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The Different Usages of the Character 白 Posted by Ayana on Mar 18, 2019
When learning a new language you should begin with the basics: numbers, directions, colors, etc. And this is how I was introduced to the character 白 (bái). A simple five-stroke-character meaning “white”. While pursuing my Chinese studies I occasionally encounter this character. Sometimes it maintains its meaning as white, but sometimes it means something else…
Wedding Photos in China Posted by Ayana on Mar 4, 2019
Wedding photos in China during Mao’s regime, especially during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), were simple. So was the wedding ceremony itself. The couple wore their everyday clothes, the gifts included copies of Mao’s Little Red Book, and the celebration consisted of a simple meal and revolutionary songs. But, things have changed. Weddings are devoid of…
China’s Social Media Crackdown Targets Twitter Posted by Ayana on Feb 25, 2019
Most western social media (社交媒体shè jiāo méi tǐ) in China is blocked, including Twitter (推特tuī tè). The Chinese government tries to control the internet, but Chinese users gain access to the blocked websites. They use circumvention tools, such as a special software called VPN (virtual private networks), to visit the websites. Most of them do…
Chinese Folk Art: New Year Paintings Posted by Ayana on Feb 4, 2019
Chinese New Year will be celebrated this year on February 5th. Chinese New Year (春节, chūn jié, literally means “spring festival”) has a lot of customs: New Year dinner, firecrackers, spring festival couplets, dumplings, and red envelopes, just to name a few. Among them is also the custom of hanging New Year paintings 年画 (nián…
Saying Goodbye in Chinese Posted by Ayana on Jan 21, 2019
Chinese New Year (春节, chūn jié, literally means “spring festival”) will be celebrated this February 5th. 春节 has many interesting traditions. One of them is the friendly custom of 拜年 (bài nián) – wishing family and friends happy new year. Nowadays, you can easily and quickly congratulate your relatives and acquaintances by mail, phone, or…
Xi Jinping’s Thought: A New Ideology for the Chinese Communist Party Posted by Ayana on Jan 7, 2019
The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (中国共产党第十九次全国代表达会) was opened last year (on October 2017), with a speech by Xi Jinping (习近平). Xi, who then started his second five-year term (任期rèn qí) as the president of the People’s Republic of China, spoke for about three and a half hours. He announced the beginning of a…
“The Pity of Zhongyong”: The Story about a Child Prodigy Posted by Ayana on Dec 17, 2018
Wang Anshi was a Song Dynasty (960–1279 AC) scholar, who advocated for education. He wrote an article about a child prodigy from his hometown to display the importance of education. His essay – 《伤仲永》 (Shāng Zhòngyǒng, “The Pity of Zhongyong”) – tells the story of a boy named 方仲永 (Fāng Zhòngyǒng). Born to a family…