Talk About China in English

Chinese culture has a profound history. In front of foreign friends， how do you introduce your motherland in English？ This book provides readers with 100 high-frequency English sample essays introducing China， including Chinese branding， natural landscapes， historical sites， classic national quintessence， etc. The essays being refined and beautiful， the words used accurate and simple， it enables readers to master English expressions of various Chinese elements in a short period of time. It aims at introducing China to foreign guests and helping people show excellent communication skills in international exchanges.

Talk About China in English

Compiled by Creativeamp;Thinking English Group

China Water amp; Power Press

January 2022

46.00 （CNY）

Lion Dance

Lion Dance， also called “a lion’s dance” or “dance a lion，” is an ancient dance of the Han ethnic group. The Lion Dance is not only loved by Chinese but has long been popular all over the world. Where there are Chinese people overseas， there is a Chinese Lion Dance activity， and local foreign friends follow the Chinese to learn the Lion Dance.

Three Sentences You’ll Use When Talking About China in English

Lion Dance is one of the most widespread folk dances in China.

In the Lion Dance， two people usually act as a lion.

Lion Dance is divided into civilian lion and martial lion according to the performing styles.

Know the Past and Present When Talking About China in English

Lion Dance

Lion Dance is a form of traditional dance in Chinese culture and other Asian countries in which performers mimic a lion’s movements in a lion costume.

Cultures

The lion dance is usually performed during the Chinese New Year and other cultural and religious festivals. It may also be performed on important occasions such as business opening events， special celebrations or wedding ceremonies， and may be used to honour special guests by the Chinese communities.

In the dance， usually two people act as a lion： one waving the lion head and the other waving the lion body and tail; or one performer acts as a cub， while the other holds a silk ball to play with it. They dance in tempo to the musical melody.

History

In the Qin Dynasty， dancers performing exorcism rituals were described as wearing a bearskin mask， and in the Han Dynasty “Xiangren” performed as fish， dragons， and phoenixes. Detailed descriptions of Lion Dance appeared during the Tang Dynasty.

The Simulation Dialogue You’ll Use When Talking About China in English

Look， they’re performing Lion " Dance.

Let’s go check it out.

It seems there’re different kinds of Lion Dance in China.

Yeah. It has two major genres—Northern Lion Dance and "Southern Lion Dance.

Wow！ They’re climbing the high " "tables.

Amazing， huh！ And they also will step across the wooden stakes.

Weiqi

Chess， originating in China， was called “Yi” in ancient China and is one of the four arts： music， chess， calligraphy， and painting. Chess has a history of more than 4，000 years. According to a pre-Qin classic： “Yao made chess， and Dan Zhu is good at it.” During the Tang Dynasty， chess spread to many regions.

Three Sentences You’ll Use When Talking About China in English

Weiqi is a board game involving two players that originated in ancient China.

Two players alternately place black and white playing pieces， called“stones.”

It’s perfect for boosting one’s intelligence， personality cultivation， and flexible strategy learning.

History

According to ancient books， Weiqi was invented by the legendary Chinese emperor Yao and his counselor Shun. This attribution indicates the incredibly early time the game originated.

Numerous talented Weiqi players emerged in all dynasties and many emperors in ancient China were Weiqi lovers， such as Emperor Taizu of the Song Dynasty and Zhu Yuanzhang.

The Spreading

Weiqi was introduced to Korea between the 5th and 7th centuries CE， and was popular among the higher classes. The game reached Japan in the 7th century CE.