Mulian Opera in Anhui Province, China, got its name from a play named “Mulian Rescues His Mother”. As 【小题1】 oldest theatrical style, it can 【小题2】 (call) the ancestor of dramas. For hundreds of years, Mulian Opera【小题3】 (enjoy) great popularity among people, due to its features. 【小题4】 (develop) by too many artists, Mulian Opera has a grand and complex (复杂的) theatrical form, inclusive performance techniques, rich musical【小题5】 (subject), emotions with a natural setting and communication between the performers and audience.

People play Mulian Opera to force the evil spirits to leave 【小题6】 bad things happen to them. Of course, on big occasions, such as the launching of an ancestral temple (祠堂), people will perform it. 【小题7】 is said that in the past a play could be staged all night for nine continuous days. Mulian Opera was then even more popular. Mulian Opera is currently recognized【小题8】 the living fossil (化石) of Chinese theater. It has provided valuable information for the study of Chinese theater,【小题9】 (include) its origin, evolution and development. Without scripts or music scores, Mulian Opera has been passed down【小题10】 (oral) by older performers and it still shines with wisdom and energy.

Learning Chinese calligraphy 【小题1】 (list) as one of the must-do things when I came to China. Now, I’m in the course of learning this unique art, 【小题2】 value is considered very high in China, even across East Asia today. It is not only 【小题3】 ancient artistic form of human language, but it also reflects Chinese traditions.

As someone who paints, draws, and loves all 【小题4】 (create) things, at first, I assumed I would be rather good at Chinese calligraphy. I was 【小题5】 (total) wrong. Using thick brush tips to produce awkward brush strokes (笔画) is very difficult for a 【小题6】 (begin). I have no idea about the different types of calligraphy and the meanings 【小题7】 (hide) behind each one. Also, I have to hold the paintbrush in a very specific way; 【小题8】 (like) a pen or pencil, the paintbrush is held upright in the hand. I need to be extra careful when 【小题9】 (change) the angle or direction of the brush, especially if I press too hard on the paper.

After taking the lesson, I now understand the difficulty of calligraphy and that it will take efforts and commitment 【小题10】 (master) this art form. Yet, I am grateful to learn such a special Chinese tradition.

Harmony is a core value of China’s Hehe culture, which is【小题1】 (wide) appreciated in modern Chinese society.

The term “Hehe” (和合) 【小题2】 (consist) of two Chinese characters that have the same pronunciation but different meanings: the first means harmony, and the second means convergence. In short, Hehe culture involves【小题3】 (seek) common ground while reserving differences, and it means harmonious coexistence and coordinated development. Liuchixiang, a 2-meter-wide alley in Anhui’s Tongcheng City, is a location in China【小题4】has its own story of harmony.

During the reign of Emperor Kangxi over 300 years ago, high-ranking official ZhangYing received【小题5】letter from his family in Tongcheng, his hometown. In their letter, they told Zhang that they had quarreled【小题6】property boundaries with their neighbor, Wu, and asked for help.

Zhang replied to their letter with a poem: “A letter is written, just for a wall. 【小题7】it moves a meter, what harm is done? The Great Wall still stands tall today, yet【小题8】(go) is its builder, Emperor Qinshihuang.”

Enlightened by his reply, the Zhang family decided【小题9】 (bring) their walls back by approximately one meter. Deeply moved by their generosity, the Wu family also brought their walls back by a meter, and the two households created a 2-meter-wide alley between their homes for passersby.

The alley is now a popular【小题10】 (attract) that is traversed daily by locals.