The Forbidden City is well known for being full of Chinese cultural and historical relics. But Masters in the Forbidden City does not just focus on the stories of the past.

Instead, the documentary movie, which came out in Chinese cinemas on Dec. 16, focuses on ordinary people — the restorers of relics and antiquities.

The stories are told at a slow and relaxed pace, reflecting the restorers’ work. Restoration of cultural relics and antiques can be time-consuming, and sometimes boring. Yet these restorers’ patience and peace of mind are especially precious in a society where everything is changing so fast.

“If you choose this job, you have to stand hours of work sitting on a chair. You need to be quiet and get used to being quiet,” says Wang Jin, an ancient clock repair expert.

A touching part of the documentary is the spirit of craftsmanship (工艺) in the restorers. “Years of humdrum work requires not only skill, but also faith and spirit,” China Daily commented. “Looking for preciseness and perfection, devoting yourself to work, patience, loneliness... All these qualities come from the craftsman spirit.”

But unlike the popular idea of serious experts who sit around being serious, the documentary shows off the enthusiasm of the restorers. They play their guitars and make jokes about each other after a long day of restoration work.

One scene that has been very popular with Internet users features a young female restorer riding a bicycle through the empty Forbidden City on a Monday. While she is doing this, a narrator says, “The last person to do this was Puyi, the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty.”

Masters in the Forbidden City has proved wrong many people’s ideas about antique restorers, allowing them to realize that they are not old, dull professors, but people in their 40s, 30s and even 20s who can be quite pleasing to the eye.

Ten years ago, nine out of ten American families used cable (有线电视）or satellite. However, a little over half do so today. The fall of pay-TV, in the advance of online streaming (流媒体），has overturned the television industry and forced Hollywood companies like Disney to rethink their business model. And an increasing number of customers cut the cord from cable providers.

But it's not everywhere. Unlike Americans, Europeans are signing up for more cables and satellites than ever before. The market share of pay-TV in Britain will go beyond that in America this year, according to Ampere Analysis, a research company. In France and Germany it already has.

What has happened to American media missed Europe. But why? One reason is price. America's cable industry may look competitive: the largest player, Comcast, has only a quarter of the market. But because it is highly localized, most homes have few choices, says Richard Broughton of Ampere. As a result, the average monthly cable cost is close to S100. British homes pay less than half the amount.

A second factor is content. American cable TV is running out of shows as studios move their best ones to their own streaming platforms(平台）. In Europe, where some streamers have yet to broadcast, pay-TV companies preserve the rights to many of the most popular titles.

The last reason Europe still favors cable is that American streamer's are partnering with European pay-TV companies rather than competing with them. In the race for viewers, the quickest way for streamers to rise quickly in Europe has been to join forces with satellite and cable. They are the ones with access to customers and the ability to deal with local marketing and ad sales.

Will cord-cutting eventually cross the Atlantic? As long as Hollywood studios continue to allow European cable providers to play their programs, customers will have every reason to stick with pay-TV. In the long run, though, studios would rather bring viewers onto their own online streaming platforms, as in America.

These reads captured readers’ imaginations so well, and they are now coming to the screen.

Lockwood & Co: The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud

(Penguin Random House Children’s)

In a dark, haunted London, three young detectives called Lockwood, Lucy and George work together to fight ghosts. This brilliant supernatural story is now a thrilling Netflix TV series, perfect for older readers with a taste for spooky(幽灵般的) mysteries.

The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen

(HarperCollins Children’s)

A new live-action musical film of The Little Mermaid is being released by Walt Disney Pictures later this year. While you’re waiting, you can enjoy Hans Christian Andersen’s classic fairy tale in this lovely book created by design studio Mina Lima. It’s full of beautiful artwork and cleverly designed interactive surprises.

A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll

(Knights Of)

Eleven-year-old Addie sets about campaigning for a memorial to the witch trials that took place in her Scottish home town, in this multi-award-winning story. If you haven’t read A kind of Spark yet, now is the time to get started because a BBCTV series based on the book will be out later this year.

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume

(Macmillan Children’s)

In this classic novel, first published in 1970, we meet 13-year-old Margaret. After moving to a new home, Margaret struggles with making new friends, dealing with her family and the challenges of growing up. A film based on the book will be released in April, with young actor Abby Ryder Fortson playing Margaret.