Archive by Author
Chinese Valentine’s Day – Qi Xi Festival (七夕节) Posted by sasha on Aug 4, 2011
In China, the seventh day of the seventh month on the lunar calendar is known as the Qi Xi Festival (七夕节 – qī xì jié). This ancient Chinese festival goes by many names, including: the Night of Sevens, the Magpie Festival, and in the more modern sense of the word, Chinese Valentine’s Day (情人节 –…
Beijing Day Trips – Volume 1 – Shang Fang Shan (上方山) Posted by sasha on Aug 3, 2011
When you live in the concrete jungle (AKA Beijing), it’s absolutely necessary to get out once in a while for a good day trip (一日游 – yī rì yóu). Luckily, for us Beijingers (北京人 – běi jīng rén), the options for easy, fun trips out of the city are abundant. As an avid hiker/adventurer, I…
The Qingdao Beer Festival (青岛啤酒节) Posted by sasha on Jul 30, 2011
About a month into my first stint in China (中国 – zhōng guó), I suffered from a case of itchy feet. While I had moved here to work, my job was only meant to be a means to an end – to fund my adventures. My first few weeks in 北京 had been a roller…
Beijing Breakfast – Jian Bing (北京早餐 – 煎饼) Posted by sasha on Jul 29, 2011
A staple dish for breakfast in Beijing, the jian bing (煎饼) is a delicious Chinese pancake that is cheap and quick – perfect for the fast pace of Beijing life. In this short video, watch an expert whip up a jian bing at a local supermarket in just under two minutes.
One Year of Videos (Top 10) Posted by sasha on Jul 27, 2011
You know, they say time flies when you’re having fun. Well, the last year has gone by in a flash, and I’ve had tons of fun writing and producing videos for Transparent Chinese in that time. Throughout the past year, the blog has seen videos about many different aspects of life in China: festivals, traveling…
China – From the Last Emperor to Mao Zedong Posted by sasha on Jul 21, 2011
Way back in October 2010, I decided to set out on writing a condensed history of China from the last emperor to Mao Zedong. With little knowledge of that time period myself, I was curious to learn more about Chinese history and in turn share some of my findings with our readers. Little did I…
Flying Acrobats (Video) Posted by sasha on Jul 12, 2011
After posting about Beijing’s Flying Acrobats show last night, I decided that words and pictures just weren’t enough to convey the sheer awesome-ness of this performance. As such, I’ve compiled a short highlight video as well… enjoy!