The Poems of Qu Yuan Posted by sasha on Jun 5, 2019
This Friday is the Dragon Boat Festival (端午节 – duān wǔ jié), a traditional holiday that’s celebrated on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month. While many know this Chinese festival for its exciting dragon boat races, it actually came about to honor a poet named Qu Yuan (屈原 – qū yuán). While we’ve…
About the Dragon Boat Festival Customs Posted by Ayana on Jun 3, 2019
The Dragon Boat Festival is known in Chinese as 端午节 (Duān wǔ jié). It is celebrated every year on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month, which falls on June 7 in 2019. 端午节，这个重大节日举国同庆。 Duān wǔ jié, zhè ge zhòng dà jié rì jǔ guó tóng qìng. The whole nation celebrates…
The Gaokao – The Most Important Exam in Chinese College Admissions Posted by Ayana on May 20, 2019
Next month, millions of high school seniors will take the most important exam (考试 kǎo shì) of their lives – the Chinese National Higher Education Entrance Examination. Shortly known as the 高考 (gāokǎo, higher education exam). The gaokao is the sole criteria for determining university (大学 dà xué) admissions in China. Failure in the gaokao, a…
7 Must-Know Questions for Eating Out in China Posted by sasha on May 16, 2019
If you’re at a beginner level of Chinese, one of the most intimidating experiences is going out to a local restaurant. You show up to a crowded, noisy place and glance at the menu on the wall. It’s nothing but Chinese characters. The waiter asks you a question, and you have no idea what he…
Eastern Chinese Cuisine Posted by sasha on May 8, 2019
We’ve been all over China in the last few months, sampling some of the many delicious flavors that are unique to Chinese cuisine. From the imperial bird that is Beijing roast duck, (北京烤鸭 – běi jīng kǎo yā), to the numbing sensation induced by the Sichuan peppercorns (四川胡椒 – sì chuān hú jiāo), to the…
5 Must-Know Chinese Adjectives to Describe People Posted by Ayana on May 6, 2019
Adjectives (形容词 xíng róng cí) play an important role in any language. Adjectives are used to describe the noun and they are tremendously useful in daily spoken language. In this post we will focus on five must-know adjectives to describe (mostly but, of course, not only) people. These five traits and their antonyms will help…
Northern Chinese Food Posted by sasha on Apr 22, 2019
One of the most common questions I get asked about living in China is “What’s real Chinese food like?” Well, it’s really hard to generalize Chinese food. One thing’s for sure, though – real Chinese food is a stark contrast from the sweet & sour chicken, egg rolls, and fortune cookies that are served up…