The Chopsticks

　　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 than3,000 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.

　　中國是一個文化歷史悠久的(time.honoreD.國度，也是一個禮儀(ceremony anddecorum)之邦。每當客人來訪，都需要泡茶給客人喝。在給客人奉茶之前，你應該問問他們都喜歡喝什么類型的茶，并采用最合適的茶具奉上。奉茶期間，主人需要仔細留意客人的茶杯里的茶量。通常，若是用茶杯泡的茶，在茶喝完一半之后就應該加開水，這樣，茶杯就一直都是滿的，茶的芳香(bouquet)也得以保留。

　　Chinese Tea Culture

　　China is a country with a time-honored civilization and also a land of ceremony and decorum. Whenever guests visit, it is necessary to make and serve tea to them. Before serving tea, you may ask them for their preferences as to what kind of tea they fancy, and serve them the tea in the most appropriate teacups. In the course of serving tea, the host should take careful note of how much water remains in the guests' cups. Usually, if the tea is made in a teacup,boiling water should be added into the cup when half of the tea in it has been consumed; and thus the cup is kept filled and the tea retains the same bouquet.

　　每年農歷的正月十五是元宵節。早在兩千多年前的西漢時期(the Western Han Dynasty)，元宵節就已經成為一個具有重要意義的節日。在這天，人們制作各種漂亮的燈籠、設計有趣的燈謎;同時多種表演，如舞龍燈、舞獅子、踩高蹺(walking on stilts)等也會上演。和其他中國傳統節日一樣，元宵節也有特定的食品，叫“湯圓(gluepudding)”。漢語中，湯圓和“團圓”發音相似，代表著家庭團圓、和諧和快樂。

　　The Lantern Festival

　　The Lantern Festival falls on the 15th day of the 1st lunar month. As early as more than2,000 years ago, in the Western Han Dynasty, it had become a festival with great significance.

　　On the Lantern Festival, Chinese people craft many types of beautiful lanterns and create many interesting lantern riddles. At the same time, performances such as dragon lantern dance, lion dance and walking on stilts will be staged. Just like China's other traditional festivals, the Lantern Festival also has its own special dish-- "Tangyuan, a glue pudding". Tangyuan has asimilar pronunciation with "tuanyuan (reunion)" in Chinese, representing reunion, harmony and happiness for the family.