Archive for the year 2011
Modern Kung Fu and Commercialization (现代功夫） Posted by Stephen on Nov 13, 2011
On the surface (在表面上), modern Shaolin Kung fu seems little altered from its ancient and austere roots. Monks still dress the same way, perform the same dazzling feats and train at the same place. The Shaolin temple has been rebuilt in keeping with traditional architecture and the “Shaolin Way” has been exported throughout the globe…
Chinese + English = Chinglish (中式英语) Posted by Stephen on Nov 7, 2011
If you’ve ever visited China, you’ve undoubtably come across a “Chinglish” sign that makes you either stop and scratch your head or burst out laughing. These signs, which usually are the by-product of direct plug and play dictionary findings by a non-English speaker, are a stark reminder of the subtle, yet important differences between English…
Chinese Love – Part Five Posted by sasha on Nov 7, 2011
In the last post, we looked at some of the ancient wedding customs of China. For Part Five, we’ll take a look at a few more pre-wedding customs, as well as the big day in Chinese culture – the wedding day. A lot of these customs are very traditional, but many are still practiced today…
Decimals, Fractions and Percentages Posted by Stephen on Nov 3, 2011
As you begin to use your Chinese in stores, restaurants and shopping centers, you’ll need to know where to spot a sale, how much to tip (or not tip) your waiters, and most importantly, how much interest your credit card is charging you each month (but I NEED an IPad2!). Figuring out how to divide…
Chinese Love – Part Four Posted by sasha on Nov 3, 2011
While Part Three of our Chinese love story was all about sex, the fourth installment of this series is all about marriage. Although the Chinese “Sexual Revolution” is only a few years old, Chinese wedding customs (婚礼习俗 – hūn lǐ xí sú) date back thousands of years. Traditional wedding customs were quite elaborate, and the…
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…