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Huang Qi’s Fight for Human Rights in China Posted by Ayana on Dec 3, 2018
Huang Qi (黄琦) is a Chinese webmaster and human rights activist. In 1998 Huang Qi founded (创办chuàng bàn) the 64 Tianwang website to disseminate reports about Chinese citizens who had been trafficked and disappeared. He used his website to counter human trafficking (人口贩卖rén kŏu fàn mà) in China, and to help find missing people. Gradually his website expanded to object any human…
The Disappearance of Fan Bingbing, China’s Most Famous Actress Posted by Ayana on Nov 13, 2018
A Chinese proverb says: 人怕出名猪怕壮 (rén pà chū míng zhū pà zhuàng). It means “people fear of getting famous just like pigs fear of getting fat”. Everyone wants to enjoy the benefits of fame like every pig wishes to enjoy unlimited food. But both publicity and binge eating are risky. Fan Bingbing (范冰冰), the number…
China Singles’ Day Posted by Ayana on Nov 5, 2018
China Singles’ Day is celebrated every year in November 11th. China Singles’ Day 光棍节 (Guāng gùn jié) is not an old Chinese tradition or an adopted western holiday. It’s a unique Chinese holiday generated in the 90’s by single students of Nanjing University. From Nanjing University, it spread to other campuses and gradually outside of…
Talking About Eggs in Chinese Posted by Ayana on Oct 15, 2018
Useful vocabulary for breakfast. 蛋类 (dàn lèi) is a general word for eggs of any kind. It is used when referring to eggs in general, and not from a specific kind. My Chinese friend, for example, who consistently exhorts me to eat healthier food, believes in the benefits of eggs: 你应该多吃些有营养的东西，比如蔬菜，蛋类，水果等等 (nǐ yīnggāi duō chī…
Luckin Coffee: The New Chinese Coffee Posted by Ayana on Oct 1, 2018
A new homegrown coffee was launched this year in China. If you visited China this year you probably noticed the blue and white ads. On the streets and online, the beautiful and talented actors Zhang Zhen and Tang Wei hold blue cups. The logo on the cup is a white deer, and the slogan is…
China’ Left-Behind Children Posted by Ayana on Sep 17, 2018
Since 1978, China has experienced the largest internal migration in human history. Young and old leave their homes in the countryside searching for jobs and opportunities in the crowded cities. Instead of cultivating the family fields, they prefer to make a living in the metropolis. The big cities of China, which has become known as…
Getting Fat in Chinese Posted by Ayana on Sep 3, 2018
Every visit to China is a culinary pleasure. Chinese food is too delicious to refuse. I love rice, tofu, noodles, dumplings, and I gorge on all the 10 must-try foods in China. No wonder why I always return home with some extra kilos. 胖pàng 胖(pàng) is an adjective meaning “fat”. It is an easy character…