American people like to say “Thank you” when others help them or say something kind to them. People of many countries do so, too. It is a very good habit.

You should say “Thank you” when someone passes you the salt on the table; when someone walking ahead of you keeps the door open for you; when someone says you have done your work well; or you have bought a nice thing; or your city is very beautiful. Americans use “Thank you” not only between friends, but also between parents and children, brothers and sisters.

“Excuse me” is another short sentence they use very often. When you hear someone say so behind you, you know that somebody wants to walk past you without touching you. It’s not polite to break others when they are talking. If you want to speak to one of them, say “Excuse me” first and then begin talking. You should also do so when you begin to cough or make any noise before others.

Let’s learn to say “Thank you” and “Excuse me”

A long time ago, a snake was caught in the forest and sold in the market. An old man bought the poor snake and brought him home.

The old man and his neighbors were all farmers. They grew lots of crops（庄稼）, but there wasn’t enough rainwater that year. One night, the old man saw the snake in his dream. He was no longer a snake but a dragon, and he was the god of rice.

He said to the farmer, “In return for your help, I’ll tell you a secret. Put me in the river. Then you will get enough rainwater for the crops.”

The old man did as the dragon said, and it started to rain the very next day. The farmers were very happy. They poured a lot of rice into the river to thank the god of rice.

However, when Almighty God（玉帝） learned about this, he got very angry. He gave an order to cut the dragon into pieces for telling the secret to the farmers.

People felt very sad. On the 15th day of the first lunar month, they carried a long line of lanterns in the shape of dragon.

It’s said that this is why we carry lanterns on the Lantern Festival.

Taiyuan Ancient County lies in the Jinyuan District of Taiyuan, Shanxi Province. It was first built in the Ming Dynasty, more than 600 years ago. It is part of the Jinyang ancient city relics. On May 1, 2021, Taiyuan Ancient County first opened to welcome the tourists.

The movie Full River Red, directed by Zhang Yimou, came out on Jan. 22, 2023 and topped China’s box office（票房）in a short time. It was named after Yue Fei’s most famous poem, which tells a patriotic（爱国的）story of the Song Dynasty. As the place where the movie was filmed, Taiyuan Ancient County has attracted about 350,000 tourists during the Spring Festival holiday. If you would like to pay it a visit, the following information can help you.

Taiyuan Ancient County Scenic Spot（景点） Working hours: 9:30 a.m.～10:00 p.m. Tickets: Free for entry（进入） For main scenic spots and activities: ★The Filming Base of Full River Red: ￥20 ★County Wall: ￥20 ★County Government: ￥28 ★Lantern Fair（灯会）: ￥50 Address: Jinyuan North Outer Ring Street, Taiyuan Transportation: Buses 856, 804, 905, 79 Service telephone: 0351-6598888