Do you know anyone born in the Year of the Tiger? What are they like? Are they brave, strong and kind? If so, then they are what we usually call “tigers”.

In Chinese culture, people see tigers as the king of all the animals. When they think of tigers, they will think of power and protection(保护). In most people’s eyes, tigers are animals afraid of nothing so that’s why you can see pictures of tigers on the walls of temples(庙) and houses.

Over thousands of years, tigers are always symbols that can protect us from disasters(灾难) and danger. In old days, some great generals(将军) were called the “tiger generals”. In Romance of the Three Kingdoms(《三国演义》), there are “Five Tiger Generals”. And it’s also said that people who were born in the Year of the Tiger are brave, strong and entertained.

In the west, however, people often see lions as the king of all the animals. Brave warriors(战士) were called “the lion”. In Europe, the animal is a national symbol for England also for Norway, Spain, Belgium and 13 other countries.

But in the West, tigers are also seen as very powerful animals. In English, if you want someone to cool down you can say to them “easy tiger”. Another famous phrase is “eye of the tiger”, which means to have fierceness(凶猛) and power.

Autumn is the third season of the year. In China, autumn arrives around September. It is still a little warm, but it gets colder and colder. The days also get shorter and shorter. The leaves on the trees begin to turn yellow and red. The air is fresh. It’s a great season for kids to play outside. What activities do children do in autumn in different countries?

In China, students often have an autumn picnic. Usually, they go to an amusement park (游乐场) or out into nature. For example, kids in Beijing like to go to the Fragrant Hills (香山). Most children also like to play games with their classmates, like rope skipping (跳绳) and soccer.

Japanese students often go hiking with their parents or classmates when the leaves are red and yellow. It is a perfect way to get exercise. Mountain climbing in nice weather is also a good choice.

For most children in the US, biking is a good autumn activity. Take a mountain bike ride and you can find new roads. Playing in leaf piles (堆) is popular, too. Kids jump onto a leaf pile. They are happy to see the colorful leaves fly all around. They also make leaf rain. It’s all a lot of fun.

In the UK, school kids love to camp outside with their parents. They make food over the fire and tell ghost stories.