China has always been famous for being a “State of Etiquettes（礼仪）.” According to historical documents, as early as 2,600 years ago, this nation has already established a thorough set 【小题1】 dining etiquettes.

A famous 19th century Russian writer, Anton Chekhov, once invited a Chinese man 【小题2】(have) a drink in a bar. Chekhov said, “Before drinking from his cup, he held 【小题3】 with his hands and presented to me and the bar owner and bar tenders, 【小题4】 (say) ‘qing (please).’ This is the custom of China. They are not like us to finish it in one drink, 【小题5】 prefer to drink by taking a small amount at a time. With every sip （一小口）, he 【小题6】 (eat) some food. Afterwards he handed me some Chinese 【小题7】 (coin) to show gratitude. This is a rather interestingly polite nationality…” This was the most valuable opinion of a Chinese person【小题8】 was given by a foreigner two centuries ago. Chinese traditional dinner procedures used to be long and dealt 【小题9】 (serious) with; the 【小题10】 (important) the occasion, the more complex the procedures were.

2024 will be the Year of the Dragon in Chinese culture. To celebrate it, “Long Chenchen”,   【小题1】 (color) orange and red and with a pair of doll eyes, has been designed 【小题2】 a cute yet lively dragon.

Named Long Chenchen, 【小题3】 the “dragon Chenchen”, the mascot for China’s upcoming Dragon Spring Festival Gala 【小题4】 (release) up to now, a lot of design details showing the aesthetics (美学的) of Chinese cultural elements.

The design of the 【小题5】 (seeming) cute-looking dragon was inspired by 【小题6】 item that was discovered in the Erlitou Ruins, a major site in Luoyang, Central China’s Henan province.

The fire shape pattern on its shoulder was inspired by a bronze piece with cloud patterns 【小题7】 (date) back to the Spring and Autumn Period (770BC-476BC) . The bronze piece has 12 vividly depicted dragon sculptures, showing ancient Chinese 【小题8】 (create) as well as skill for handicrafts. Another source of inspiration was a gilded dragon sculpture 【小题9】 is currently in the Xi’an Museum.

“I think this is why the mascot has successfully delivered the spirit of the dragon, which is important 【小题10】 (show) the life-force of Chinese culture, “one netizen posted on Sina Weibo.

On March 22, just 10 minutes before a Jiangxi Opera appreciation class 【小题1】 (schedule) to begin, the lecture hall at Nanchang University was crowded with over 100 people.

More students continued to pour in, 【小题2】 (cause) Chen Li, the professor to give the lecture, to relocate the class to a larger place. Having taught the course for many years, Chen focuses on the history, melodies and performance characteristics of Jiangxi Opera. It is her teaching style, which combines traditional lecturing 【小题3】 live performances, that sets her class apart.

Often 【小题4】 (dress) in Jiangxi Opera costumes in her class, Chen transforms the classroom into a stage to build 【小题5】 (enthusiastic) in her students. Wearing traditional clothes, the students lose themselves 【小题6】 (entire) in the world of Jiangxi Opera. “In my class, I urge them to come to the stage and experience the whole process for 【小题7】 (they),” Chen said.

Zhou Xiaoli, who once performed in Chen’s class, found her interactive teaching method unique and 【小题8】 (appeal) and has developed an interest in this art form. “I thought Jiangxi Opera boring and outdated before, 【小题9】 her class made me love it,” she said.

Jiangxi Opera has deep historical roots. During the 1950s and 60s, it thrived in Leping City with more than 400 ancient stages, over 20 percent of 【小题10】 were well-preserved from the Ming and Qing dynasties. In 2018, Jiangxi Opera appeared on the Spring Festival Gala stage for the first time.