The music from an upcoming musical by musician Li Dun and composer San Bao, Flying Apsaras (飞天), was performed【小题1】the first time in Shanghai on September 5.The concert included 14 songs【小题2】were created by writer Guan Shan and composer San Bao for the musical.

【小题3】(inspire) by the cultural treasures of the Dunhuang murals (壁画), the musical tells a story about a guardian who watches over the murals and a scholar who travels over a long【小题4】(distant) to Dunhuang.

A religious (宗教的) and cultural crossroads on the Silk Road, Dunhuang has【小题5】number of caves that house a vast collection of murals describing religious stories and life scenes. Li Dun said he【小题6】(move) to tears during his first visit to the caves in Dunhuang by these【小题7】(extreme)fine paintings. He hoped to tell a story about the【小题8】(astonish)beauty of Dunhuang to the world in the form of a musical.

According to Li Dun, the title Flying Apsaras came from the flying apsaras in the Dunhuang murals. These female spirits dance in the sky,【小题9】(give) people a dreamlike impression. Painted from the Jin Dynasty (265-420) to the end of the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368), the ancient treasures【小题10】(be) also a symbol of Chinese culture.

The Grand Canal is the oldest and longest man-made waterway in the world with a history of more than 2,500 years, 【小题1】 construction started in the Spring and Autumn Period. The 1794 kilometers’ waterway is 22 times the 【小题2】 (long) of the Panama Canal. It is a golden waterway second only to the Yangtze River in China. The Grand Canal runs from Zhejiang to Being 【小题3】 (pass) through six provinces and two municipalities and connects five main river systems.

The canal functioned 【小题4】 the backbone of the ancient empire’s inland communication and trading systems. Grain, salt, logs and silk were transported along the canal to all directions. 【小题5】 (score) of towns along the banks developed, contributing 【小题6】 (huge) to ancient China’s economy. The canal enormously promoted economic interaction and cultural exchange between the north 【小题7】 south, which ensured the country’s stability.

In 2014, it was listed as 【小题8】 UNESCO world heritage site. In 2019 China issued a plan 【小题9】 (construct) national cultural parks for the Grand Canal. During the last 2 years, building the Grand Canal national cultural parks 【小题10】 (recognize) as a key task in the 14th Five-Year Plan. In future, cities along the Grand Canal will form a new cultural belt, green belt and tourism belt.

Shadow plays, the earliest of 【小题1】 started over 2000 years ago, have enjoyed a long history in China and consist of many styles. One famous branch displayed in museum is called Taian Shadow Play. It is believed that it originated in the Song Dynasty when an emperor came to Mount Tai to offer sacrifice. In the past, the authentic shadow figures 【小题2】 (make) of donkey skin. But nowadays，to save the 【小题3】 (life) of many donkeys, they have found some man-made materials, which are used for the figures in the hands-on area.