As the autumn colors fade over time, cold days are well underway. The Start of Winter or “Lidong” (立冬), the 19th solar term (节气) in China, begins this year on Nov. 7 and ends on Nov. 21.

【小题1】 For the northern hemisphere, biting winds blow from the north, crops harvested in autumn have been stored up, and creatures begin to rest and hibernate (冬眠) for the coming winter.

【小题2】 in the first phase of Lidong, water begins to freeze. Ice often encrusts lakes in just one night in northern China, which reminds people of the coming cold winter. The second phase of Lidong brings frozen ground. The thin ice is easily broken if stepped on. The ice covers and protects crops and farmlands from pests and discases. 【小题3】 As migratory birds move south and resident birds store their food in the nest, the sky often seems lonely without its winged friends.

On the day of Lidong, people would treat themselves with feasts, as a reward for their hard work during the busy months. Some brave swimming enthusiasts take a dive in cold rivers to celebrate the Beginning of Winter, and of course, to exercise their bodies.

【小题4】 For people in southern China, high-caloric food such as beef, chicken, mutton, and fish is their favorites during the days of Lidong, and can provide enough energy and fat to help them see the winter out.

Though for the northern hemisphere, the days are getting colder and nights longer, the year will soon pass by. 【小题5】

Ugandan student’s study and adaptation of traditional Chinese craft helps build bridges through art. With its balanced, rounded pot and cups, the tea set seems like Chinese ceramic (陶瓷) at first glance. But closer inspection of its pattern reveals an ancient Ugandan design. “My projects always aim to join some aspects of Chinese and Ugandan culture together,” says the tea set’s creator, Ocen Robert.

In 2015, Robert arrived in China from the East African nation to pursue a higher education in ceramic arts at Jingdezhen Ceramic University in East China’s Jiangxi province. The Ugandan is also enrolled in a PhD program focusing on design, with his art pieces sold at national-level exhibitions in China.

He says, “I love it here not only because of its safety, but the raw materials and the production techniques for ceramics here are also among the best in the world.” During his time in China, Robert was given many opportunities to participate in ceramic production, exhibitions and even access to experts-all helping to grow the space where he could express his creativity.

To deepen his understanding and passion for traditional Chinese culture, Robert spends most of his free time in local museums’ culture and history sections. He also gets to know Chinese professionals inside and outside the ceramic world. “I would love to solidify my career as an artist here while helping to link Uganda and China,” Robert says.

“Ugandans are thankful, curious, and passionate about Chinese culture. I would love to introduce the artists back home to study and create ceramic artworks in China and promote them to the world.”

Robert says, “To be a modern artist in Chinese ceramics, one needs to comprehend the full flow of production, which requires years of practice and learning.” One of the most challenging areas of creating his pieces involves creating the “ideal shape and thickness”. He says “I fail at times, but I always practice and try again and again.” Robert has attained the essential spirit of Chinese ceramic arts——accepting and integrating the differences.

Tea is a simple drink, and one that has long been central to the lives of millions of people, originally in the East, and now almost worldwide. There are six major types of tea in China—green tea, black tea, Oolong tea, dark tea, white tea, and reprocessed tea, distinguished(区分) mainly by different methods of production.

China, the homeland of tea, is a leading producer and customer, and the discovery and usage of tea have a history of four or five thousand years. Tea developed from the earliest fresh-boiled tea taken as a kind of soup, to later dried-and-preserved teas, and from simple green tea to the blending(融合) of six major kinds of tea.

Drinking tea first started to become popular in the Tang and Song Dynasties, and has continued into contemporary(当代的) times. The flavour of tea, which may be drunk weak or strong, contains both bitter and sweet elements. The origin of tea is lost among history and legend. What can be roughly confirmed is that tea originated in southwest China. In Yunnan, and elsewhere, there are still some wild tea trees that are over 1,000 years old.

It is said that the first person to discover the effects of tea was Shen Nong—the father of agriculture and herbal medicine in China. In ancient times, people knew very little about plants. In order to find out which plants could be eaten safely, Shen Nong tasted various kinds of plants to test them as food or medicine. After he had eaten the plants, Shen Nong observed their reactions in his stomach—he is said to have had a “transparent stomach”!

With the popularization of tea, people in different regions and of different nationalities developed their own unique customs of taking tea. In Guangdong, for example, people like drinking morning tea, while people of the Bai nationality treat their guests with “Three-Course Tea”. Tibetan people prefer buttered tea and those from Inner Mongolia like milk tea.

These various tea customs make up the rich and profound(深厚的) Chinese tea culture. Many traditional Chinese families drink tea after dinner or when greeting visitors. This is not only a healthy habit but also reflects rich culture and history.