Archive for October, 2011
Counting in Chinese from 100 to 1,000 Posted by sasha on Oct 31, 2011
In Part Two of our “counting in Chinese” series, learn how to count from 100 up to 1,000. For Part One, click here. While you’re at it, check out our Chinese word of the day page – a new Chinese word every day!
Dunhuang (敦煌) Posted by Stephen on Oct 31, 2011
In the high desert plains of northern China, water dictates development. Nowhere can this be better illustrated than in Dunhuang or 敦煌 (Dūn huáng), one of the largest oasis-cities in Gansu Province or 甘肃 (Gān sù). Dunhuang roughly translates as “blazing beacon” in Chinese, a moniker it bestowed upon it as the terminus of the…
Halloween (万圣节) Posted by Stephen on Oct 30, 2011
Halloween or 万圣节 (Wàn shèng jié) is fast approaching, so get your costumes or 服装 (fú zhuāng) ready! Last year everyone and their kid brother was Lady Gaga (including guys), but I got a strong feeling that there will be more Qaddafi’s than Beijing knows what to do with them. Halloween is a time to cut…
Chinese Social Media: Weibo (新浪微博) Posted by Stephen on Oct 28, 2011
The social media movement is alive and well in the mainland, but you wont hear people raving about Facebook, Twitter or Google Plus. Unbeknownst to most American’s and Westerners, China is a nation of netizens, who take to blogs, forums and chat boards just like the rest of us. They clamor for the new Iphone5 (which is…
Yangshuo (阳朔) – Part Three – Li River (漓江) Posted by sasha on Oct 26, 2011
After a fun couple of days enjoying Yangshuo, we headed out of the town for a day trip. Starting from the town of Yangdi, we cruised along the beautiful Li River on a bamboo raft for a few hours, admiring the scenery. Check out some of the highlights in this short video. 一日游 – yí…
Everything But the Table: Lā Miàn Noodles (拉面) Posted by Stephen on Oct 25, 2011
As temperatures continue to plummet, the prospect of finding something hot and spicy to warm your belly becomes all the more appealing. If it wasn’t for today’s elegant yet simplistic dish, 拉面 (lā miàn) or pulled noodles, I don’t know how I could weather the frigid Beijing winter as it approaches. So if you want to…
Chinese Idioms (Vol. 4) Posted by sasha on Oct 25, 2011
It’s been a while since our last post about Chinese idioms (成语 – chéng yǔ). In Chinese, the word for idiom literally means “to become a part of the language.” All idioms are composed of four characters, and most come from ancient literature. As such, the meaning of the idiom itself is usually more than…