)

• Emperor Qin Shi Huang, originally named Ying Zheng, was born in Handan, the capital of the state of Zhao. He was a famous politician, strategist, and reformer in Chinese history.

• When he inherited the throne, there was intense political turmoil in the Qin state court.

• Emperor Qin Shi Huang actively pursued a strategy of unification and spent ten years annexing six other states, ushering in the era of imperial autocracy in China.

• Ending the period of feudal states was beneficial for social stability and economic production.

• After completing the unification of China, Emperor Qin Shi Huang implemented Legalist policies, established the system of prefectures and counties, and introduced uniform measures for currency, weights and measures, and writing, which promoted economic development and cultural exchange.

• However, Emperor Qin Shi Huang also used severe laws and violent means to control the people, forcing them to migrate and causing heavy disasters, which seriously hindered the development of production capacity.

• In addition, he allocated a large amount of labor and resources to build the world's largest, most unique, and richest imperial tomb, which took more than thirty years to complete.

Hua Mulan (花⽊蘭)

• Hua Mulan is a legendary female hero in ancient Chinese folklore. Her story first appeared in the narrative poem "The Ballad of Mulan" during the Northern and Southern Dynasties period.

• Legend has it that in order to fight against the minority tribes in the north, the Wei Emperor conscripted soldiers from all over the country. At that time, Hua Mulan, a cheerful girl from a military family, disguised herself as a man and secretly joined the army in place of her father.

• In the army, Hua Mulan was brave and skilled, and she made great contributions to the war, eventually becoming a high-ranking general.

• After years of hard fighting, the army of the Northern Wei finally won, and the emperor personally welcomed the victorious troops back and awarded them promotions.

• However, Hua Mulan declined the emperor's offer and requested to return home to retire from military service. Back in her hometown, the villagers celebrated her homecoming by slaughtering pigs and sheep.

• When her comrades saw Hua Mulan in her female attire again, they were amazed and speechless. From then on, the story of Hua Mulan serving in the army in place of her father has been passed down through the generations.

• In 1998, Disney brought "Mulan" to the silver screen, and it became popular among children around the world.

Wang Xizhi (王羲之)

• Wang Xizhi was a famous calligrapher of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, revered as the "sage of calligraphy" by later generations.

• Wang Xizhi came from a prestigious family and was a talented child. At the age of seven, he began studying calligraphy under a famous master.

• Wang Xizhi was diligent in his studies and would wash his brushes and inkstone in a nearby pond after practicing calligraphy each time.

• Over time, the water in the pond turned black, and thus the story of the ink pond was born. In calligraphy, Wang Xizhi showed a strong interest. He was observant and thoughtful, always considering the structure of characters, whether walking or resting.

• To improve his skills, Wang Xizhi often observed the movements of geese by the riverbank, learning the posture and techniques of calligraphy from the way they swam, walked, and turned their necks.

• Wang Xizhi also meticulously copied the handwriting of famous calligraphers, absorbing the essence of their masterpieces and creating his unique style. He combined regular script and cursive script, elevating calligraphy to a whole new level of art.

• Wang Xizhi fully demonstrated and perfectly embodied his artistic talents in his representative work, "Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Gathering.”

Important Idioms

• 爱不释⼿ : to be too fond of something to part with it; mainly used to describe things

  • 她对姑妈送的⽣⽇礼物爱不释⼿。

• 爱憎分明 : to be clear about whom or what to love or hate

  • 我爸爸是个爱憎分明、敢爱敢恨的⼈。

• 安然⽆恙 : to be in a good situation without any problems, usually pertaining to health; refers to a person who has gone through an unforeseen event unscathed

  • 经历了⼀场那么⼤的⻋祸，他却安然⽆恙，真是⼀个 奇迹。

• 按部就班 : in accordance with the prescribed order; the act of following a schedule

  • 虽然⽗亲去世了，但家⾥的⼀切事情还在按部就班地 进⾏着。

• 半途⽽废 : to give up halfway; to leave something unfinished

  • 要想做好⼀件事情, 就要不断努⼒，⽽不能半途⽽废。

• 本末倒置 : to reverse the primary and secondary tasks

  • 你们不先解决环境问题，却把时间、⾦钱都花费在这 些⼩事情上, 简直是本末倒置。

• 必不可少 : absolutely necessary

  • 如今，个⼈电脑已经成为学⽣必不可少的学习⼯具 了。

• 变化⽆常 : irregular; capricious

  • 这⼉的天⽓变化⽆常，刚才还是晴空万⾥, 现在却已经 乌云密布了。

• 别具⼀格 : to have a unique style; describes literature, art, and architecture

  • 那家博物館的設計別具⼀格。

• 不⾔⽽喻 : obvious

  • 保护环境是每个公⺠的义务，这是不⾔⽽喻的。

• 不约⽽同 : to do something synchronized without previous arrangement; a coincidence

  • ⽼师⼀⾛进教室，同学们就不约⽽同地安静下来。

• 不知所措 : to not know what to do; refers to an awkward or confusing situation

  • 每当碰到⿇烦的事情，我就会不知所措。

• 参差不⻬ : non-uniformity; non-standard

  • ⼤家的英⽂⽔平差不多，但是中⽂⽔平参差不⻬。

• 成千上万 : a massive amount

  • 每天都有成千上万的⼈参观故宫博物院。

• ⼨步不离 : very close; inseparable, usually refers to two or more people

  • 他们是⼀对⼨步不离的好朋友。

• ⼤吃⼀惊 : to be surprised

  • 听说她要结婚了，我⼤吃⼀惊。

• ⼤海捞针 : hard to find; like finding a needle in a haystack

  • 现在要想找到⼀个理想的⼯作，简直是⼤海捞针。

• ⼤失所望 : extremely disappointing

  • 他们输了那场⽐赛，让我⼤失所望。

• ⼤同⼩异 : similar in essential aspects, different in minor details

  • 我的看法跟他的看法⼤同⼩异，没有什么根本的区 别。

• 丟三落四 : to be forgetful

  • 姐姐最近总是丢三落四的，好像有什么⼼事。

• ⻛和⽇丽 : gentle breeze and beautiful sun; describes the weather

  • 在⼀个⻛和⽇丽的星期六，我们⻅⾯了。

• 独⼀⽆⼆ : unlike any other; to be unique; one of a kind

  • 中国的⻓城在世界建筑史上是独⼀⽆⼆的。

• 丰富多彩 : diverse

  • 中学⽣的⽣活应该是丰富多彩的。

• 各抒⼰⻅ : a discussion where everyone has equal say

  • 课堂讨论的时候，同学们各抒⼰⻅，提出了不少建 议。

• 和蔼可亲 : friendly and amicable; usually refers to an elderly person

  • 他虽然是个有名的⼈，但是对⼈和蔼可亲，特别是对 孩⼦们。

• 记忆犹新 : to remain fresh in one’s memory; remember vividly

  • 虽然⼏年过去了，但是我对那天发⽣的事记忆犹新。

• 今⾮昔⽐ : to see improvement in the present compared to the past; can be a fact or an opinion

  • 这次到中国⼀看，真是今⾮昔⽐。特别是上海，完全 不是我记忆中的样⼦了。

• ⼝是⼼⾮ : saying something that one does not mean

  • 我怎么会跟这种⼝是⼼⾮的⼈做朋友呢。

• ⼒不从⼼ : describes one whose abilities or skills are not adequate to fulfill one’s desires

  • 我很想帮他，可是实在是⼒不从⼼。

• 两全其美 : to the satisfaction of both parties

  • 我们想不出⼀个两全其美的办法。

• 乱七⼋糟 : messy; describes both concrete and abstract things

  • 他的同屋总是把房间弄得乱七⼋糟的。

• ⻢到成功 : to wish someone good luck

  • 我祝你们⻢到成功！

• 沒精打采 : to be listless or apathetic

  • 她⼀整天都没精打采的，原来是考试没考好。

• 美中不⾜ : having only one small flaw

  • 加州是个很适合居住的地⽅，美中不⾜的是房⼦太贵 了。

• ⾯⽬⼀新 : to change for the better

  • 经过⼤家的共同努⼒，我们的宿舍楼⾯⽬⼀新。

• 千差万别 : unlike any other; different

  • 这两件事表⾯上看起来千差万别，却有着内在的联 系。

• 千⾔万语 : having much to say

  • 就是⽤千⾔万语也表达不了我对你的感激之情。

• ⼈⼭⼈海 : large crowds of people

  • 每到周末，迪斯尼乐园⾥⼈⼭⼈海。

• 事半功倍 : to achieve success with little effort

  • 找到科学的学习⽅法，可以达到事半功倍的效果。

• 同⾈共济 : to get through a time of difficulty by settling one’s differences and working together

  • 真正的朋友应该同⾈共济。

• ⽆价之宝 : an object that is priceless or an asset; can also refer to abstract things

  • 健康是⽆价之宝，可是遗憾的是，⼈们在年轻的时候 往往不懂得这个道理。

• ⼀⻅钟情 : to fall in love at first sight

  • 听说她跟她男朋友是⼀⻅钟情。

• ⾛⻢观花 : to give a quick glance

  • 我这次来美国时间不⻓，只是⾛⻢观花地看了看。

Useful Proverbs

• 百闻不如⼀⻅

  • To see once is better than to hear a hundred times.

  • 虽然都知道⼤峡⾕很壮观，但是百闻不如⼀⻅，有机 会你还是应该亲⾃去看看。

• 冰冻三尺，⾮⼀⽇之寒

  • Ice is not formed by one day’s cold.

  • 俗话说，冰冻三尺，⾮⼀⽇之寒。 他⾝上的这些坏习 惯，肯定不是⼀天两天养成的。

• 好书如挚友

  • A good book is the best of friends, the same today and forever.

  • 书可以指导⼈们⼯作、学习和⽣活，因为好书如挚 友。

• 恨铁不成钢

  • Pitying iron will not change it into steel.

  • 不是⽗⺟不爱你, ⽽是他们恨铁不成钢啊。

• 病从⼝⼊

  • Sickness comes from the mouth.

  • 难道你不懂病从⼝⼊的道理吗？你总是这么不讲卫 ⽣，早晚得⽣病。

• 患难⻅真情

  • A friend in need is a friend indeed.

  • 俗话说，患难⻅真情。困境中认识的朋友才是真正的 朋友。

• 祸从⼝出，⾔多必失

  • Careless talk leads to trouble. The more one talks, the more is lost.

  • 他这个⼈，做⼈太谨慎。他相信祸从⼝出，⾔多必失 的道理，所以, 平时他尽量少说话，多做事。

• 家家有本难念的经

  • Every family has a scripture that is hard to recite.

  • 我⼀直以为只有美国才存在着那么多的家庭问题，到 了中国⼀看，家庭问题也不少，⽐如离婚呀，⼉⼥出 ⾛呀什么的。真是 家家有本难念的经。

• 捡了芝⿇丢了⻄⽠

  • To lose a watermelon trying to pick up a sesame seed.

  • 你为了挣⼏个⼩钱把学习耽误了，这不是捡了芝⿇丢 了⻄⽠嘛。

• 健康是最⼤的财富

  • Good health is the greatest treasure.

  • ⾝体是⽣存的本钱，健康是最⼤的财富，所以，我们 ⼀定要注意⾝体健康。

• ⾦⽆⾜⾚，⼈⽆完⼈

  • There is no pure gold. Every man has his flaws.

  • ⾦⽆⾜⾚，⼈⽆完⼈。⽣活中怎么可能找到⼀个完全 没有缺点的⼈呢？

• 礼轻情意重

  • A small gift can show good intentions.

  • 教师节那天，⼩明把亲⼿做的⼀朵⼩花给⽼师戴在胸 前。 礼轻情意重，⽼师⾮常感动。

• 男⼉有泪不轻弹

  • Men don’t easily cry.

  • 俗话说，男⼉有泪不轻弹。你⼀个⼤⼩伙⼦，怎么说 哭就哭？

• 千⾥之⾏，始于⾜下

  • A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.

  • 千⾥之⾏, 始于⾜下。只有把⼩事做好了，才可能成就 ⼤事业。

• 前⼈栽树, 后⼈乘凉

  • The previous generation plants the trees so the later generation will benefit from the shade.

  • 前⼈栽树, 后⼈乘凉。我们应该节约能源，保护环境， 为我们的⼦孙后代留下⼀个⽣存空间。

• 少⼩不努⼒，⽼⼤徒伤悲

  • A young idler will become an old beggar

  • 古⼈说：少⼩不努⼒，⽼⼤徒伤悲。你现在不好好学 习，将来⼀事⽆成。到那时，你后悔都来不及了。

• 失败是成功之⺟

  • Failure is the mother of success.

  • 我觉得失败并不是可怕的事情，只要你能不断地从失 败中吸取经验教训，总有⼀天你会成功的，因为失败 是成功之⺟。

• 事实胜于雄辩

  • Facts speak louder than words.

  • 他们犯下的罪⾏是事实, 他们再怎么否定那段历史也是 没有⽤的, 因为⼈们坚信 “事实胜于雄辩”这个道理。

• 书⼭有路勤为径

  • One must work hard to climb a mountain.

  • 书⼭有路勤为径。⼀个⼈不管他多聪明，如果不努 ⼒，也很难成就⼀番事业。只有勤奋好学，才能把成 功变成现实。

• 天下没有不散的宴席

  • All good things come to an end.

  • 虽然我懂得“天下没有不散的宴席”这个道理，但是跟 最好的朋友分别，对我来说，还是⼀件很难接受的事 情。

• 天下兴亡，匹夫有责

  • A country’s condition is the result of both the noble and the peasant’s actions.

  • 天下兴亡，匹夫有责。作为⼀个中国⼈，我们都应该 为国家的强盛做出⾃⼰的贡献。

• 天有不测⻛云

  • The sky may not be consistent.

  • 本来⼩王有个幸福的家庭: 妻⼦漂亮，⼥⼉聪明，⼀家 ⼈⽣活得快快乐乐的。谁知天有不测⻛云，⼀场⻋祸 把⼀切都毁了。

• 笑⼀笑，⼗年少；愁⼀愁，⽩了头

  • A smile can make you ten years younger, but worry turns your hair gray

  • ⼈的情绪直接影响健康。俗话说得好，笑⼀笑，⼗年 少；愁⼀愁，⽩了头。我们应该从中获得启发，寻找 积极的⼈⽣态度，让⾃⼰的⾝⼼更健康。

• ⾏动胜于空谈

  • Actions speak louder than words.

  • ⼈在⼀⽣中，总会有各种理想、愿望和计划。如果⼈ 们能在抓住它们的时候⻢上拿出⾏动来，那⼀定会取 得很多成就。可惜的是，⼈们的许多计划都停留在空 谈上。我想告诉年轻朋友，⼈⽣⽬标不要⽴得太多， 重要的是有了⽬标⻢上就去做, 毕竟⾏动胜于空谈。

• 这⼭望到那⼭⾼

  • The other mountain always looks taller than the one you’re standing on.

  • 你既然从事这个⾏业，就应该好好学习，好好⼯作， 可不能这⼭望到那⼭⾼ 啊!