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There is such a Baltic country, whose history is entangled with Russia and the Soviet Union, sports lovers will not forget the success of its basketball team, and jewelry lovers will know that it is one of the most prolific "amber kingdoms" in the world......
Yes, this small Eastern European country is Lithuania, which has just returned and tells you a real Lithuania!
1. The Republic of Lithuania is located in the western part of Eastern Europe, with an area of less than 70,000 square kilometers, it borders the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, has more than 4,000 lakes, and has a high forest cover, beautiful and secluded. Of the three Baltic states, Lithuania is the largest, most populous, and has the strongest sense of national identity and national belief. Historically, Lithuania was very powerful and dominated the European continent for a long time. However, for more than 200 years in modern times, Lithuania was bullied by powerful countries, but Lithuanians never gave up their faith and fought for national independence, and finally, with their unwavering will and the spirit of unity, Lithuania became the first country among the three Baltic countries to break free from the control of the Soviet Union.
2. Lithuanians used to be mainly engaged in agriculture, and the houses of local peasants were diverse, for example, in the eastern regions, most of the peasants lived in single-room houses made of log columns, while in the western regions peasants had multiple houses with front houses and storage rooms. The peasants usually wore traditional national costumes, in which men wore long shirts with lapels sewn from burlapel, and women's shirts were embroidered with patterns on the collar and cuffs. Girls also wear a tunic over their shirt and a long wide skirt underneath.
3. Before coming to Lithuania, I knew that the food here was very distinctive, so I was full of interest to look for traditional specialty restaurants all over the street when I arrived. Sure enough, I found one, and when I walked in, I was immediately fascinated by the decoration of the restaurant, the wooden bars of the panes, chimneys, wall lamps, the corners of the houses and the wallpaper walls with Lithuanian national characteristics, which seemed to return to the ordinary Lithuanian house 50 years ago.
4. The menu is dominated by local home-cooked dishes, Lithuanians love pasta, potatoes, beets, cabbage, pork, lamb and dairy products, and baked goods are popular, as well as porridge cooked with potatoes or peas and large dumplings made with mashed potatoes, cottage cheese and minced meat. Traditional meat products include ham, sausages, and smoked pork, which are relatively greasy. The cuisine here is more Russian-Western, and soup is the main part of dinner.
5. What impressed me the most during my stay in Lithuania was the chicken and mushroom soup, which was served in brown bread when it came up. By the way, Lithuanian black bread is fragrant and is all made from ground natural rye. It has a golden brown soup with a strong flavor and a lot of cream. There are also the famous potato dumplings, which are filled with cheese and minced meat when you bite into them, and the taste is very unique and delicious.
6. When I came to Lithuania and communicated with the locals, I knew that there were many Lithuanian prostitutes all over Europe, even in Macau, which once made me think that Lithuania was very promiscuous. However, the fact is that these women have been kidnapped to work in prostitution! Lithuanian newspapers regularly publish photographs of missing girls, as many as 400 a year. One of the most important reasons is that Lithuanian girls are so charming.
7. It is well known that the Baltic Sea coast is rich in amber, and 90% of the world's amber is produced in this region. Among the several amber-producing countries along the coast, Lithuania is the most prominent, not only with high production but also excellent quality, and is well-deserved as the "Amber Kingdom". Amber was originally a pine and cypress resin, but it became a fossil over millions of years after landing. In terms of the time of its evolution, it is indeed comparable to the dinosaurs that mysteriously disappeared before ancient times. In Lithuania, dinosaurs can be seen in many posters and brochures with a crystal clear yellow amber in their mouths.
8. If amber represents the quietness and literature of the Lithuanians, then basketball is a symbol of the sport and fanaticism of the Lithuanians. Just as Brazilians love football, Lithuanians have a natural love of basketball, and they even refer to it as a "second faith". For Lithuanians, basketball is not only a sport, but also a deeply rooted cultural tradition - in Lithuania, almost everyone can play basketball, sports resources related to venues and funds are always inclined to basketball, basketball games are the most watched events, basketball stars are national icons, far more than movie stars.
9. It is precisely because of such a strong passion for basketball that it has also created strong basketball strength. Lithuania has not only cultivated NBA basketball superstars such as Kreza, Sabonis, and Jasikovis, but also created a strong national team with strong beliefs, and has long dominated the ranks of powerhouses in Europe and even the world.
10. The capital of Lithuania is Vilnius, which is located at the confluence of the Nereis and Vilnya rivers in southeastern Lithuania. The Vilnius city consists of two parts: the Old Town and the New Town. Located in the heart of the city, the old town is topography of a hill on which stands the red octagonal castle of Gkeminnas, with a three-storey tower. Standing on the ancient tower and looking into the distance, the whole city can be seen, and around the slightly undulating terrain, several rivers meander and flow, like a jade belt. The old town has a concentration of hundreds of ancient buildings of different eras and different styles, which are beautiful, simple and elegant, among which the most representative is St. Anne's Church, which has a well-proportioned layout and harmonious tones, and is known as the pearl of Gothic architecture. The small church is only 22 meters high and 10 meters wide, but the façade of the church is made of 33 different shapes of red bricks.
11. Lithuania has a long and snowy winter, and outdoor ice and snow entertainment is very popular, the most popular of which is sledding. Parents can often be seen dragging their children to the park on sleds. On the slopes of the park or on the tall snowdrifts, people will drag their sleds to the top and then glide down happily against the wind.
12. Today, Lithuania is already a major tourist country in Eastern Europe and even Europe, the most famous of which is the Hill of Crosses. The Hill of Crosses is a pilgrimage site 12 kilometers north of the northern Lithuanian city of Siauliai. It is a very thin hill with tens of thousands of crosses of all kinds, and behind each cross is a testament to a singing and weeping history of Lithuania. The wars and revolutions of Lithuania since the founding of the state are preserved in their entirety on these crosses.