Archive for August, 2012
Better Know a… Municipality (Part Two) Posted by sasha on Aug 27, 2012
In Part One of our new series, we explored China’s capital city – Beijing. Today, we’re heading a little bit south to take a closer look at Beijing’s biggest rival – Shanghai (上海 – shàng hǎi). The biggest city proper in the entire world, Shanghai is a bustling metropolis full of history, culture, and exciting new…
What’s in a Chinese Character? (Vol. 3) Posted by sasha on Aug 23, 2012
It’s been a while since we’ve taken a closer look at the complexity of Chinese characters. To get you up to speed, here are the links to Volume 1 and Volume 2. So far, we’ve examined quite a few characters dealing with people. Today, we’ll focus more on nature, as we look at the history…
Qufu (曲阜) – Confucius Temple (孔庙) Posted by sasha on Aug 18, 2012
Qufu is the hometown of one of China’s most famous historical figures – Confucius. The legendary poet, teacher, philosopher, and politician grew up here, and his influence is clear everywhere you look. Explore the temple that bears his name in this video. 曲阜 – qū fù Qufu 曲阜东站 – qū fù dōng zhàn Qufu…
Common Chinese Greetings Posted by sasha on Aug 15, 2012
Learning common greetings is a very important part of studying any language. Of course, there are more words and phrases than the equivalent of “hello” and “goodbye.” With this short video, you’ll learn how and when to use some of the most common greetings in Chinese. 你好 nǐ hǎo Hello nǐ –> ní…
My Hobbies (我的爱好) Posted by sasha on Aug 12, 2012
When making small talk, it’s very common to talk about your hobbies (爱好 – Ài hào). After all, talking about what you like to do in your free time is always more interesting than talking about what you have to do at work or school. To help you build your vocabulary and learn how to talk…
Mt. Tai (泰山) Posted by sasha on Aug 7, 2012
In Eastern China’s Shandong Province, you’ll find the most sacred of China’s 5 Great Mountains – Mt. Tai. According to Chinese legend, if you climb this mountain, you’ll live to be 100. Over the years, countless Emperors, poets, and scholars have visited this holy site, and tons of people make the pilgrimage here every day…
China’s Sacred Mountains – Five Great Mountains Posted by sasha on Aug 3, 2012
China is a huge country with a wide variety of landscapes and terrain – from the deserts of Xinjiang, to the grasslands of Inner Mongolia, the concrete jungle of Beijing, the beaches of Hainan, and the rice paddies of Guangxi, China just about has it all. Of course, there are also countless mountains scattered throughout…