Lantern Festival falls on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. This is the first full moon of the new year, symbolizing unity and perfection

Lantern Festival falls on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. This is the first full moon of the new year, symbolizing unity and perfection. Lantern Festival is an important part of Spring Festival , and marks the official end of the long holiday.

元宵节习俗英文介绍：Eating Yuanxiao吃元宵

Yuanxiao is the special food for the Lantern Festival. It is believed that Yuanxiao is named after a palace maid, Yuanxiao, of Emperor Wu Di of the Han Dynasty. Yuanxiao is a kind of sweet dumpling, which is made with sticky rice flour filled with sweet stuffing. And the Festival is named after the famous dumpling. It is very easy to cook - simply dump them in a pot of boiling water for a few minutes - and eaten as a dessert.

Guessing lantern riddles元宵节习俗：猜灯谜

"Guessing lantern riddles"is an essential part of the Festival. Lantern owners write riddles on a piece of paper and post them on the lanterns. If visitors have solutions to the riddles, they can pull the paper out and go to the lantern owners to check their answer. If they are right, they will get a little gift. The activity emerged during people's enjoyment of lanterns in the Song Dynasty (960-1279). As riddle guessing is interesting and full of wisdom, it has become popular among all social strata.

Watch fireworks 元宵节习俗：看烟火

In the daytime of the Festival, performances such as a dragon lantern dance, a lion dance, a land boat dance, a yangge dance, walking on stilts and beating drums while dancing will be staged. On the night, except for magnificent lanterns, fireworks form a beautiful scene. Most families spare some fireworks from the Spring Festival and let them off in the Lantern Festival. Some local governments will even organize a fireworks party. On the night when the first full moon enters the New Year, people become really intoxicated by the imposing fireworks and bright moon in the sky.

Dragon Boat Festival: 5th day of the 5th lunar month

　Dragon Boat Festival: 5th day of the 5th lunar month

　　Qu Yuan

　　The Dragon Boat Festival, also called the Duanwu Festival, is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month according to the Chinese calendar. For thousands of years, the festival has been marked by eating zong zi (glutinous rice(糯米)wrapped to form a pyramid using bamboo or reed leaves) and racing dragon boats.

　　The festival is best known for its dragon-boat races, especially in the southern provinces where there are many rivers and lakes. This regatta(赛舟会)commemorates the death of Qu Yuan , an honest minister who is said to have committed suicide by drowning himself in a river.

　　Qu was a minister of the State of Chu situated in present-day Hunan and Hubei provinces, during the Warring States Period (475-221BC)(战国时期). He was upright, loyal and highly esteemed for his wise counsel that brought peace and prosperity to the state. However, when a dishonest and corrupt prince vilified Qu, he was disgraced and dismissed from office. Realizing that the country was now in the hands of evil and corrupt officials, Qu grabbed a large stone and leapt into the Miluo River (汨罗江) on the fifth day of the fifth month. Nearby fishermen rushed over to try and save him but were unable to even recover his body. Thereafter, the state declined and was eventually conquered by the State of Qin.

　　Zongzi

　　The people of Chu who mourned the death of Qu threw rice into the river to feed his ghost every year on the fifth day of the fifth month. But one year, the spirit of Qu appeared and told the mourners that a huge reptile(爬行动物)in the river had stolen the rice. The spirit then advised them to wrap the rice in silk and bind it with five different-colored threads before tossing it into the river.

　　During the Duanwu Festival, a glutinous rice pudding called zong zi is eaten to symbolize the rice offerings to Qu. Ingredients such as beans, lotus seeds(莲子), chestnuts(栗子), pork fat and the golden yolk of a salted duck egg are often added to the glutinous rice. The pudding is then wrapped with bamboo leaves, bound with a kind of raffia and boiled in salt water for hours.

　　The dragon-boat races

　　The dragon-boat races symbolize the many attempts to rescue and recover Qu's body. A typical dragon boat ranges from 50-100 feet in length, with a beam of about 5.5 feet, accommodating two paddlers seated side by side.

　　A wooden dragon head is attached at the bow, and a dragon tail at the stern(船尾). A banner hoisted on a pole is also fastened at the stern and the hull is decorated with red, green and blue scales edged in gold. In the center of the boat is a canopied shrine behind which the drummers, gong(铜锣)beaters and cymbal(铙钹)players are seated to set the pace for the paddlers. There are also men positioned at the bow to set off firecrackers, toss rice into the water and pretend to be looking for Qu. All of the noise and pageantry creates an atmosphere of gaiety and excitement for the participants and spectators alike. The races are held among different clans, villages and organizations, and the winners are awarded medals, banners, jugs of wine and festive meals.

　

"Zhong Qiu Jie", which is also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival

"Zhong Qiu Jie", which is also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival, is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar. It is a time for family members and loved ones to congregate and enjoy the full moon - an auspicious symbol of abundance, harmony and luck. Adults will usually indulge in fragrant mooncakes of many varieties with a good cup of piping hot Chinese tea, while the little ones run around with their brightly-lit lanterns.

"Zhong Qiu Jie" probably began as a harvest festival. The festival was later given a mythological flavour with legends of Chang-E, the beautiful lady in the moon.

According to Chinese mythology, the earth once had 10 suns circling over it. One day, all 10 suns appeared together, scorching the earth with their heat. The earth was saved when a strong archer, Hou Yi, succeeded in shooting down 9 of the suns. Yi stole the elixir of life to save the people from his tyrannical rule, but his wife, Chang-E drank it. Thus started the legend of the lady in the moon to whom young Chinese girls would pray at the Mid-Autumn Festival.

In the 14th century, the eating of mooncakes at "Zhong Qiu Jie" was given a new significance. The story goes that when Zhu Yuan Zhang was plotting to overthrow the Yuan Dynasty started by the Mongolians, the rebels hid their messages in the Mid-Autumn mooncakes. Zhong Qiu Jie is hence also a commemoration of the overthrow of the Mongolians by the Han people.

During the Yuan Dynasty (A.D.1206-1368) China was ruled by the Mongolian people. Leaders from the preceding Sung Dynasty (A.D.960-1279) were unhappy at submitting to foreign rule, and set how to coordinate the rebellion without it being discovered. The leaders of the rebellion, knowing that the Moon Festival was drawing near, ordered the making of special cakes. Packed into each mooncake was a message with the outline of the attack. On the night of the Moon Festival, the rebels successfully attacked and overthrew the government. What followed was the establishment of the Ming Dynasty (A.D. 1368-1644). Today, moon cakes are eaten to commemorate this event.

I think we can’t avoid mentioning table tennis. This sport has helped China win countless world championships, bringing Chinese people a lot of happiness and a sense of pride

When it comes to China sports, what is the first word in your mind?

I think we can’t avoid mentioning table tennis. This sport has helped China win countless world championships, bringing Chinese people a lot of happiness and a sense of pride. In addition, table tennis has always been one of the favorite sports of the Chinese people. You will see table tennis and its players everywhere, no matter in schools, residential [ˌrezɪˈdenʃl] areas, parks or squares. Both elder people and children are able to play it more or less. This is a reason why it is called the “Chinese National Ball”.

And now let me introduce the history of table tennis first. In fact, when I prepare for this English presentation, a question has confused me for a long time. The question is that why this sport sometimes is called ping-pang, while sometimes is called table tennis? So, I consulted for information on the Internet and found that it has something to do with the history.

Table tennis can be considered as a young sport because it only has a history of about 100 years. In 1890, several British naval [ˈneɪvl] officers stationed in India occasionally found to paly tennis in a small table is quite stimulating. Then they switch to a small hollow ball instead of a little elastic solid ball, and use wood plank instead of the racquet [ˈrækɪt], on the table for a new kind of “tennis”, which is the origin of the name of the table tennis.  

Table tennis there soon, has become a popular sport all the rage. The early 20^th century, the united states have begun to set the table tennis competition appliances production. Later, an American maker created "ping-pang" for the first time, as it sounds like table tennis crashing onto the table, and this new term also became his unique logo in "ping-pang" field.

And, that is the origin of table tennis and ping-pang. Thank you for your attention!

Summer Palace, located in the northwest Beijing Haidian District, 15 km from the Beijing City

Summer Palace, located in the northwest Beijing Haidian District, 15 km from the Beijing City. Covering an area of about 290 hectares, the existing Summer Palace is China's largest, most complete preservation of the imperial garden, the Summer Palace, the palace was originally Qing Dynasty emperors and Garden

Situated in the western outskirts of Haidian District, the Summer Palace is 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) from central Beijing. Having the largest royal park and being well preserved, it was designated, in 1960 by the State Council, as a Key Cultural Relics Protection Site of China. Containing examples of the ancient arts, it also has graceful landscapes and magnificent constructions. The Summer Palace is the archetypal Chinese garden, and is ranked amongst the most noted and classical gardens of the world. In 1998, it was listed as one of the World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.

Constructed in the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234), during the succeeding reign of feudal emperors; it was extended continuously. By the time of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), it had become a luxurious royal garden providing royal families with rest and entertainment. Originally called "Qingyi Garden" (Garden of Clear Ripples), it was know as one of the famous "three hills and five gardens" (Longevity Hill, Jade Spring Mountain, and Fragrant Hill; Garden of Clear Ripples, Garden of Everlasting Spring, Garden of Perfection and Brightness, Garden of Tranquility and Brightness, and Garden of Tranquility and Pleasure). Like most of the gardens of Beijing, it could not elude the rampages of the Anglo-French allied force and was destroyed by fire. In 1888, Empress Dowager Cixi embezzled navy funds to reconstruct it for her own benefit, changing its name to Summer Palace (Yiheyuan). She spent most of her later years there, dealing with state affairs and entertaining. In 1900, it suffered again, being ransacked by the Eight-Power Allied Force. After the success of the 1911 Revolution, it was opened to the public.

Composed mainly of Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake, The Summer Palace occupies an area of 294 hectares (726.5 acres), three quarters of which is water. Guided by nature, artists designed the gardens exquisitely so that visitors would see marvelous views and be amazed by perfect examples of refined craftwork using the finest materials.

Centered on the Tower of Buddhist Incense (Foxiangge) the Summer Palace consists of over 3,000 structures including pavilions, towers, bridges, and corridors. The Summer Palace can be divided into four parts: the court area, front-hill area, front-lake area, and rear-hill and back-lake area.

Front-Hill Area: this area is the most magnificent area in the Summer Palace with the most constructions. Its layout is quite distinctive because of the central axis from the yard of Kunming Lake to the hilltop, on which important buildings are positioned including Gate of Dispelling Clouds, Hall of Dispelling Clouds, Hall of Moral Glory, Tower of Buddhist Incense, the Hall of the Sea of Wisdom, etc.

Rear-Hill and Back-Lake Area: although the constructions are fewer here, it has a unique landscape, with dense green trees, and winding paths. Visitors can feel a rare tranquility, and elegance. This area includes scenic spots such as Garden of Harmonious Interest and Suzhou Market Street.

Court Area: this is where Empress Dowager Cixi and Emperor Guangxu met officials, conducted state affairs and rested. Entering the East Palace Gate, visitors may see the main palace buildings: the Hall of Benevolence and Longevity served as the office of the Emperor, the Hall of Jade Ripples where Guangxu lived, the Hall of Joyful Longevity, Cixi‘s residence, the Hall of Virtue and Harmony where Cixi was entertained.

Front Lake Area: covering a larger part of the Summer Palace, opens up the vista of the lake. A breeze fluttering, waves gleam and willows kiss the ripples of the vast water. In this comfortable area there are the Eastern and Western Banks, the Seventeen-Arch Bridge, Nanhu Island, and so on. On the western bank float six distinct bridges amongst which the Jade-Belt Bridge is the most beautiful.

　

Yao Ming

Yao Ming (born September 12, 1980) is a retired Chinese professional basketball player who last played for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). At the time of his final season, he was the tallest active player in the NBA, at 2.29 m

Yao, who was born in Shanghai, started playing for the Shanghai Sharks as a teenager, and played on their senior team for five years in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), winning a championship in his final year. After negotiating with the CBA and the Sharks to secure his release, Yao was selected by the Houston Rockets as the first overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft. Yao was selected to start for the Western Conference in the NBA All-Star Game eight times, and was named to the All-NBA Team five times. He reached the NBA Playoffs four times, and the Rockets won a first-round series in the 2009 postseason. However, Yao missed 250 regular-season games due to foot and ankle injuries in his final six seasons.

   Early life and CBA career

Yao joined the senior team of the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA)at age 17.  When Wang Zhizhi left the Bayi Rockets to become the first NBA player from China the following year, the Sharks finally won their first CBA championship.

Entering the NBA Draft

Yao entered the 2002 NBA Draft，and was seleted by houston rockets.

NBA career

Initial years (2002–2005)

Injury-plagued seasons (2005–2011)

After missing only two games out of 246 in his first three years of NBA play, Yao endured an extended period on the inactive list in his fourth season after developing osteomyelitis([D.J.:,ɔstiəu,maiə'laitis]) in the big toe on his left foot, and surgery was performed on the toe on December 18, 2005.Then he had missed 21 games until recover.Early into his fifth season, Yao was injured again, this time breaking his right knee on December 23, 2006, while attempting to block a shot. And he was medically cleared to play on March 4, 2007, after missing 34 games.

On February 26, 2008, however, it was reported that Yao would miss the rest of the season with a stress fracture([D.J.:'fræktʃə]) in his left foot. He missed the 2008 NBA Playoffs, but he did not miss the 2008 Summer Olympics at Beijing, China in August.In July 2009, Yao discussed the injury with his doctors,. After weeks of consulting, it was decided that Yao would undergo surgery in order to repair the broken bone in his left foot. He did not play the entire 2009–10 season. On December 16, 2010, it was announced that Yao had developed a stress fracture in his left ankle, related to an older injury, and would miss the rest of the season. 

Retirement

On July 20, 2011, Yao announced his retirement from basketball in a press conference in Shanghai. He cited injuries to his foot and ankle, including the third fracture to his left foot sustained near the end of 2010. His retirement sparked over 1.2 million comments on the Chinese social-networking site Sina Weibo. Reacting to Yao's retirement, NBA commissioner David Stern said Yao was a "bridge between Chinese and American fans" and that he had "a wonderful mixture of talent, dedication, humanitarian（[D.J.:hju:,mænɪ'teəri:ən]） aspirations and a sense of humor." Shaquille O'Neal said Yao "was very agile. He could play inside, he could play outside, and if he didn't have those injuries He would not have such an early retirement." 

HS Mountain, is located in the south of An hui Province, It is one part of the Chinese Nan ling sierra

 Good morning! Lidies and gentlemen. I am very glad to be your local guide of this travel for HS Mountain. on behalf of our travel agency ,we hope that all of you well feel as good as today’s sunshine ,and enjoy yourselves.

Now we have arrived in the Mount Huang. Firstly I had better introduce the HS to you .

HS Mountain, is located in the south of An hui Province, It is one part of the Chinese Nan ling sierra. Entire mountain area is approximately 1,200 square kilometers. HS Mountain was called Yi Mountain before Tang Dynasty. Can you guess the meaning of Yi? It means “black ”.Because there are too many black rocks on the mountain.So the ancient people gave it such name. Chinese emperor Huangdi came here for gathering herbs and refining elixir. And he took a bath in the hot spring. Thus he became a immortal. Tang Dynasty Emperor LiLongji extremely believed in the legend. So he renamed the mountain HS . The meaning is that this mountain is Emperor Huangdi’s mountain. From then on, HS Mountain this name has been used till today.

HS  Mountain is certainly beautiful. It may be said that it is the wonderful mountain. Having a look with our own eyes is truly a big happy event in our life. Who know the four uniques of HS mountain ? Let me introduce them to you.

The first is strangely-shaped pines. Why are the pines strange? Because HS pines grow up from hard granite instead of rich soil. After thousands of years, their root deeply strike into rock seam. They are not afraid of drought and storm.

  The second is grotesque rock. There are so many grotesque rocks all over HS mountain. Some of them are like man’s appearance. Some are like objects’shapes. And also some are endowed with myths and history stories.In 121 famous grotesque rocks, some of the well-known are“ flying stone” “fairy playing chess” “magpie on plum” “monkey viewing sea”. They are all magical and lifelike.

 The third is the seas of clouds. The Qing Dynasty emperor Kangxi had once written a plaque for HS . There are four words“Huang Hai Tian Du”on it. Every time after the rain and snow, HS will appear spectacular changeable seas of clouds. HS set off by the seas of clouds and becomes colorful,just like human fairyland. According to the position,the seas of clouds are divided into east sea,south sea,west sea ,north sea and sky sea.And on the lotus peak,Tiandu peak,Bright top,you can overlook the vast seas ofclouds,and enjoy “To the end of the sea,sky is the shore;Up to the mountain,I am the peak”.

What’s the last one? Who can guess? Yeah, it’s hot spring. Water from the springs is odorless. It contains minerals which are beneficial to treat many diseases .Hot springs flow  from the foot of Purple Cloud Peak. The temperature of hot springs keeps in 42 degrees or so. 

Now we are entering Yu ping scenic spot. Look, this is the Tiandu peak. It is  one of the 3 main peaks of HS mountain and also the steepest. It is 1810 meters above sea level. In ancient times it was called “Quan Xian Suo Du”, meaning“ heaven city”. This peak is steep and straight and has the magnificent momentum. Can you feel it? In the HS Mountain peaks, it is the most spectacular. The Lotus peak, Bright Top and Tiandu peak are known as 3 peaks of HS. 

My friends, our journey will come to an end at once, I also have to say goodbye to you. We have been friends already and had a wonderful time. Wish you all happiness more and more. If there is a chance, hope you come to China again. And we will welcome you forever!