Master painter Zhang Daqian (1899-1983) was well known for having a large number of friends and students. Among them, painter Li Qiujun was special.

    They got to know each other through Li's elder brother, who was one of Zhang's best friends.

    They admired each other's artistic talent and became confidants, which resulted in a romantic relationship.

    In 1948, Zhang produced Spring Clouds Amid Autumn Landscape, a mountain-and-water ink painting featuring gongbi (meticulous brushwork), as a gift for Li's 50th birthday.

    A year later, Zhang permanently departed from the mainland, and traveled and exhibited around the world before settling down in Taipei in 1976.

    After leaving the mainland, he often said that he missed Li, who died in Shanghai in 1973.

    Spring Clouds Amid Autumn Landscape will be auctioned in Hong Kong on Oct 4.

    The painting not only marks a friendship between the two painters, but it deserves special attention because it shows Zhang at the top of his game as he sought to master the mountain-and-water style, according to C.K. Cheung, head of Sotheby's Chinese painting department.

    Sotheby's will auction the work at its major autumn sale, which runs from Oct 1 to 5.

    Cheung says the painting's composition and Zhang's attention to details reflect his incorporation of traditional touches, especially from Song Dynasty (960-1279) paintings, while also developing his own style.

    How old are the apps on your smartphone? Is it time for an update? Here are three apps for you. Try them out and have fun.

Duolingo

    Learning a foreign language doesn't always mean you have to sit in a class and take endless exams. An app called Duolingo has been designed to help you memorize (记住) new words and grammar in creative ways，such as online lessons，games and interesting exercises. For example，one exercise asks you to put words in the right order to make the correct sentence. You can also try translation practice.

Douban FM

    A music app is a necessity for almost every smartphone now. Douban FM might be the right thing for you.

    There is no playlist on Douban FM--songs just keep streaming (播放) one by one. You can use the “heart”, “trash” and “skip” buttons (按钮) to mark the songs you like，don't like and want to cut short, respectively (分别地). Those marked with a heart will be stored in another list as your favorites for you to listen to anytime you want. Douban FM also has different channels (频道). There are many types of music, such as blues, jazz, and pop. You can choose the music for outdoor activities, work or studying depending on your mood (心情).

Flipboard

    It is one of the hottest news apps right now. With Flipboard, you can make everything personal to you. All you have to do is open up the app, “flip through” to select whatever interests you，and click the “+” button. At the end you'll have your own magazine, complete with a front page, new articles, and information.

    Peng Liyuan, wife of President Xi Jinping, has drawn extensive attention from people both at home and abroad for her charisma and grace. Accompanying her husband on his first overseas trip after becoming president, Peng Liyuan exhibited graceful demeanor, a pleasant personality and well-chosen dress, prompting people to coin the term “Liyuan style”.

Peng Liyuan, as one of China's best-known singers, was popular among Chinese people long before her husband became the president. Loved by her fans, she has been in touch with the people for years.

    “Liyuan style” is not only representative of a fashion idol, but also overpass cultural and diplomatic barriers. The beautiful handbags Peng has carried, and the plain but elegant and delicate dresses she has worn have become popular. Her choice of clothing, made-in-China instead of luxurious foreign brands, shows her belief in domestic dress designs.

But “Liyuan style” is not only about clothing and a woman's paraphernalia. It is also about diplomacy and promoting China's soft power. In Moscow, Peng visited a boarding school for orphans and children estranged (疏远) from their parents, encouraging them to strive for a better life, which brought out the maternal side of her character. In Tanzania, she donated sewing machines and school bags to women and children. And as a World Health Organization ambassador in the fight against AIDS, Peng is devoted to many public causes, including those relating to charity and healthcare.

    Some observers have already started saying that Peng's activities have become part of public diplomacy in China.

Also, “Liyuan style” has boosted the confidence of the Chinese people. Modem but not flashy, elegant but not arrogant, Peng has all the virtues of a Chinese woman and carries them to the international stage.

Since the 18th Party Congress and the annual sessions of the NPC and CPPCC, the country's new leadership has vowed to adopt a down-to-earth work style to connect with the people. Peng's plain but elegant style shows that thriftiness and an earthy style need not be drab and boring.

    So it can be said that Peng's first appearance on the international stage has kicked off well.

    Are you always disturbed by the noise made by your coworkers while you're working hard at your task? What kind of feelings will you have on hearing such kind noise? Have you ever got an idea that a certain helmet will help you out of the trouble no you can focus on your work at the office? Now, you needn't worry for the “Helmfon” will help you ignore noisy co-workers and other distractions.

    Created by Ukrainian design company Hochu Rayu, the Helmfon is a big helmet that uses special equipment to absorb the sound so as to completely block out any outside noise, giving the wearer their own quiet personal space so they can better focus their attention on their work. Made of a glass fiber shell, cloth and polyethylene（聚乙烯）, the helmet not only blocks outside sound, but it also keeps the noise you make in, allowing you to answer calls, hold Skype conferences, watch or edit videos, privately.

    The company came up with the idea for the Helmfon after being asked to design a new phone booth for an IT company. The project made the team think about the way we communicate and finally begin work on a device that would allow you to be in two worlds just sitting on your chair in the office, in a meeting, or everywhere you feel like just wearing your helmet.

    The Helmfon comes complete with a system board, microphone, speakers, and a special holder for your phone. The only trouble is that it makes you look like a character from Mel Brooks famous movie Spaceballs, but the company also made public a variety of great choices, including Bat man-inspired design, and even a Native American headgear.

    The Helmfon is still in prototype（维形）stage, but the Ukrainian company is already working on a commercially available design and plans to offer the design for sale. A release date has not yet been made public.

    A music festival is a community event focusing on live performances of singing and instrument playing that is often presented with a theme. On the list are the music festivals for fans around the world. Find your favorite now!

    Field Day

    January 1, 2018. Sydney

    Field Pay means New Year's Day for young people in Sydney. Seen as the city's original multi－stage party,, it's a gathering of friends coming together for a great fun - filled first day of the year. There's an air of hope and positive energy on a perfect summer's day.

    The Envision Festival

    February 22 – 25, 2018, Uvita

    The Envision Festival is an annual gathering in Costa Rica that aims to provide an

opportunity for different cultures to work with one another to create a better community. The festival encourages people to practice art, music, dance performances, and education. Meanwhile, our connection with nature is expected to be strengthened.

    The McDowell Mountain Music Festival

    March 2 - 4, 2018, Phoenix

    The McDowell Mountain Music Festival is Phoenix、musical celera ,on of community culture. Since its founding in 2004 f it is the only 100% non – profit music festival designed to support, entertain and educate the community. The festival attracts thousands of visitors each year from around the country, and it is an opportunity to experience true culture.

    The Old Settler's Music Festival

    April 19 - 22, 2018, Dale

    The Old Settler's Music Festival is a nationally known music festival for American music. The festival is held in the country of Texas at the height of the wild flower season. The Old Settler's Music Festival offers great music and activities for the whole family.

    Around this time a few years ago, it was common to see videos of friends on social media having a bucket of icy water thrown on them. Known as the "ice bucket challenge", it was created as a way to raise money for the medical condition ALS. But now, there's a new challenge and this time, no water is involved.

    What is it? Well, think of a fruit that you'd never normally sink your teeth into. Perhaps you've got it: a lemon. While we enjoy using lemons to add flavor to dishes, very few of us would actually eat one as we'd eat an apple or an orange.

    But the horrible taste is the precise reason why the "lemon face challenge" is taking off. Participants bite into a lemon, taking a selfie as they do it before posting the photo online. The fun is all about expression people make as all that citric acid(柠檬酸)hits their taste buds(味蕾). Every expression seems to say, "This is worse than freezing water."

    The serious side to this trend is the good cause it's all in aid of. The challenge aims to raise awareness of a rare brain cancer that affects young children. It was started by Aubregh Nicholas, an 11-year-old US kid. She was diagnosed with this rare brain cancer herself in September 2017, but has since raised almost $50000 to cover her medical expenses thanks to the challenge.

    If a challenge is going to raise publicity and contributions from people, it has to be something interesting and original. That way the ice bucket challenge took off in 2014 and it explains why so many people are now sharing their lemon faces. There are a lot of stories about the downside of social media these days. The charity challenges, however, show how online culture can unite the world and bring help to the people who most need it.