春节是中国最具特色的重要传统节日,标志着中国农历新年的开始,从除夕一直持续到正月十五元宵节。春节是家人团圆的节日,这一点和西方的圣诞节很相似。在外地工作的人,都会不远千里回到家里和父母团聚。在除夕之夜,一家人聚在一起包饺子、吃年夜饭,即团圆饭。春节期间家家户户都会贴春联、贴年画。晚上12点左右,家家燃放烟花爆竹,辞旧迎新,希望送走不幸,迎来好运。春节第一天,大家互相拜年,送上最美好的祝愿。春节期间活动丰富,如敲锣、打鼓、走高跷、舞龙舞狮等。TheSpringFestivalisthemostuniqueandimportanttraditionalChineseholiday.ItmarksthebeginningoftheChineselunarNewYear,lastingfromtheNewYear'sEvetotheLanternFestivalonthe15thdayofthefirstlunarmonth.LikeChristmasintheWest,theSpringFestivalisatimeforfamilyreunion.Peopleworkingawayfromhomewilltravelalongdistancetocomebacktojointheirparents.OnNewYear'sEve,thewholefamilygetstogether,makingjiaoziandenjoyingthemealoftheEve,orfamilyreuniondinner.EveryhouseholdwillpasteupSpringFestivalcoupletsandChineseNewYearpictures.Around12o'clockatnight,everyfamilywillsetofffireworksandfirecrackerstogreetthenewdaysandsendofftheoldones,hopingtocastawaybadluckandbringforthgoodluck.OnthefirstdayoftheSpringFestival,peoplepayNewYear'scalls,givingbestwishestooneanother.TherearevariousactivitiesduringtheSpringFestival,suchasbeatingdrumsandstrikinggongs,aswellasstilt-walking,dragonandliondances.布达拉宫(PotalaPalace)是一座举世闻名的建筑群。它是世界上最高的古代宫殿,最高点达到3700米。布达拉宫占地总面积为36万平方米,主楼高117米,共13层。整座宮殿具有鲜明的藏式风格(Tibetanstyle}。布达拉宫堪称是一座各种艺术的博物馆,它收藏的无数珍宝对于研究西藏的政治、经济、历史和文化都具有重大的价值。1994年,布达拉官被列为世界文化遗产(worldculturalheritage)。ThePotalaPalaceisaworld-famousarchitecturecomplex.Itisthehighestancientpalaceintheworld,reaching3,700metersatthetoppoint.Coveringatotalareaof360,000squaremeters,thePotalaPalaceis117metershighforthemainbuildingin13stories.ThetotalpalaceisofdistinctTibetanstyle.ThePotalaPalaceiscalledasamuseumofvariousarts.Ithousesacollectionofnumeroustreasureswhichisofgreatvalueforthestudyofpolitics,economy,historyandcultureinTibet.In1994,thePotalaPalacewaslistedasaworldculturalheritagesite.兵马俑是20世纪最重大的考古发掘之一,1987年被联合国教科文组织列为世界文化遗产。兵马俑位于西安临潼,秦始皇陵以东约1.5公里。1974年,一群农民在皇家陵墓附近挖井时挖掘出一些陶器碎片,立即引起了考古学家的注意,然后才有了兵马俑这一伟大发现。1975年,国务院授权有关部门建立兵马俑博物馆。栩栩如生的兵马俑排成作战的阵势,成为博物馆最大的亮点。兵马俑是世界考古史上最伟大的发现之一,充分体现了中国古代人民的聪明才智和创造力。TheTerra-cottaWarriorsandHorses,oneofthemostsignificantarcheologicalexcavationsofthe20thcentury,werelistedbyUNESCOasaWorldCulturalHeritageSitein1987.Itislocatedabout1.5kimometerseastoftheMausoleumoftheFirstQinEmperorinLintong,Xi'an.In1974,agroupoffarmersunearthedsomepotteryfragmentswhilediggingawellnearbytheroyaltomb.ItcaughttheimmediateattentionofarcheologistsandledtothegreatdiscoveryoftheTerra-cottaWarriorsandHorses.In1975,theStateCounsilauthorizedthebuildingoftheMuseumoftheTerra-cottaWarriorsandHorses.Thelife-likeTerra-cottaWarriorsandHorsesarrangedinbattleformationsarethestarfeaturesatthemuseum.Asoneofthegreatestarcheologicaldiscoveriesintheworld,theTerra-cottaWarriorsandHorsesfullydemonstratetheextraordinarywisdomandsuperbcreativityoftheancientChinesepeople.长城是世界上最伟大的奇迹之一,1987年被列为联合国教科文组织世界文化遗产。它宛如一条巨龙,蜿蜒曲折,穿越草地、沙漠和高山,自西向东绵延8851.8公里(明长城)。经过两千多年的沧桑,长城部分城墙已经被毁或湮灭。但是,由于它建筑雄伟,历史悠久,长城现今依然是世界上最具吸引力的景点之一。(长城始建于春秋战国时期的燕、赵、秦等过,作为防御工事。)今天我们看到的长城主要建于明代。长城承载着丰富的中国文化,体现了中国人民的智慧和顽强。长城与黄河、长江一起,成为了中华民族的象征。TheGreatWall,oneofthegreatestwondersoftheworld,waslistedasaUNESCOWorldCulturalHeritageSitein1987.Likeagiantdragon,theGreatWallsindsitswayacrossgrasslands,desertsandmountains,stretchingapproximately8851.8kilometers(theMingwalls)fromwesttoeastofChina.Withahistoryofmorethan2000years,someofthesectionsarenowinruinsorhavedisappeared.However,itisstilloneofthemostappealingattractionsallaroundtheworldowingtoitsarchitecturalgrandeurandhistoricalsignificance.(TheGreatWallwasoriginallybuiltintheSpringandAutumnPeriodandtheWarringStatesPeriodasadefensiveprojectbystatesincludingYan,Zhao,andQin.)TheGreatWallweseetodaywasmostlybuiltduringtheMingDynasty.TheGreatWallcarriesaconsiderablepartofChinesecultureanddemonstratesthewisdomandtenacityoftheChinesepeople.IthasbecomeasymboloftheChinesenationalongwiththeYellowRiverandtheYangtzeRiver.莫高窟(MogaoCaves)位于古代丝绸之路上的重镇甘肃省敦煌市,被誉为20世纪最具有价值的文化发现,以其精美的壁画(murals)和雕像闻名于世。莫高窟始建于公元366年,历时近千年,到元朝已形成巨大的规模。现有洞窟492个,壁画45000余平方米,彩塑2400余尊,是世界上现存规模最大、保存最完好的佛教艺术宝库。莫高窟的壁画和雕塑反映了4世纪到14世纪中国社会生活的各个方面,为研究中国古代政治、经济、文化、宗教、民族关系等提供了珍贵资料。SituatedinthecityofDunhuang,GansuProvincealongtheancientSilkRoad,theMogaoCavesarehailedasthemostvaluableculturaldiscoveryinthe20thcentury,bestknownfortheirexquisitemuralsandstatuesintheworld.Initiatedin366A.D.,andafternearly1000yearsofconstruction,theMogaoCaveshadacquiredagiganticscalebytheYuanDynasty.With492cavesstoringmorethan45000squaremetersofmuralsandover2400coloredstatues,thesiteisnowtheworld'slargest,best-preservedtreasurehouseofBuddistart.ThesemuralsandsculpturesmirroredthevariousaspectsofChinesesociallifefromthe4thtothe14thcentury,andofferedpreciousdataforthestudyofancientChinaintermsofpolitics,economy,culture,religion,andethinicrelations.书法(calligraphy)是中国特有的一种书写艺术,也是世界上独一无二的艺术瑰宝。中国书法艺术的形成和发展与汉字的产生与演变有着密不可分的关系。汉字在漫长的演变过程中,不但起着思想交流、文化传播的重要作用,而且还发展成了一种独特的艺术形式。书法不仅是一种交流方式,也用来表现个人的内心世界。它能很好地反映出书法家的个人感情、知识、修养、个性等等,所以有“字如其人”的说法。作为中华民族的文化瑰宝之一,中国的书法在世界文化艺术宝库中独放异彩。Calligraphy,China'sspecialartofwriting,isauniquearttreasureinthew