1. 如果一定要找一个能够代表中国的东西，龙（loong）可能会最先出现在你的脑海里。龙这种神秘的生物深深植根于中国文化中，我们中国人经常称自己为“龙的传人”，父母们也都“望子成龙”。在古代，龙还是皇权的象征，皇帝们都认为自己是真龙天子。古人还把龙当作主管降雨的神，它决定下雨的时间和地点。我们中国人认为龙会带来富贵和好运。
If we must find a thing to symbolize China, long will probably pop into your mind first. Loong, the mythical creature, is deeply rooted in Chinese culture. We Chinese often consider ourselves “the descendants of Loong.” And all the parents hope that their children “may become loongs (hope one’s children will have a bright future)”. In ancient times, loong is a symbol of imperial power. All the emperors thought they were “real loongs and the sons of the heaven”. Our forefathers looked upon loong as the god to govern rainfall, and they decide where and when the rain falls. We Chinese believe loong can bring wealth, rank and fortune.
2. 春节是中国最重要，也是最热闹的古老节日之一。春节象征着团结、兴旺以及对未来寄予新的希望。句记载，中国人过春节已有四千多年的历史。中国是个多民族的国家，各民族（nationality）过春节的形式各有不同，但是无论在中国的哪个地方，人们都会在春节期间全家团圆，吃年糕(New Year cake)、饺子以及各种丰盛的饭菜。人们张灯结彩，燃放鞭炮，并互相祝福。
In China, the Spring Festival is one of the most significant and ancient festivals. It symbolizes unity, prosperity and new hopes for the future. It is recorded that the custom of celebrating the Spring Festival has lasted for more than 4, 000 years. As a multi-ethnic country, different nationalities in China have various ways of celebrating the Spring Festival. However, wherever in China, people will have a family reunion during the festival, eating New Year cakes, dumplings and various hearty meals, decorating the houses with lanterns and festoons, setting off firecrackers and blessing each other.
3. 之一，一般是在每年的4月4日至6日前后。人们庆祝清明节大约始于东周时代，距今已有两千五百多年的历史。清明过后，气温逐渐上升，雨水也增多，表明了这是农民开始安排农耕活动的关键时期。同时，清明也是郊游的大好时节，人们去户外踏青，并开展一系列消遣和体育活动。更重要的是，清明时节也是一个纪念祖先和已故亲人的日子。
Qingming is one of the twenty-four solar terms in China, typically falling on April 4-6 each year. The celebration for the Qingming Festival can be traced back to the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, with a history of over 2,500 years. After Qingming time, the temperature begins to rise up and rainfall increases, indicating that it is the crucial time for the farmers to arrange their farming activities accordingly. Meanwhile, it is the high time for spring outing, when people go out for fresh air, kinds of recreations and sports activities. More importantly, Qingming is also a period to honour and to pay respect to one’s deceased ancestors and family members.
4. 中国人和红色
中国人很喜欢红色，甚至称自己为“赤子”。红色在中国象征着权力和喜庆。很多朝代的官服是红色的；在清代，官帽上深浅不同的红色代表了不同的官位。公文的标题通常也用红色，这就是它们被称为“红头文件 (red-head documents) ”的原因。另外，用于婚礼的双喜字是红色的。春节期间，老人们也会给孩子们发红包，当作新年的礼物盒祝福。
Chinese and the Color of Red
We Chinese like the color of red, and even we call ourselves as Chizi, which means a patriot. In China, red represents the power and happiness. Official robes of many dynasties were red. In the Qing Dynasty, different shades of red on the official cabs showed different rankings. Headlines of official documents are often printed in red. For that reason, it’s called “red-head documents”. In addition, the Chinese character signifying double happiness used for weddings is red. During the Spring Festival, elder people will give Hongbao (money in a red envelope) to the children as gifts and wishes for the new year.
5. 京剧 (Peking Opera) 已有200多年的历史，是中国的国剧。与其他地方戏相比，京剧享有更高的声誉，但其实京剧融合了多种地方戏的元素。京剧演员的脸谱 (facial makeup) 和戏服都很精美，相形之下布景则显得十分简单。京剧表演者主要应用四种技能：唱、念、做、打。在古代，京剧大多数是在户外演出的，因此演员们形成了一种极具穿透力的唱腔，以便每个人都能听到。
Peking Opera, as the national opera of China, has a history of more than 200 years. Compared with other Chinese local operas, Peking Opera enjoys a higher reputation; but actually it absorbs many elements of other local operas. The facial makeups and costumes of the performances are usually very delicate; by contrast, the backdrops are quite plain. During the performance, the performers mainly utilize four skills: singing, speaking, acting and acrobatic fighting. In ancient times, Peking Opera was mostly performed in the open air, so the performers developed a piercing style of singing that could be heard by everyone.
6. 筷子 (chopsticks) (tableware)，是反映中国饮食文化特色的重要组成部分。中国人使用筷子的历史可追溯到商代，距今已有三千多年。筷子可谓是中国国粹，既轻巧又灵活，在世界各国餐具中独树一帜，被西方人誉为“东方的文明”。凡是使用过筷子的人，不论是中国人还是外国人，都因其使用方便、物美价廉而赞叹不绝。
Chopsticks, invented by ancient Chinese people, are a kind of tableware with distinct national features, being an important component that reflects the characteristics of Chinese diet culture. The history of using chopsticks in China dates back to the Shang Dynasty, more than 3,000 years ago. Chopsticks, the quintessence of Chinese culture, whose lightness and flexibility develop a school of its own among various tableware all over the world, are praised as “Eastern Civilization” by the westerners. All those people who have ever used chopsticks, no matter Chinese or foreigners, marvel at their convenience, excellent quality and reasonable price,
7. 儒家思想(Confucianism)是中国影响最大的思想流派。也是中国古代的主流意识。自汉代以来，儒家思想就是封建统治阶级 (feudal ruling class) 的指导思想之
一。儒家思想的核心其实是一种人道主义 (humanism)。它提倡自我修养，认为人是可教化的、可完善的。儒家思想的一个宏大目标就是实现“大同社会”，在这样的一个社会中，每个人都能扮演好自己的角色，并与他人维持良好的关系。 Confucianism is the largest Chinese school of thoughts, and the mainstream consciousness of the ancient China. Confucianism had been one of the ruling doctrines of the feudal ruling class since the Han Dynasty. The core of Confucianism is actually a kind of humanism. It advocates self-cultivation, and believes that human beings are teachable and improvable. A grand goal of Confucianism is to achieve a harmonious society in which each individual plays his or her part well, and maintains a good relationship with others.
8. 汉语是一种很古老的语言。大量文献记载说明，汉字起源于新石器时代 (the Neolithic Age) 仰韶文化时期，最早的汉子已有近4000年的历史。汉字在其漫长的发展史中演化出不同的书写形式，例如篆书 (seal script)、隶书 (official script)、楷书 (regular script) 和行书 (cursive handwriting)。中国书法家笔下的汉字往往以字形的夸张取得艺术效果，例如一些旅游胜地的石刻碑文。
Chinese is a very old language. A host of documental records shows that Chinese characters originated in Yaoshao Culture Period of the Neolithic Age, and its earliest characters date back to nearly 4000 years ago. During their long history of development, Chinese characters have evolved into many different script forms, such as seal script, official script, regular script and cursive handwriting. Chinese calligraphers usually render their Chinese characters in a way that is exaggerated in form to yield artistic beauty, such as those in stone inscriptions seen at some tourist resorts.
9. 孔子 (Confucius) 是我国古代著名的思想家、教育家，儒家学派 (Confucian School) 的创始人。相传孔子有弟子三千，贤弟子72人，孔子曾带领部分弟子周游列国14年。在中国五千年的历史上，对华夏民族的性格、气质 (temperament) 产生最大影响的就算是孔子了。他正直、乐观向上、积极进取。他一生都在追求真、善、美，一生都在追求理想的社会。他品格中的优点，几千年来影响着中国人，特别是影响着中国的知识分子。
Confucius is a famous ideologist, educator, and the founder of Confucian School in ancient China. It’s said he has 3000 disciples, 72 out of whom are excellent ones, and he has led some disciples to visit various states for 14 years. During 5000 years’ history of China, it’s Confucius who has exerted the greatest impact on Chinese nation’s characteristic and temperament. He is upright, optimistic, active and enterprising, striving for truthfulness, kindness and beauty, and seeking for an ideal society all his life. The shining points in his characteristics have been influencing the Chinese people, especially the Chinese intellectuals for thousand years.
10. 莫言，因其作品“将魔幻现实主义与民间故事、历史与当代社会融合在一起”而获得诺贝尔文学奖，是首位获此殊荣的中国籍作家。莫言生于山东高密，从小
辍学，21岁离家参军。许多人是通过导演张艺谋的电影《红高粱》(Red Sorghum) 才知道莫言的，《红高粱》正是改编自莫言的同名小说。莫言小说中的故事多发生在高密，在三十几年的写作生涯中，这个地方激发了他许多创作灵感。
Mo Yan is the first Chinese writer who received the honor of winning the Nobel Prize in Literature as his works “merges folk tales, history and the contemporary society with hallucinatory realism”. Born in Gaomi in Shandong Province, Mo Yan dropped out of school during childhood and left home to join the army at the age of 21. Many people came to know Mo Yan through director Zhang Yimou’s film Red Sorghum, which is adapted from Mo Yan’s novel of the same name. In most cases, stories of Mo Yan’s novels occur in Gaomi, and it’s this place that inspires his writing greatly during his over 30-year writing career.