He also bought his grandson a set of "clay figurines" featuring Chinese boys in the rural areas celebrating the Spring Festival, or the lunar new year.

"I want my grandson to learn and bear in mind the traditional Chinese culture as early as possible. I hope he will feel proud of the country's splendid culture when he grows up," he said.

A Chaozhou woodcarving showing the pattern of the "Bird's Nest" attracts visitors in Guangdong House.

The Guangdong House is distinctive for the "Lingnan culture" it puts on display. Many visitors took pictures in front of a Chaozhou woodcarving showing the pattern of the "Bird's Nest," while others listened attentively to House staff's introduction of the history of "Guangdong Lion Dance," or enjoyed the "Canton Embroidery" and "Dawu Clay Sculpture".

A middle-aged man surnamed Zong brought his wheelchair-bound wife to the Guangdong House. "The culture in Guangdong is very different from that of Beijing, so we are here to learn in details," Zong said.

Zong thought visiting the "China Story" exhibition is a very efficient cultural journey for his wife and himself, as they can learn about almost all well-known intangible cultural heritages in China in just a few hours.

"My wife seldom left home in the past, but over recent years, Beijing's barrier-free facilities have greatly improved, making it possible for us to be here," he added.

In Jiangsu House, visitors marveled at this eastern coastal province's rich cultural heritage, such as Suzhou Embroidery, Nanjing Yun Brocade, Duihua Folk Art, Huishan Terra Doll, and Zisha Ceramics.

But they paid more attraction to a man who was writing an ancient Chinese poem with a brush pen in his mouth. His calligraphy was applauded by all, and he did not mind telling his story to others.

A native of Jiangsu, his name is Shi Xiaohua. He lost both arms after touching a high-tension wire when he was six. Later on, he started to exercise Chinese calligraphy by mouth, for fun and also for finding back faith in life.

The Shandong House

Currently working for the Beijing Disabled People Art Troupe, Shi was invited by the Jiangsu provincial cultural department to demonstrate his calligraphic skills at the Jiangsu House. It can highlight both the unyielding spirit of the disabled people and the traditional Chinese culture, department officials believed.

The Olympic Green now attracts more than 200,000 visitors a day, most of whom visit the "China Story" exhibition, according to sources with the Games' organizing committee.

Lingering in various exhibition houses for hours, American visitor Brian Godzik looked intoxicated by the Chinese culture he had seen.

"The exhibition is beautiful and makes me understand the culture and people of different areas of China, and how those wonderful cultures come together to form China's marvelous culture," he said.