Have you ever felt that your feelings and state of mind sometimes can be influenced by places? Have you ever noticed that certain places especially upset you? Or that certain places are especially relaxing and peaceful? Well, there’s a good chance that the colors in those places are playing a part.

Scientists have studied the influence of colors on our feelings, health and the way of thinking for many years. For example, some studies show that blue is a relaxing color. Blue reminds us of the ocean and sky. Pleasant dreams might be the end result of painting the bedroom blue. It has a calming influence on the body, lowering the blood pressure and heart rate, and has a cooling influence in hot and humid weather. Another study shows that blue in the classroom can be a good thing. An angry child would become calmer after being in a classroom painted blue.

But red has the opposite influence. It is an energetic color that can excite and warm the body, and increase the heart rate. Therefore, it may not be so great for bedrooms where you are trying to relax, since it can cause the difficulty in sleep.

Yellow is a very welcoming color. It makes people feel cheerful, energetic and happy. It is a perfect color for a sunroom. Since yellow is easy to be noticed, it is also one of the most attention- getting colors. Yellow can be used to draw notice, such as on traffic signs or advertisements.

Green is the most relaxing color on the color wheel. Green reminds us of spring and new beginning. It brings calmness and hope, and it has a relaxing influence on the body as well as the mind. That’s why it’s suitable for almost any room in the house. The color green can lead to more creative thinking, so green is a good choice for offices.

Do you like traditional Chinese operas (戏剧)? Among all traditional Chinese operas, facial mask (脸谱) in Peking Opera is popular around the world. Different colors are used to show different roles, but at first, only three colors were used: red, white and black. Here are the meanings of them.

Red is generally used to show that a role is honest and loyal (忠诚的). In fact, the color red was just to show what a person looks like in the beginning. Because many roles use red to show they’re very brave and honest, red gradually has another meaning. An example of “red full face” is Guan Yu, known for his loyalty to Liu Bei.

The role with the white face is bad in human nature. This kind of roles includes Cao Cao in the time of the Three Kingdoms, and Qin Hui, who put the national hero Yue Fei to death. The black mask shows either a rude and brave person or a fair and selfless one. Li Kui of Water Margin, and Bao Zheng are of this kind.

Later, other colors are gradually added to them, such as yellow standing for bravery, blue for someone with a strong personality. People can clearly identify the difference through these colors.

Nowadays, more and more young people like to know Peking Opera. Even some schools start to teach Peking Opera. And more and more people know that different colors mean different things. It is a good way to study and spread our traditional culture.

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Among all the colors, red is most easily seen. The color red is fresh and joyful. Red is the color of China. And we call it Chinese Red. It is pretty popular with Chinese people.

【小题1】 On the other hand, it has rich meaning in Chinese culture and history.

No country in the world has ever used a color in such a way as China. Here, red is a symbol. It gives color to the spirit of the nation. 【小题2】 Even now, it is also a theme for China that will last forever. “Chinese Red” has become a very popular phase, attracting（吸引）the world’s attention.

【小题3】 You can see the color everywhere. Traditional things such as Chinese knots, lanterns, and paper cutting are almost all red. Most importantly, red is the main color of our national flag. They all play special roles in China.

Red is the color of luck, health, happiness, peace, wealth and so on. 【小题4】 When Huawei Meng Wanzhou returned to China and stepped out of the plane in a red dress, the color red is alive and breathing at that moment. “The color red, symbolizing China, lightens the brightness in my heart.” she said.

Red is more than just a color in China. 【小题5】 “Chinese Red” is filled with mysterious charm（魅力）beyond description and it is right here in China waiting for you to feel and discover!