中国传统节日中英文名称
春节(农历正月初一) Spring Festival
除夕 New Year¡s Eve
正月 lunar January
初一 the beginning of New Year
元宵节(农历正月十五) Lantern Festival
端午节(农历五月初五) Duan Wu Festival or Dragon Boat Festival(龙舟节) 清明节 Ching Ming Festival
中秋节(农历八月十五) Mid-Autumn Chinese Festival
重阳节(农历九月初九) Chung Yeung Festival or Double-ninth Day 腊八节(农历腊月初八) the laba Rice Porridge Festival
过年 celebrate the spring festival
春联 spring festival couplets
剪纸 paper-cuts
年画 new year paintings
买年货 do shopping for the spring festival；do spring festival shopping 敬酒 propose a toast
灯笼 lantern
烟花 fireworks
爆竹 firecrackers (people scare off evil spirits and ghosts with the loud
pop.)
红包 red packets (cash wrapped up in red paper，symbolize fortune and
wealth in the coming year.)
舞狮 lion dance (the lion is believed to be able to dispel evil and bring
good luck.)
舞龙 dragon dance (to expect good weather and good harvests) 戏曲 traditional opera
杂耍 variety show
灯谜 riddles written on lanterns
灯会 exhibit of lanterns
守岁 staying-up
拜年 pay new year's call；give new year's greetings；pay new year's visit 禁忌 taboo
去晦气 get rid of the ill- fortune
祭祖宗 offer sacrifices to one's ancestors
压岁钱 gift money；money given to children as a lunar new year gift
culture note；
辞旧岁 bid farewell to the old year
扫房 spring cleaning; general house-cleaning
年糕 nian-gao; rise cake; new year cake
团圆饭 family reunion dinner
年夜饭 the dinner on new year's eve
饺子 jiao-zi/dumpling; chinese meat ravioli
粽子 rice dumpling
春节
农历的正(zheng)月初一，是中国的农历新年。在中国的传统节日中，这是一个最重要、最热闹的节日。因为过农历新年的时候，正是冬末春初，所以人们也把这个节日叫“春节”。 中国人过春节有很多传统习俗。从腊月二十三起，人们就开始准备过年了。在这段时间里，家家户户要大扫除，买年货，贴窗花，挂年画，写春联，蒸年糕，做好各种食品，准备辞旧迎新。
The first day of the first lunar month is the New Year in the Chinese lunar calendar. Among traditional Chinese festivals, this is the most important and the most bustling. Since it occurs at the end of winter and the beginning of spring, people also call it the Spring Festival.
Chinese have many traditional customs relating to the Spring Festival. Since the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month, people start to prepare for the event. Every family will undertake thorough cleaning, do their Spring Festival shopping, create paper-cuts for window decoration, put up New Year pictures, write Spring Festival couplets, make New Year cakes, and also prepare all kinds of food to bid farewell to the old and usher in the new.
中秋节
农历八月十五，中秋节，也被称为月亮节，是中国继春节后的第二个传统节日。这是一个与家人团聚的机会。在这一天，月亮极其明亮浑圆。按传统，所有家庭成员都会在节日的晚上团聚，吃“团圆饭”和月饼，一边欣赏美丽的秋天的满月。
如果一个家庭成员远在他乡，不能回家，他会通过圆月向家人转达他的思乡之情。因此，月亮成为沟通交流和精神寄托的媒介。
The Mid-Autumn Festival
Falling on the fifteenth day of the eighth month of lunar calendar, the Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as Moon Festival, is China’s second traditional festival next to the Spring Festival. It is an occasion for family reunion. On this day the moon is extremely bright and perfectly round. Traditionally, all families would get together on the evening of the festival to have the “family reunion dinner” and eat the round moon-cakes while enjoying the beauty of the full autumn moon.
If one of the family members was far away on duty and could not come home, he would convey his homesickness through the moon to his family. So the moon becomes a medium of communication and spiritual sustenance.
中国书法
书法是中国特有的一种传统文化及艺术。 它是汉字书写的一种法则。中国书法艺术已经逐渐被日本和韩国文化接受。
汉字是汉字文化圈广泛使用的一种文字，属于表意文字(ideogram)，为上古时代的汉族人所发明创制并作改进。汉字确切历史可追溯至约公元前1300年商朝的甲骨文(Oracle)。再由秦朝的小篆，发展至汉朝被取名为“汉字”，至唐代演变为今日所用的手写字体标准 ---- 楷书(regular script)。汉字是迄今为止连续使用时间最长的主要文字，也是上古时期各大文字体系中唯一传承至今的文字。
Chinese calligraphy
Chinese calligraphy is a unique traditional culture and arts. It is a law of Chinese writing. Chinese calligraphy has been gradually accepted by the Japanese and Korean culture.
Chinese characters, being ideogram, are widely used in a Chinese cultural circle, which were invented and improved by the Han people in ancient times. The exact history of Chinese characters can be traced back to Shang Dynasty Oracle about 1300 BC. Then Xiao Zhuan in the Qin Dynasty, developed to the Han Dynasty and was named
中国食品
中国食品因其丰富的种类而闻名于世。据数据统计，从古至今著名的中国菜的品种多达8000，配料可以粗略地分为600类。有48个不同的基本的烹调方法，包括烘焙，煎炒和水煮，所有这些都会使配料表现绝佳。此外，中国烹饪注重三个要领：色，香，味。由此，中国餐桌上的每道菜看起来就像艺术品，好看好吃。
中国是一个幅员辽阔的国家。每个地区的烹饪都有丰富的本土特色菜。这意味着，配料和烹饪风格的范围是极其广泛和多样化的。
Chinese food is known for its variety and abundance. According to data on the subject, the number of well-known ancient and modern Chinese dishes amounts to 8,000. The ingredients may be roughly classified into 600 categories. There are 48 different basic ways of cooking, including roasting, frying and boiling, all of which bring out the best of the ingredients. Besides, Chinese cooking lays emphasis on the three essentials: colour, flavor and taste, and thus every dish on the Chinese meal table looks like a piece of art, good-looking and delicious.
China is a vast country. Each area has a wealth of local specialties in its cooking. This means that the range of ingredients and cooking styles is incredibly wide and varied.
小孩儿满月
One-Month-Old Feast and One-Year-Old Catch(zhuazhou) of babies
在中国，小孩儿的满月酒和抓周仪式独具特色。在孩子的成长过程中，这两个仪式有里程碑式的纪念意义。
小孩儿出生满一个月的那天，孩子的家人一般要招呼亲朋挚友，邀请他们一起来庆祝孩子满月。按照中国的传统，这一天，家里会充满了喜庆和节日的氛围，满月就要办得热热闹闹才行。不过最近这些年，这个习俗在城市尤其是年轻夫妇中有逐渐被淡化的趋势。但是，小孩儿满月对于每个家庭来说，仍然是一个非常值得纪念的高兴的日子。
One-Month-Old Feast and One-Year-Old Catch(zhuazhou) of babies
In China,One-Month-Old Feast and One-Year-Old Catch of a baby are of unique Chinese characteristics.These two ceremonies are milestone-like significance in the growing process of a baby.
On the day when a baby is a month old,the family of the baby will invite their friends and relatives to a ceremony to celebrate the occasion.In a traditional One-Month-Old Ceremony,there will be a rejoicing and festive atmosphere in the family and the feast is supposed to be lively and joyful.However,in recent years this custom has been gradually abandoned among young people.Nevertheless,One-Month-Old Feast still remai
ns a memorable and happy moment for every family.
Confucius
孔子被视为“至圣先师”，万世师表。他奠定了中国教育的基础。从文明的曙光到1911年辛亥革命，他深深地影响着中国人的生活和思想。他被视为中国人的心灵和品格的铸造师。他的思想和教育被视为中国传统文化的象征。
Confucius is regarded as the “Great and Revered Teacher” (至圣先师)， a teacher for all generations (万世师表). He has laid down the foundation of Chinese education. From the dawn of civilization to the Revolution of 1911 (辛亥革命)， he has so deeply influenced the life and thought of the Chinese people that he is regarded as the moulder of the Chinese mind and character. His thoughts and teachings are regarded as the symbol of traditional Chinese culture.
China’s Tea Culture
饮茶是中国文化的一个组成部分。中国是茶的原创者，其种植和制作茶叶的技能，以及饮茶习俗遍及欧洲，然后，通过古老的“丝绸之路”和其他贸易渠道等文化交流，又传入其他地区。在世界文明史上中华民族用茶文化写下了辉煌的一页。丝绸和茶叶是中国民族的骄傲。茶的开发和推广，是中国向世界作出的主要贡献之一。
饮茶在中国是一个全国性的习俗。它是中国人一日三餐茶饭中的必要。客人来时，给他/ 她捧出一杯茶是一种礼节。每个城镇和城市都有许多茶馆。老人们常常早起，赶紧到茶馆享受一杯茶。正如老舍名剧所示, 茶馆就是一个社会。
Tea-drinking is a constituent part of Chinese culture. China is an original producer of tea and its skills in planting and making tea, its customs of tea-drinking spread over to Europe, and then, to many other regions though cultural exchange via the ancient “Silk Road” and other channels of trade. The Chinese nation has written a brilliant page for its tea culture in the history of world civilization. Together with silk, tea is the pride of the Chinese nation. The development and promotion of tea has been one of China’s principal contributions to the world.
Tea-drinking is a nation-wide custom in China. It is a daily necessity for the Chinese to have three meals and tea a day. When any guest comes, it is a rite to present a cup of tea to him/ her. There are numerous teahouse in every town and city. Often many elderly people rise early in the morning and hurry to the teahouse to enjoy a cup of tea. A teahouse is a society as shown by Lao She’s famous play The Teahouse (茶馆).
The Lantern Festival
元宵节是最具传统性和丰富多彩的中国节日之一。在中国农历的第一个月的第15天，是“ 节日中的节日”，并把春节推向了高潮。据史料记载，这个节日在西汉时期（公元前206年 - 公元24年）开始流行，并在唐宋时期盛行。
灯笼可以打破黑暗，照亮土地，并给人们带来光明和希望。因此，在中国大地上人们庆祝元宵节已有一千多年的历史。
现在，在城市和城镇大多数元宵节都是在公园举行。灯笼在样式和色彩上愈加丰富多彩，高科技的使用则带来了很奇妙的效果。传统和现代的主题并存，且往往呈现出本土风味。 The Lantern Festival is one of the most traditional and colorful of Chinese holidays. Falling on
the 15th day of the first month in Chinese lunar calendar, it is really “a festival within a festival”, bringing the spring festival to a climax. According to historical records, this festival began to prevail in the Western Han Dynasty (206 B.C. --- 24 A.D.) and flourished during the Tang and Song dynasties.
Lanterns can break darkness, illuminate the land and bring brightness and hope to people. So the Lantern Festival has been observed by people for more than one thousand years and celebrated all over China.
Now most lantern festivals are held in public parks in cities and towns. The lanterns are more varied and colorful, and high technology is used to bring marvelous effects. The themes are both traditional and modern and often take on a local flavor.
Four Great Inventions
Paper
中国最早的字刻在骨头，龟甲上，在商代则刻在青铜器上，之后，写在丝绸，竹块和木条上。必须要找到更好的书写材料。在东汉，蔡伦用廉价的材料，如树皮纤维、麻、破布，旧渔网来造纸，着被称为蔡伦纸。它轻且价格便宜，很快普及开来并取代竹、木条和丝绸成为书写材料作。
后来，造纸技术工艺和设备都有了进一步发展。他们被介绍到许多国家，如越南，韩国，日本，印度和沙特阿拉伯，然后又传到欧洲和世界其他地区。它对整个世界的文化，不仅仅是中国文化的进步给予了极大的推动。
The earliest Chinese characters were inscribed on bones, tortoise shells and bronze wares in the Shang Dynasty and later, written on silk, bamboo and wood. Better materials for writing had to be found. In the Eastern Han Dynasty, Cai Lun used inexpensive materials such as fibers of tree bark, hemp, rags and old fishing-nets to make paper, known as Cai Lun paper. Light and cheap, it soon became widespread and replaced bamboo or wood strip and silk for writing.
Later on, technological processes and equipment for paper-making were further developed. They were introduced into many foreign countries such as Viet Nam, Korea, Japan, India and Arabia, and then to Europe and the rest of the world. It gave a great impetus to cultural progress not only in China but throughout the world.
Printing
11世纪末一位叫毕昇的人发明了活字印刷术，其影响深远。毕昇首先在粘土骰子（clay dice）上刻上一些文字，并把它们放在火里烧硬。然后，将活字被放在围着铁框的铁板上，再在铁板上覆盖树脂（resin）和蜡。被加热时，树脂和蜡熔化。然后用另一铁板将字面压平，就做成了活字制版（type blocks？）。一本书被印刷后，可以通过融化掉树脂和蜡来拆版，而活字可以再利用。
既经济又方便的技术为印刷带来一场了革命。在十八世纪中期，印刷向东开始被引入到韩国和日本，在西方传入埃及和欧洲，这对世界文化的发展产生了巨大的作用。
By the end of the 11th century a man call Bi Sheng invented movable type printing, which had a far-reaching influence. Bi Sheng first engraved characters on clay dice and put them in fire to turn hard. Then characters were arranged in a frame on an iron plate covered with resin (树脂) and wax. Being heated, the resin and wax melted. Then another iron plate was used to level the
characters to produce type blocks. After a book was printed, the blocks could be dismantled by melting the resin and wax and the characters could be used again.
Economical and convenient, the use of these types brought about a revolution in printing. In the mid-eighth century, printing began to be introduced into Korea and Japan in the East and Egypt and Europe in the West, playing a great role in the cultural development of the world.
Gunpowder
火药的发明源于中国古代道家企图制作出长生不老丸（“pills of immortality”），并点石成金（turn cheap metals into gold）。第一个记录制造火药方法的人是孙思邈，他是唐代著名的药理学家（药物学家），曾试图制作长生不老丸。
直到唐朝末年火药才用于岩石爆破和军事。在十一世纪南北宋时期，火药被用在武器上，包括土炮（cannon）。在13世纪，元朝军队在中亚与阿拉伯国家的战争中使用了各种武器。火药通过阿拉伯人传到欧洲。到了15世纪，用于大炮的火药被欧洲人发明。
The invention of gunpowder was due to the ancient Chinese Taoists’ attempt to make “pills of immortality” (长生不老丸) and to turn cheap metals into gold (点石成金). The first to record the method of making gunpowder was Sun Simiao (孙思邈), a well-known pharmacologist (药物学家) of the Tang Dynasty, who tried to make “pills of immortality”.
Gunpowder was not used for rock-blasting and military purposes until the end of Tang Dynasty. Weapons involving the use of gunpowder, including the cannon, were invented in the eleventh century in the Northern and Southern Song Dyasties. In the 13th century the Yuan troops used various kinds of weapons in the war with the Arab countries in Central Asia. Gunpowder spread to Europe through the Arabians. By the 15th century cannons using gunpowder were being invented by the Europeans.
Compass
中国早在战国时期就发现了磁石（lodestone）的磁学性质。原始的指南针是由一块完整的天然磁铁矿切成的勺子形状。勺子放入一个平托盘的中心并旋转。勺子停止时，其手柄指出南部，头部则指向北。
在指南针发明以前，人们通过日间的太阳和夜晚星星的位置来确定方向。当阴雨时，这种方法就不可行。这个问题直到发明了指南针才得以解决。在一定程度上，指南针的发明带来了世界各国之间的经济和文化交流。
The magnetic property of the lodestone (天然磁石) was known to the Chinese as early as the Warring States Period. The primitive compass was invented in the shape of a spoon cut from an intact piece of natural magnetite. The spoon was put in the center of a level tray and rotated. When the spoon stopped, its handle pointed to the south, its head to the north.
Before the compass was invented, people had to determine direction by the position of the sun in day-time and the stars at night. When it was cloudy and rainy, this had become impossible. The problem remained unsolved until the invention of the compass. To some degree, the invention of the compass has brought about economic and cultural exchange between various countries of the world.
中国传统节日中英文名称
春节(农历正月初一) Spring Festival
除夕 New Year¡s Eve
正月 lunar January
初一 the beginning of New Year
元宵节(农历正月十五) Lantern Festival
端午节(农历五月初五) Duan Wu Festival or Dragon Boat Festival(龙舟节) 清明节 Ching Ming Festival
中秋节(农历八月十五) Mid-Autumn Chinese Festival
重阳节(农历九月初九) Chung Yeung Festival or Double-ninth Day 腊八节(农历腊月初八) the laba Rice Porridge Festival
过年 celebrate the spring festival
春联 spring festival couplets
剪纸 paper-cuts
年画 new year paintings
买年货 do shopping for the spring festival；do spring festival shopping 敬酒 propose a toast
灯笼 lantern
烟花 fireworks
爆竹 firecrackers (people scare off evil spirits and ghosts with the loud
pop.)
红包 red packets (cash wrapped up in red paper，symbolize fortune and
wealth in the coming year.)
舞狮 lion dance (the lion is believed to be able to dispel evil and bring
good luck.)
舞龙 dragon dance (to expect good weather and good harvests) 戏曲 traditional opera
杂耍 variety show
灯谜 riddles written on lanterns
灯会 exhibit of lanterns
守岁 staying-up
拜年 pay new year's call；give new year's greetings；pay new year's visit 禁忌 taboo
去晦气 get rid of the ill- fortune
祭祖宗 offer sacrifices to one's ancestors
压岁钱 gift money；money given to children as a lunar new year gift
culture note；
辞旧岁 bid farewell to the old year
扫房 spring cleaning; general house-cleaning
年糕 nian-gao; rise cake; new year cake
团圆饭 family reunion dinner
年夜饭 the dinner on new year's eve
饺子 jiao-zi/dumpling; chinese meat ravioli
粽子 rice dumpling
春节
农历的正(zheng)月初一，是中国的农历新年。在中国的传统节日中，这是一个最重要、最热闹的节日。因为过农历新年的时候，正是冬末春初，所以人们也把这个节日叫“春节”。 中国人过春节有很多传统习俗。从腊月二十三起，人们就开始准备过年了。在这段时间里，家家户户要大扫除，买年货，贴窗花，挂年画，写春联，蒸年糕，做好各种食品，准备辞旧迎新。
The first day of the first lunar month is the New Year in the Chinese lunar calendar. Among traditional Chinese festivals, this is the most important and the most bustling. Since it occurs at the end of winter and the beginning of spring, people also call it the Spring Festival.
Chinese have many traditional customs relating to the Spring Festival. Since the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month, people start to prepare for the event. Every family will undertake thorough cleaning, do their Spring Festival shopping, create paper-cuts for window decoration, put up New Year pictures, write Spring Festival couplets, make New Year cakes, and also prepare all kinds of food to bid farewell to the old and usher in the new.
中秋节
农历八月十五，中秋节，也被称为月亮节，是中国继春节后的第二个传统节日。这是一个与家人团聚的机会。在这一天，月亮极其明亮浑圆。按传统，所有家庭成员都会在节日的晚上团聚，吃“团圆饭”和月饼，一边欣赏美丽的秋天的满月。
如果一个家庭成员远在他乡，不能回家，他会通过圆月向家人转达他的思乡之情。因此，月亮成为沟通交流和精神寄托的媒介。
The Mid-Autumn Festival
Falling on the fifteenth day of the eighth month of lunar calendar, the Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as Moon Festival, is China’s second traditional festival next to the Spring Festival. It is an occasion for family reunion. On this day the moon is extremely bright and perfectly round. Traditionally, all families would get together on the evening of the festival to have the “family reunion dinner” and eat the round moon-cakes while enjoying the beauty of the full autumn moon.
If one of the family members was far away on duty and could not come home, he would convey his homesickness through the moon to his family. So the moon becomes a medium of communication and spiritual sustenance.
中国书法
书法是中国特有的一种传统文化及艺术。 它是汉字书写的一种法则。中国书法艺术已经逐渐被日本和韩国文化接受。
汉字是汉字文化圈广泛使用的一种文字，属于表意文字(ideogram)，为上古时代的汉族人所发明创制并作改进。汉字确切历史可追溯至约公元前1300年商朝的甲骨文(Oracle)。再由秦朝的小篆，发展至汉朝被取名为“汉字”，至唐代演变为今日所用的手写字体标准 ---- 楷书(regular script)。汉字是迄今为止连续使用时间最长的主要文字，也是上古时期各大文字体系中唯一传承至今的文字。
Chinese calligraphy
Chinese calligraphy is a unique traditional culture and arts. It is a law of Chinese writing. Chinese calligraphy has been gradually accepted by the Japanese and Korean culture.
Chinese characters, being ideogram, are widely used in a Chinese cultural circle, which were invented and improved by the Han people in ancient times. The exact history of Chinese characters can be traced back to Shang Dynasty Oracle about 1300 BC. Then Xiao Zhuan in the Qin Dynasty, developed to the Han Dynasty and was named
中国食品
中国食品因其丰富的种类而闻名于世。据数据统计，从古至今著名的中国菜的品种多达8000，配料可以粗略地分为600类。有48个不同的基本的烹调方法，包括烘焙，煎炒和水煮，所有这些都会使配料表现绝佳。此外，中国烹饪注重三个要领：色，香，味。由此，中国餐桌上的每道菜看起来就像艺术品，好看好吃。
中国是一个幅员辽阔的国家。每个地区的烹饪都有丰富的本土特色菜。这意味着，配料和烹饪风格的范围是极其广泛和多样化的。
Chinese food is known for its variety and abundance. According to data on the subject, the number of well-known ancient and modern Chinese dishes amounts to 8,000. The ingredients may be roughly classified into 600 categories. There are 48 different basic ways of cooking, including roasting, frying and boiling, all of which bring out the best of the ingredients. Besides, Chinese cooking lays emphasis on the three essentials: colour, flavor and taste, and thus every dish on the Chinese meal table looks like a piece of art, good-looking and delicious.
China is a vast country. Each area has a wealth of local specialties in its cooking. This means that the range of ingredients and cooking styles is incredibly wide and varied.
小孩儿满月
One-Month-Old Feast and One-Year-Old Catch(zhuazhou) of babies
在中国，小孩儿的满月酒和抓周仪式独具特色。在孩子的成长过程中，这两个仪式有里程碑式的纪念意义。
小孩儿出生满一个月的那天，孩子的家人一般要招呼亲朋挚友，邀请他们一起来庆祝孩子满月。按照中国的传统，这一天，家里会充满了喜庆和节日的氛围，满月就要办得热热闹闹才行。不过最近这些年，这个习俗在城市尤其是年轻夫妇中有逐渐被淡化的趋势。但是，小孩儿满月对于每个家庭来说，仍然是一个非常值得纪念的高兴的日子。
One-Month-Old Feast and One-Year-Old Catch(zhuazhou) of babies
In China,One-Month-Old Feast and One-Year-Old Catch of a baby are of unique Chinese characteristics.These two ceremonies are milestone-like significance in the growing process of a baby.
On the day when a baby is a month old,the family of the baby will invite their friends and relatives to a ceremony to celebrate the occasion.In a traditional One-Month-Old Ceremony,there will be a rejoicing and festive atmosphere in the family and the feast is supposed to be lively and joyful.However,in recent years this custom has been gradually abandoned among young people.Nevertheless,One-Month-Old Feast still remai
ns a memorable and happy moment for every family.
Confucius
孔子被视为“至圣先师”，万世师表。他奠定了中国教育的基础。从文明的曙光到1911年辛亥革命，他深深地影响着中国人的生活和思想。他被视为中国人的心灵和品格的铸造师。他的思想和教育被视为中国传统文化的象征。
Confucius is regarded as the “Great and Revered Teacher” (至圣先师)， a teacher for all generations (万世师表). He has laid down the foundation of Chinese education. From the dawn of civilization to the Revolution of 1911 (辛亥革命)， he has so deeply influenced the life and thought of the Chinese people that he is regarded as the moulder of the Chinese mind and character. His thoughts and teachings are regarded as the symbol of traditional Chinese culture.
China’s Tea Culture
饮茶是中国文化的一个组成部分。中国是茶的原创者，其种植和制作茶叶的技能，以及饮茶习俗遍及欧洲，然后，通过古老的“丝绸之路”和其他贸易渠道等文化交流，又传入其他地区。在世界文明史上中华民族用茶文化写下了辉煌的一页。丝绸和茶叶是中国民族的骄傲。茶的开发和推广，是中国向世界作出的主要贡献之一。
饮茶在中国是一个全国性的习俗。它是中国人一日三餐茶饭中的必要。客人来时，给他/ 她捧出一杯茶是一种礼节。每个城镇和城市都有许多茶馆。老人们常常早起，赶紧到茶馆享受一杯茶。正如老舍名剧所示, 茶馆就是一个社会。
Tea-drinking is a constituent part of Chinese culture. China is an original producer of tea and its skills in planting and making tea, its customs of tea-drinking spread over to Europe, and then, to many other regions though cultural exchange via the ancient “Silk Road” and other channels of trade. The Chinese nation has written a brilliant page for its tea culture in the history of world civilization. Together with silk, tea is the pride of the Chinese nation. The development and promotion of tea has been one of China’s principal contributions to the world.
Tea-drinking is a nation-wide custom in China. It is a daily necessity for the Chinese to have three meals and tea a day. When any guest comes, it is a rite to present a cup of tea to him/ her. There are numerous teahouse in every town and city. Often many elderly people rise early in the morning and hurry to the teahouse to enjoy a cup of tea. A teahouse is a society as shown by Lao She’s famous play The Teahouse (茶馆).
The Lantern Festival
元宵节是最具传统性和丰富多彩的中国节日之一。在中国农历的第一个月的第15天，是“ 节日中的节日”，并把春节推向了高潮。据史料记载，这个节日在西汉时期（公元前206年 - 公元24年）开始流行，并在唐宋时期盛行。
灯笼可以打破黑暗，照亮土地，并给人们带来光明和希望。因此，在中国大地上人们庆祝元宵节已有一千多年的历史。
现在，在城市和城镇大多数元宵节都是在公园举行。灯笼在样式和色彩上愈加丰富多彩，高科技的使用则带来了很奇妙的效果。传统和现代的主题并存，且往往呈现出本土风味。 The Lantern Festival is one of the most traditional and colorful of Chinese holidays. Falling on
the 15th day of the first month in Chinese lunar calendar, it is really “a festival within a festival”, bringing the spring festival to a climax. According to historical records, this festival began to prevail in the Western Han Dynasty (206 B.C. --- 24 A.D.) and flourished during the Tang and Song dynasties.
Lanterns can break darkness, illuminate the land and bring brightness and hope to people. So the Lantern Festival has been observed by people for more than one thousand years and celebrated all over China.
Now most lantern festivals are held in public parks in cities and towns. The lanterns are more varied and colorful, and high technology is used to bring marvelous effects. The themes are both traditional and modern and often take on a local flavor.
Four Great Inventions
Paper
中国最早的字刻在骨头，龟甲上，在商代则刻在青铜器上，之后，写在丝绸，竹块和木条上。必须要找到更好的书写材料。在东汉，蔡伦用廉价的材料，如树皮纤维、麻、破布，旧渔网来造纸，着被称为蔡伦纸。它轻且价格便宜，很快普及开来并取代竹、木条和丝绸成为书写材料作。
后来，造纸技术工艺和设备都有了进一步发展。他们被介绍到许多国家，如越南，韩国，日本，印度和沙特阿拉伯，然后又传到欧洲和世界其他地区。它对整个世界的文化，不仅仅是中国文化的进步给予了极大的推动。
The earliest Chinese characters were inscribed on bones, tortoise shells and bronze wares in the Shang Dynasty and later, written on silk, bamboo and wood. Better materials for writing had to be found. In the Eastern Han Dynasty, Cai Lun used inexpensive materials such as fibers of tree bark, hemp, rags and old fishing-nets to make paper, known as Cai Lun paper. Light and cheap, it soon became widespread and replaced bamboo or wood strip and silk for writing.
Later on, technological processes and equipment for paper-making were further developed. They were introduced into many foreign countries such as Viet Nam, Korea, Japan, India and Arabia, and then to Europe and the rest of the world. It gave a great impetus to cultural progress not only in China but throughout the world.
Printing
11世纪末一位叫毕昇的人发明了活字印刷术，其影响深远。毕昇首先在粘土骰子（clay dice）上刻上一些文字，并把它们放在火里烧硬。然后，将活字被放在围着铁框的铁板上，再在铁板上覆盖树脂（resin）和蜡。被加热时，树脂和蜡熔化。然后用另一铁板将字面压平，就做成了活字制版（type blocks？）。一本书被印刷后，可以通过融化掉树脂和蜡来拆版，而活字可以再利用。
既经济又方便的技术为印刷带来一场了革命。在十八世纪中期，印刷向东开始被引入到韩国和日本，在西方传入埃及和欧洲，这对世界文化的发展产生了巨大的作用。
By the end of the 11th century a man call Bi Sheng invented movable type printing, which had a far-reaching influence. Bi Sheng first engraved characters on clay dice and put them in fire to turn hard. Then characters were arranged in a frame on an iron plate covered with resin (树脂) and wax. Being heated, the resin and wax melted. Then another iron plate was used to level the
characters to produce type blocks. After a book was printed, the blocks could be dismantled by melting the resin and wax and the characters could be used again.
Economical and convenient, the use of these types brought about a revolution in printing. In the mid-eighth century, printing began to be introduced into Korea and Japan in the East and Egypt and Europe in the West, playing a great role in the cultural development of the world.
Gunpowder
火药的发明源于中国古代道家企图制作出长生不老丸（“pills of immortality”），并点石成金（turn cheap metals into gold）。第一个记录制造火药方法的人是孙思邈，他是唐代著名的药理学家（药物学家），曾试图制作长生不老丸。
直到唐朝末年火药才用于岩石爆破和军事。在十一世纪南北宋时期，火药被用在武器上，包括土炮（cannon）。在13世纪，元朝军队在中亚与阿拉伯国家的战争中使用了各种武器。火药通过阿拉伯人传到欧洲。到了15世纪，用于大炮的火药被欧洲人发明。
The invention of gunpowder was due to the ancient Chinese Taoists’ attempt to make “pills of immortality” (长生不老丸) and to turn cheap metals into gold (点石成金). The first to record the method of making gunpowder was Sun Simiao (孙思邈), a well-known pharmacologist (药物学家) of the Tang Dynasty, who tried to make “pills of immortality”.
Gunpowder was not used for rock-blasting and military purposes until the end of Tang Dynasty. Weapons involving the use of gunpowder, including the cannon, were invented in the eleventh century in the Northern and Southern Song Dyasties. In the 13th century the Yuan troops used various kinds of weapons in the war with the Arab countries in Central Asia. Gunpowder spread to Europe through the Arabians. By the 15th century cannons using gunpowder were being invented by the Europeans.
Compass
中国早在战国时期就发现了磁石（lodestone）的磁学性质。原始的指南针是由一块完整的天然磁铁矿切成的勺子形状。勺子放入一个平托盘的中心并旋转。勺子停止时，其手柄指出南部，头部则指向北。
在指南针发明以前，人们通过日间的太阳和夜晚星星的位置来确定方向。当阴雨时，这种方法就不可行。这个问题直到发明了指南针才得以解决。在一定程度上，指南针的发明带来了世界各国之间的经济和文化交流。
The magnetic property of the lodestone (天然磁石) was known to the Chinese as early as the Warring States Period. The primitive compass was invented in the shape of a spoon cut from an intact piece of natural magnetite. The spoon was put in the center of a level tray and rotated. When the spoon stopped, its handle pointed to the south, its head to the north.
Before the compass was invented, people had to determine direction by the position of the sun in day-time and the stars at night. When it was cloudy and rainy, this had become impossible. The problem remained unsolved until the invention of the compass. To some degree, the invention of the compass has brought about economic and cultural exchange between various countries of the world.