Theme 2: Local Area, Holiday and Travel
Chapter: Town, Region and Country (Weather, Places to See, and Things to Do)
Welcome to your complete revision guide for Town, Region and Country! Whether you are preparing for Foundation or Higher tier in Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9–1) Chinese (1CN0), this topic is a core part of Theme 2. You will use these words and structures across all four exam papers: Paper 1 (Listening), Paper 2 (Speaking), Paper 3 (Reading), and Paper 4 (Writing).
Don't worry if learning Chinese characters and word orders feels challenging at first. We will break everything down into bite-sized, digestible steps with simple memory tricks and clear sentence formulas so you can master them with confidence!
---1. Weather and Climate (天气与气候)
Being able to describe the weather is essential for writing postcards, discussing holiday plans, and understanding weather forecasts in listening and reading passages.
Foundation Core Weather Lexis
• 天气 (tiānqì) — weather
• 晴天 (qíngtiān) — sunny day
• 太阳 (tàiyáng) — sun
• 多云 (duō yún) — cloudy (literally "many clouds")
• 云 (yún) — cloud
• 下雨 (xià yǔ) — to rain / raining; 雨 (yǔ) — rain
• 下雪 (xià xuě) — to snow / snowing; 雪 (xuě) — snow
• 刮风 (guā fēng) / 大风 (dà fēng) — windy / strong wind
• 雾 (wù) / 大雾 (dà wù) — fog / heavy fog
• 度 (dù) — degree(s) (used for temperature)
The Four Seasons (四季)
• 春天 (chūntiān) — spring
• 夏天 (xiàtiān) — summer
• 秋天 (qiūtiān) — autumn
• 冬天 (dōngtiān) — winter
Higher Tier Weather Lexis
• 气温 (qìwēn) — air temperature
• 最高气温 (zuìgāo qìwēn) — highest / maximum temperature
• 最低气温 (zuìdī qìwēn) — lowest / minimum temperature
• 天气预报 (tiānqì yùbào) — weather forecast
Memory Trick: Spot the Radical!
Look at the character 晴 (qíng - sunny): it has the sun radical 日 (rì) on the left. Don't confuse it with 睛 (jīng) as in 眼睛 (yǎnjing - eye), which has the eye radical 目 (mù)!
Key Takeaway for Weather
Remember that Chinese weather expressions often use verb-object pairs. To say "it rains", use the action phrase 下雨 (xià yǔ) (literally "fall rain"), never translate English word-for-word.
---2. Town, Places to See, and Geography (城镇、地方与地理)
In this section, you will learn the words needed to talk about what facilities exist in your hometown and describe famous sights you might visit in Chinese-speaking regions.
Places, Public Amenities and Facilities
• 地方 (dìfang) — place / location
• 地区 (dìqū) — region / area
• 当地 (dāngdì) — local area / locally
• 市中心 (shì zhōngxīn) — city centre / town centre
• 博物馆 (bówùguǎn) — museum
• 图书馆 (túshūguǎn) — library
• 动物园 (dòngwùyuán) — zoo
• 公园 (gōngyuán) — park
• 花园 (huāyuán) — garden
• 广场 (guǎngchǎng) — public square / plaza
• 商店 (shāngdiàn) — shop
• 购物中心 (gòuwù zhōngxīn) — shopping centre
• 超级市场 (chāojí shìchǎng) — supermarket
• 医院 (yīyuàn) — hospital
• 警察局 (jǐngchájú) — police station
• 邮局 (yóujú) — post office
• 体育馆 (tǐyùguǎn) — stadium / indoor sports arena
• 运动场 (yùndòngchǎng) — sports ground / outdoor pitch
• 游泳池 (yóuyǒngchí) — swimming pool
• 车站 (chēzhàn) — bus stop / station
• 火车站 (huǒchēzhàn) — railway station
• 地铁站 (dìtiězhàn) — underground / metro station
Geographical Sights and Key Names
• 风景 (fēngjǐng) — scenery / landscape
• 山 (shān) — mountain / hill
• 河 (hé) — river
• 湖 (hú) — lake
• 海 (hǎi) / 海边 (hǎibiān) — sea / seaside
• 长城 (Chángchéng) — The Great Wall
• 天安门广场 (Tiān'ānmén Guǎngchǎng) — Tiananmen Square
• 伦敦 (Lúndūn) — London
• 北京 (Běijīng) — Beijing
• 上海 (Shànghǎi) — Shanghai
• 广州 (Guǎngzhōu) — Guangzhou
• 香港 (Xiānggǎng) — Hong Kong
• 台湾 (Táiwān) — Taiwan
• 台北 (Táiběi) — Taipei
Higher Tier Geography Lexis
• 名胜 / 名胜古迹 (míngshèng gǔjì) — famous scenic spots / places of historic interest
• 高楼 (gāolóu) — tall buildings / skyscrapers
Character Caution
Be careful not to mix up 场 (chǎng) (as in 广场 guǎngchǎng or 运动场 yùndòngchǎng) with 厂 (chǎng) (factory). Notice that 场 has the earth radical 土 on the left!
Key Takeaway for Places
Notice how Chinese words build logically like building blocks: many building names end in 馆 (guǎn) (e.g. 博物馆, 图书馆, 体育馆) and open grounds often end in 场 (chǎng) (e.g. 广场, 运动场, 市场).
---3. Things to Do and Leisure Activities (可做的事与活动)
When talking about what you do in a town or during a holiday excursion, you will need active verbs and recreational vocabulary.
Core Activity Vocabulary
• 参观 (cānguān) — to visit / tour (a place, attraction, museum)
• 旅游 (lǚyóu) / 旅行 (lǚxíng) — to travel / tourism
• 游客 (yóukè) — tourist / visitor
• 散步 (sànbù) — to take a walk / stroll
• 拍照 (pāizhào) — to take photographs
• 买纪念品 (mǎi jìniànpǐn) — to buy souvenirs
• 户外活动 (hùwài huódòng) — outdoor activities
Vital Distinction: 参观 vs. 访问 vs. 看
• Use 参观 (cānguān) when visiting a place, museum, monument, or sightseeing destination (e.g., 参观长城 - to visit the Great Wall).
• Do not use 访问 (fǎngwèn) for tourism—that is used for formal official visits (e.g., politicians visiting a country).
• Use 看 (kàn) when seeing people or watching entertainment (e.g., 看朋友 - visit/see a friend; 看电影 - watch a movie).
4. Key Grammar Patterns for Town and Weather
To score top marks in Writing (Paper 4) and Speaking (Paper 2), practice using these specific sentence patterns.
A. Word Order with Place Adverbials (Where Before What!)
In English, we say "I take a walk in the park". In Chinese, the location must come before the action:
\(\text{Subject} + \text{在 (at Place)} + \text{Verb Phrase}\)
• Correct: 我在公园散步。(Wǒ zài gōngyuán sànbù.) — I walk in the park.
• Incorrect: *我散步在公园。
B. Describing Existence: 有 (yǒu) and 是 (shì)
To express "there is / there are" in a city or town:
\(\text{Place} + \text{有 / 是} + \text{Noun Phrase}\)
• 市中心有很多名胜古迹。 (Shì zhōngxīn yǒu hěn duō míngshèng gǔjì.) — There are many historic scenic spots in the city centre.
• 海边是一个美丽的地方。 (Hǎibiān shì yí gè měilì de dìfang.) — The seaside is a beautiful place.
C. Comparing Weather and Places with 比 (bǐ)
Compare two places or seasons using the standard comparative formula:
\(A + \text{比 (bǐ)} + B + \text{Adjective}\)
• 北京的冬天比伦敦冷。 (Běijīng de dōngtiān bǐ Lúndūn lěng.) — Winter in Beijing is colder than in London.
• 今天比昨天热。 (Jīntiān bǐ zuótiān rè.) — Today is hotter than yesterday.
D. Expressing Temperature
\(\text{Time / Day} + \text{最高/最低气温是} + \text{Number} + \text{度}\)
• 今天最高气温是二十度。 (Jīntiān zuìgāo qìwēn shì èrshí dù.) — Today's highest temperature is 20 degrees.
E. Distance and Directions
• \(\text{从 (cóng) ... 到 (dào) ...}\) — From ... to ... (e.g. 从火车站到市中心 - From the train station to the city centre)
• \(\text{A + 离 (lí) + B + 很近 / 很远}\) — A is close to / far from B (e.g. 图书馆离我家很近 - The library is very close to my house)
F. Sequencing an Itinerary
When describing a day out or sightseeing trip, structure your ideas clearly:
\(\text{先 (xiān) ... 然后 (ránhòu) ... 最后 (zuìhòu) ...}\)
• 我们先参观博物馆，然后去购物中心买纪念品，最后在公园散步。
(We first visit the museum, then go to the shopping centre to buy souvenirs, and finally take a walk in the park.)
G. Past Actions: Aspect Markers 了 (le) and 过 (guò)
Because Chinese verbs do not change endings for past tense, use particles to show completed actions or past experiences:
• 去年夏天我去了北京。 (Qùnián xiàtiān wǒ qù le Běijīng.) — Last summer I went to Beijing.
• 我去过长城。 (Wǒ qù guò Chángchéng.) — I have been to the Great Wall.
5. Examiner Pitfalls & Common Mistakes to Avoid
1. Translating "It is windy" literally:
Never write *很风 (hěn fēng). In Chinese, wind is either described as strong (风很大 fēng hěn dà) or blowing (刮大风 guā dà fēng).
2. Forgetting the Location-First rule:
Always place \(\text{在 + Location}\) directly in front of the main verb: 我在海边拍照 (I take photos at the seaside), not *我拍照在海边.
3. Confusing 参观 with other "visiting" words:
Remember: you 参观 (cānguān) a tourist sight or facility (like 动物园 dòngwùyuán or 博物馆 bówùguǎn), but you 看 (kàn) a friend.
4. Missing aspect markers when narrating past events:
When writing about a past holiday in Paper 4, remember to add 了 (le) or 过 (guò) after key action verbs to signal that the event already occurred.
6. Quick Chapter Summary Checklist
Before sitting your exam, check that you can confidently:
• Name all 4 seasons (春天, 夏天, 秋天, 冬天) and 5 common weather types (晴天, 多云, 下雨, 下雪, 刮风).
• State temperature using 最高气温 / 最低气温 and 度.
• List at least 6 public amenities (e.g. 市中心, 博物馆, 图书馆, 购物中心, 医院, 火车站).
• Describe 4 leisure activities (参观, 散步, 拍照, 买纪念品).
• Construct a comparative sentence using \(\text{A + 比 + B + Adj}\).
• Build a step-by-step itinerary using \(\text{先 ... 然后 ... 最后 ...}\).