Archive for 'Culture'
Sichuan Opera (川剧) Posted by sasha on Nov 4, 2012
A great way to spend an evening in Chengdu is catching a performance of Sichuan opera (川剧 – chuān jù). Featuring elaborate costumes, music, singing, and dancing, it’s a highly entertaining show with a long history. Highlights include shadow hand play, the “rolling light”, and of course, the legendary face changing.
Chinese Power Change Posted by sasha on Nov 2, 2012
With the next American presidential election just a few days away and so much media hype surrounding it, there isn’t a whole lot of talk out there about the upcoming power change in China. Of course, this highlights two major differences between the world superpowers – while the US election is highly promoted, with candidates…
Chinglish Menu Posted by sasha on Oct 24, 2012
For anyone who’s been to China, you’re probably very familiar with the wonderful art of Chinglish (中式英语 – zhōng shì yīng yǔ). From hilarious t-shirts in the market that display text such as, “I give all a smile because I am in the cheerful monkey,” to silly signs on the lawn encouraging you to “Cherish the…
Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Base (成都大熊猫繁育研究基地) Posted by sasha on Oct 19, 2012
The giant panda is the national treasure of China, and nowhere is this more obvious than in Sichuan, where there are multiple panda breeding centers. Take a tour of the most visited panda site, located in the capital city of Chengdu. 成都大熊猫繁育研究基地 – chéng dū dà xióng māo fán yù yán jiū jī dì Chengdu…
A Busy Day in Chengdu Posted by sasha on Oct 13, 2012
Join me on a stroll through Chengdu, the capital of southwest China’s Sichuan province, as we visit the YMCA, Wenshu Monastery, and the Immaculate Conception Church during the day. In the evening, chow down on some Sichuan style hot pot, and then stroll the alleyways for some shopping, snacking, and drinking. 文殊院 – wén shū…
A Big Fuss Over Small Islands Posted by sasha on Oct 8, 2012
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past month, you’ve probably heard about the dispute between China and Japan concerning a small archipelago of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea. So, what exactly is all of the fuss about? Here is a brief history and explanation for the current state of affairs…
Better Know a… Province (Part One) Posted by sasha on Oct 4, 2012
So far, we’ve covered two of China’s massive municipalities – Beijing and Shanghai. We’ll save the other two – Tianjin and Chongqing – for later, and today we’ll begin our tour around China’s many provinces. For this first provincial introduction, we’re heading to the sight of my last vacation – Sichuan (四川 – sì chuān)…