China has a rich and colorful cultural history , and masks (面具) have played an important role in Chinese traditions for thousands of years. Why do people wear masks at the beginning? There reason is to protect their bodies. In fact, masks are used all over the world.

African masks are usually made in a traditional style. There are many different kinds of African masks , but many of them represent animals. African masks are a part of full-body costurnes (服装)and they are made for dancers. The dancers usually wear the masks in religious(宗教的)events.

Japanese masks have been used in many different performances such as dance, theatre, festivals or religious events. They represent heroes, devils(恶魔), ghosts , or some animals in the performances. Most of them are made of clay(黏土), cloth, wood, or some paper.

Greek masks are symbols of the spirits of nature during religious events. Also, theatre actors use masks to show diff characters. In Rome, devil and other masks are used in carnivals（狂欢节).

Today, masks continue to be of great artistic and entertainment(娱乐) value.

Confucius (孔子) is a master of thinking. He came up with many great ideas. But what’s the most well-known and influential (有影响力的) one? That may be the idea of the golden mean (中庸). Have you heard of it? Do you know its real meaning?

Zhongyong, the golden mean or the doctrine of the mean, is an interesting topic. In Confucianism (儒家思想), it is seen as a primary virtue (最重要的品德). Confucius speaks highly of it. However, it is easily misunderstood. People often think it means not working hard or pursuing perfection (追求完美).

But the key point of the golden mean is to stay moderate (适中的), neither too little nor too much. The character “zhong” means to be moderate in one’s words and behaviors. “Yong” has two meanings—being common and unchanging.

This way of thinking is useful in our daily life. When we write a story, we shouldn’t use too many fancy (华丽的) words. But it doesn’t mean we can’t use any beautiful language in the story. While exercising, we can’t do too much every time or we might get hurt. But it doesn’t mean we should never exercise. The key is to walk a fine line.

The golden mean is always being embraced (推崇) by our nation. President Xi Jinping said we should respect cultural diversity (多样性). We should be confident but not too arrogant (自负的) in cultural exchanges.