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Here's the news. A rare portrait of a Chinese emperor by an Italian painter has been unveiled in Shanghai.
the first time that the work has been exhibited in China in over three hundred years.
The portrait of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty is an intriguing addition to the exhibition entitled the 18th century Masterpieces, which features pieces from the collections of Uffizi Galleries in Italy.
The exhibition is being held at the Bund 1 art museum in Shanghai and runs until August 25.
Giovanni Gerardini, the painter who traveled to China with a group of missionaries, completed the painting when serving at the Imperial Court in Beijing between 1700 and 1704.
Some records suggest that the portrait was brought to Italy a few years later.
The portrait depicted Emperor Kangxi in a blue casual garment.
His face appears younger and distinct from the portrait collected in the palace museum, which is more familiar to the Chinese public.
Simon Verde, the director of the Uffizi galleries, says that it was common for painters with different techniques and subjective impressions to present very different looks of the same person the director has expressed hopes that one day the two portraits can be exhibited together so that the audience will have their own answers you're listening to special English.
As anticipation builds for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, the Olympic economy in East soaring exports of sports equipment and Olympic -themed products.
The Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic village was officially inaugurated earlier this year in a milestone moment that included 3 ,000 eco -friendly lazy sofas crafted by Rei Ri, a home textile company based in Tongxiang City in Zhejiang.
Fei Zhongfu, chairman of the company, says their sofas are filled with recycled foam scraps and clad in a special fabric that is both water resistant and flame retardant to the global standards.
Zhejiang Textwell Textile Corporation has been at the forefront of functional fabric innovation since 2008, providing a tire for major international events including the Beijing Olympics, the Beijing Winter Olympics, and the Hangzhou Asian Games.
For the Paris Olympics, the Hainan based company has expanded its expertise by collaborating with sports brands to develop high performance and eco -friendly fabrics for athletes from various nations, with moisture wicking, quick drying, and heat -retention properties.
According to Huo Xiaochun, a senior staff with the corporation, currently over 50 % of the company's products are crafted from recycled materials, with fabric integrated with yarn spun from recycled PET bottle chips.
Yi Wu, often dubbed as the world's supermarket, is abuzz with orders ahead of the Olympics.
Guo -hui Ping, a business operator at Yi Wu International Trade Market, has witnessed a surge in both new and returning customers, noting that light sticks for cheering are particularly popular.
According to Guo, this light stick, customizable in the colors of the French flag, which is blue, white, and red, has been a popular choice among French customers.
A client of Gouot has recently ordered a hundred boxes of the product along with similar bulk orders for other popular items at Yiwu International Trade Market abundant products featuring the French tricolor, the Eiffel Tower, and the Gallic Rooster indicate merchant's readiness for the Paris Olympics.
Joe Ting Ting, another business operator, highlighted the high demand for their uniquely designed products that combine French emblems with the national flag.
Joe reported a more than 50 percent increase in exports to France compared to last year, including costume sets and national flag products.
Many business operators see the Olympics as an opportunity to expand beyond France into other European markets and to capture an increased market share.
some have introduced new products tailored to European tastes.
The customs data shows that in the first four months of this year Yiwu's exports of sports Its goods total 3 .1 billion yuan, which is over $400 million, marking a year -on -year increase of 45 % and exports to France amounted to 1 billion Yuan up 22%.
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The vast marshes, lakes, and lush reed beds that attract flocks of migratory birds to China's northern frontier every year are now beckoning enthusiastic campers to spend a night or two amidst nature's embrace.
The city of Chichi 'har, meaning natural meadow in the local ethnic language, is home to around five million people.
With its scenic beauty and enhanced infrastructure, the city has emerged as a new -found haven for both locals and travelers alike.
Located in the fertile river plains of Western Heilongjiang province in northern China, The city received around 3 .2 million tourism visits during this year's May Day holiday.
With the arrival of summer, the city's 22 campsites are preparing to welcome campers, cyclists, and travelers.
Last year saw over half a million people, including both local holiday -makers, and visitors from afar flock to these campgrounds, with their spending reaching 11 million yuan, about 1 .5 million U .S.
dollars. With the surge in popularity, managing the influx of tourists has become a balancing act.
Wang Dongshan, a local camping manager, handles arrangements for around 200 100 campers every day with reservations consistently reaching capacity.
Wong says that he has to turn down about two thirds of the reservation culls.
Wong's campground is nestled in Hala village, an ethnic settlement boasting a rich cultural heritage.
Here, camping nights feature shared barbecues with locally sourced ingredients and traditional dance performances presented by local ethnic people.
Beyond traditional camping experiences, the surge in adventure tourism has spurred the growth of local businesses, from outdoor gear rental shops to quaint coffee houses.
At the great journey camp coffee in Hala village, baristas cater to both campers and cycling enthusiasts seeking respite from countryside rides with refreshing drinks.
According to Ii Media research, the number of campsites in China reached 6 ,500 as of Across the city of Chichiha, efforts are underway to explore new tourism offerings by integrating camping with performances, sightseeing, and culinary delights to invigorate the rural tourism market.
Some local camping bases plan to introduce hot spring baths into their options in the fall, in an effort to transform the camping experience into a year -round attraction.
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Educated people, especially intellectuals, need a place to talk.
It may be a coffeehouse.
French intellectuals discussed new waves of thought during the French Revolution there.
English coffee houses feature communal tables covered with newspapers and pamphlets where guests would gather around to consume, discuss, and even write the news.
Coffee houses were once called penny universities in Oxford due to the cost of a cup of coffee at the time.
You could gain access to intellectual discussions.
What about the case in China?
Let's turn the clock back to explore the cultural salon enjoyed by Chinese intellectuals where they can talk and discuss.
Such occasion is called yà ji, or elegant gathering.
It's usually set in a natural environment near a mountain, along the riverside, in the bamboo forest, or simply in one's garden.
Yajī was held by Chinese intellectuals in ancient times to amuse the participants, refine their tastes, and increase their knowledge through conversation and recreation.
At Yajī, people usually practice various arts of life, including burning incense, arranging flowers, brewing tea, and painting appreciation, any art forms was developed and incorporated into a person's life, and each contained a lot of skills and philosophy.
Take tea culture, for instance.
Before the publication of the classic of tea by the author Lu Yu of the Tang dynasty, tea was considered as herbal medicine.
Thanks to the Book of Tea, brewing Cooking and drinking tea became an art supported by systematic theories.
In the Tang Dynasty, tea preparation was called qi 'en cha, or tea cooking.
Tea cakes were roasted and ground into powder.
The tea powder was then put into the boiling water, stirred continuously until the tea soup was completely boiling.
Things became different in the Song dynasty when the tea preparation was called din cha.
It involved pouring water on tea powders to make a puree, then adding water to the puree again, and whipping the mixture with a bamboo whisk to create an impressive milky froth.
due to this strict requirement, there were even tea -making competitions.
If the foaming surface of the tea around the inner wall of the cup would stick firmly to the container and remain in a state for a while, The tea maker won.
in. Sounds a lot like making a cake, right?
When you beat egg whites, you have to whisk it steadily and quickly until it gets very stiff.
There are quite a few famous Ya -Ji in history.
Take the Lan -Ting gathering, for instance.
It's a theme now featured in various exhibitions in world famous art museums.
The Lanting Gathering or The Orchid Pavilion Gathering garnered some 42 literary figures during the Spring Purification Festival in 353 AD to compose poems.
Chinese calligraphy sage Wang Xi Zhi was at the gathering and recorded the poems of his fellow participants.
In addition, Wang composed a preface for the collection of the poems in his famous style, the running script.
The elegant gathering later got trendy among Chinese statesmen, literati, and artists during the northern Song dynasty.
It was like a combination of salon and party.
But the participants might not have known that their gatherings would eventually become important events in literature and art.
Records and artistic works related to these gatherings have inspired generations till now.
Even today, people in love with Chinese culture still hold such elegant gatherings to share their common interests, make like -minded friends, enjoy performances, and possibly come up with some thoughts that will inspire society.
Sounds so profound and fun, doesn't it?
This is Special English.
That's the end of this edition of Special English.
To recap, I'm going to read one of the news items again at normal speed.
Please listen carefully.
The vast marshes, lakes, and lush reed beds that attract flocks of migratory birds to China's northern frontier every year, are now beckoning enthusiastic campers to spend the night or two amidst nature's embrace.
The city of Qichehar, meaning natural meadow in the local ethnic language, is home to around 5 million people.
With its scenic beauty and enhanced infrastructure, the city has emerged as a newfound haven for both locals and travelers alike.
Located in the fertile river plains of western Heilongjiang Province in northern China, the city received around 3 .2 million tourism visits during this year's May Day holiday.
Day. With the arrival of summer, the city's 22 campsites are preparing to welcome campers, cyclists and travelers.
Last year saw over half a million people, including both local holidaymakers, and visitors from afar flocked to these campgrounds with their spending reaching 11 million yuan, about 1 .5 million US dollars.
With the surge in popularity, managing the influx of tourists has become a balancing act.
Wang Dongshan, a local camping manager, handles arrangements for around 200 campers every day, with reservations consistently reaching capacity.
Wang says that he has to turn down about two -thirds of the reservation calls.
Wang's campground is nestled in Hala Village, an ethnic settlement boasting a rich cultural heritage.
Here, camping nights feature shared barbecues with locally sourced ingredients and traditional dance performances presented by local ethnic people.
Beyond traditional camping experiences, the surge in adventure tourism has spurred the growth of local businesses from outdoor gear rental shops to quaint coffee houses.
At the Great Journey Camp Coffee in Hala village, baristas catered to both campers and cycling enthusiasts seeking respite from countryside rides with refreshing drinks.
According to II Media Research, the number of campsites in China reached 6 ,500 as of August 30th last year, underscoring the nation's across the city of Chichihara, efforts are underway to explore new tourism offerings by integrating camping with performances, sightseeing, and culinary delights to invigorate the rural tourism market.
Some local camping bases plan to introduce hot spring baths into their options in the fall in an effort to transform the camping experience into a year -round attraction.
This is the end of today's program.
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