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St. Patrick’s Day in China Posted by sasha on Mar 17, 2015
Ask 100 Chinese people on the street what holiday today is, and chances are maybe – and I mean maybe – one person will know about St. Patrick’s Day. This traditional Irish holiday is celebrated on March 17th in countries all around the world. While it’s true that it isn’t exactly celebrated or known in China, that…
10 Reasons Why Yangshuo is Still Awesome Posted by sasha on Mar 15, 2015
Back in the 1980s, long-haired backpackers looking for rocks to climb on discovered the karst peaks of a small town called Yangshuo (阳朔 – yáng shuò) in the Zhuang autonomous region of Guangxi (广西壮族自治区 – guǎng xī zhuàng zú zì zhì qū). With no real tourism infrastructure in place, locals began housing the strange foreign…
Want vs. Need in Chinese Posted by sasha on Mar 12, 2015
As an English teacher, I’ve found myself teaching the difference between “want” and “need” very often. There’s a big difference between wanting and needing something, and there are also many ways to express these in English. Today I’m turning the tables as I teach you, our fabulous readers, how to talk about wants and needs…
The Movie Taking China By Storm: Under the Dome Posted by sasha on Mar 9, 2015
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past week in China, you’ve heard about the new documentary that has taken the country by storm – “Under the Dome” (穹顶之下 – qióng dǐng zhī xià). Produced by former CCTV journalist Chai Jing (柴静) over the course of a year, this 103-minute long film takes an…
The Lantern Festival (元宵节) Posted by sasha on Mar 5, 2015
Today is the 15th and final day of the Spring Festival, called 元宵节 (yuán xiāo jié) in Chinese and the Lantern Festival in English. Check out some highlights from the Grand View Park in Kunming where elaborate lanterns are set up to celebrate this special day: 元宵节 – yuán xiāo jié Lantern Festival 春节 – chūn…
A Very Chinese Chinese New Year Posted by sasha on Feb 25, 2015
After a 6-year hiatus from celebrating the Spring Festival in China, I decided to keep it local this year and take a short trip through southeast Yunnan’s Honghe Prefecture in favor of a beach vacation. Check out some highlights from our trip through this stunning part of China, home to many Hani and Yi people…
Cycling in Yangshuo Posted by sasha on Feb 23, 2015
Yangshuo has some of the best scenery in China, with stunning karst mountains and winding rivers. Get out of the touristy town and explore this beautiful place on two wheels.