Archive for 'Culture'
How to Sing “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” in Chinese Posted by sasha on Dec 23, 2014
It’s that time of year again, when “Jingle Bells” is playing non-stop, shopping malls have decked their halls, and “Christmas Old Man” (圣诞老人 – shèng dàn lǎo rén) can be seen all across the Middle Kingdom. Although most people in China don’t celebrate Christmas in the religious sense of the word, they sure love the…
Gift Giving in China Posted by sasha on Dec 19, 2014
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been asked on numerous occasions by my students about the culture of giving gifts when it comes to Christmas: “Who do you give gifts to?” “Which gifts are the most common in your family?” “How much should you spend on a gift?” This got me thinking about the differences…
Guangzhou Video Tour Posted by sasha on Dec 16, 2014
We’re continuing our exploration of China’s third largest city, Guangzhou, with a short video tour. Munch on dim sum, stroll around a European island in the city, get cultured in an ancient Chinese academy, check out the modern side of Guangzhou, and wind down with Chinese food and craft beer. 广州 – guǎng zhōu Guangzhou…
A Day in Guangzhou Posted by sasha on Dec 12, 2014
On our recent trip from Hong Kong to Kunming overland, we had to include an overnight stay in Guangzhou (广州 – guǎng zhōu) for transportation reasons. Having previously only seen Guangzhou from the window of a train and having heard from a friend who spent some time living there that it’s “the place dreams go…
Beijing World Park Video Tour Posted by sasha on Nov 7, 2014
Take a video tour of the Beijing World Park (北京世界公园 – běi jīng shì jiè gōng yuán), a theme park that allows you to travel around the world in just a couple of hours on the outskirts of the Chinese capital. Containing scaled-down replicas of famous landmarks from over 40 countries, it’s actually quite an…
Halloween in China – Plants vs. Zombies Posted by sasha on Nov 3, 2014
Halloween is becoming more and more popular in China with each passing year. You may be surprised to see just how cool a Chinese Halloween party can be. The Bird and Flower Market of Kunming turns into a haunted maze occupied by zombies in this spooky video. 万圣节派对 – wàn shèng jié pài duì Halloween…
Better Know a… Province (Guangdong) Posted by sasha on Oct 31, 2014
Our long and winding journey around the Middle Kingdom continues as we visit one of the most famous regions of China, the province once known as Canton – Guangdong (广东 – guǎng dōng). A brief intro to Guangdong. History Due to its geographic location far away from the center of power in early China, this…