People in New Zealand have a very special way of greeting(问候) people. It's called Hongi(碰鼻礼).

    When people meet, they always greet each other by pressing one's nose against another's nose. When a visitor is greeted in this way, people there won't see the person as a visitor any more, but one of the people of the land. Of course, during the visitor's stay, he has to share all the duties(职责).

    At meetings or important ceremonies(典礼) people always greet in this way. And it's just like the handshake in our country.

    Dragon Dance(舞龙) is a kind of traditional dance in Chinese culture. It has been spread all over China and to the whole world.

    Traditionally, dragons were made of wood and cloth. However, in the modern times, dragons are much lighter because they are made of lighter materials like plastic. The length(长度) of dragons can be from around 25 to 35 metres for acrobatic(杂技) models, and up to 50 to 70 metres for the largest parade(游行) styles because people believe that the longer the dragon is, the more luck it will bring.  A small organization cannot run a very long dragon because it requires great human power, much money and special skills.

    The Dragon Dance itself began during the Han Dynasty. And it was started by the Chinese who had shown great respect towards the dragon. It was already a popular event during the Song Dynasty. At that time, it became a popular activity like the Lion Dance. People could often see it during some important festivals. In the Qing Dynasty, the Dragon Dance Team of Fuzhou was invited to put on a show in Beijing. And the emperor(黄帝) spoke highly of it. The emperors of ancient China thought of themselves as the dragons.

    It's almost that time of year again. Beijing held the "two sessions"(两会)in March. They are the National People's Congress (NPC, 全国人民代表大会)and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC, 中国人民政治协商会议).

    This year, the NPC opened on March 5 and the CPPCC began on March 3. How much do you know about the sessions? Read on to learn more.

    Q: What is the NPC?

    A: At school, every class has a class committee (班委会).The committee holds meetings to make decisions for the class and generally improve the classroom environment. The NPC does the same thing, but for the whole country.

    With nearly 3,000 deputies (代表), it is China's highest organ (机关)of state power. The deputies supervise (监督)the work that the government does. The deputies also make and change laws. Every five years, they vote for the leaders of the Chinese government.

    All of the NPC deputies are elected (选举).They use their power on behalf of (代表)the Chinese people. Any Chinese national who is over 18 can take part in an election. The term length for an NPC deputy is five years.

    Q: What is the CPPCC?

    A: Leaders need suggestions for what they should do for the country. It's like you're your friends give you advice on what to do with your life. The CPPCC does this for Chinese leaders. Its 2,000 members supervise the work of the government and give suggestions.

    The Communist Party of China (CPC) is China's ruling party (执政党), but there are also other political parties and organizations (组织). CPPCC members come from these parties and organizations. They are not elected like those of NPC but chosen by CPPCC. They include businessmen, teachers and even celebrities, such as Jackie Chan and Feng Xiaogang.

    Q: What are the biggest topics at this year's sessions?

    A: Attendees at this year's sessions discussed new prospects (前景)for the future. They set economic index (经济指标)targets for the year, such as what the GDP (国内生产总值)should be. They discussed environmental events, such as how to prevent groundwater pollution. In addition, they considered new efforts to fight corruption (腐败), according to Guangming Daily.