{"id":14944,"date":"2019-12-23T09:00:24","date_gmt":"2019-12-23T13:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/?p=14944"},"modified":"2019-12-19T16:23:43","modified_gmt":"2019-12-19T20:23:43","slug":"top-5-chinese-blog-posts-of-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/top-5-chinese-blog-posts-of-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 5 Chinese Blog Posts of 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s hard to believe, but we’re nearing the end of the decade. For me, it’s pretty wild to reflect back on the past decade. I spent over half of it in China, and I’ve been writing for the Chinese blog the entire time. It’s an appropriate instance to use the phrase “time flies<\/strong>” (\u65f6\u5149\u98de\u901d – sh\u00ed gu\u0101ng f\u0113i sh\u00ec)! At the end of the year, we always like to look at what posts were most popular with our readers. Before we ring in 2020, here are the top 5 Chinese blog posts of 2019.<\/p>\n

5. China Turns 70<\/a><\/h2>\n
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Tiananmen Square – the heart of China.<\/p><\/div>\n

Back on October 1st, China celebrated its National Day<\/strong> (\u56fd\u5e86\u8282 \u2013 gu\u00f3 q\u00ecng ji\u00e9). This year was an especially big one, as the PRC turned 70. In this post, I give a brief history of modern-day China, starting with Chairman Mao establishing the new nation back in 1949. I also discuss the concept of China’s Golden Weeks<\/strong> (\u9ec4\u91d1\u5468 \u2013 hu\u00e1ng j\u012bn zh\u014du), which are both very busy times for travel in the Middle Kingdom. In addition, you can learn the entire Chinese national anthem, \u201cMarch of the Volunteers<\/strong>\u201d (\u4e49\u52c7\u519b\u8fdb\u884c\u66f2 \u2013 y\u00ec y\u01d2ng j\u016bn j\u00ecn x\u00edng q\u01d4).<\/p>\n

4. 7 Must-Know Questions for Eating Out in China<\/a><\/h2>\n
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Can you understand the menu?<\/p><\/div>\n

I’ll never forget my first week in China, especially those first couple of trips to local restaurants. Staring at a menu where I understood absolutely nothing, having to use chopsticks, and experiencing smells and tastes I was not at all accustomed to. Eating out in China can be intimidating, especially when you’re at a low level of Chinese. Far too many visitors to China resort to eating at places like KFC because they’re freaked out by local restaurants. In this post I teach you some must-know questions that will help you confidently walk into that hole-in-the-wall noodle joint, such as “Do you have a picture menu<\/strong>?” (\u4f60\u6709\u7167\u7247\u83dc\u5355\u5417\uff1f- n\u01d0 y\u01d2u zh\u00e0o pi\u00e0n c\u00e0i d\u0101n ma).<\/p>\n

3. Marriage in China<\/a><\/h2>\n
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Wedding photos in Qingdao.<\/p><\/div>\n

Love is in the air here on the Chinese blog, as our readers loved this post by Ayana about marriage<\/strong> (\u5a5a\u59fb – h\u016bn y\u012bn) in China. In this excellent and informative post, you’ll learn about the history of arranged marriage<\/strong> (\u5305\u529e\u5a5a\u59fb – b\u0101o b\u00e0n h\u016bn y\u012bn) in China, which is now illegal. You’ll also learn a bit about a naked marriage<\/strong> (\u88f8\u5a5a – lu\u01d2 h\u016bn), which probably isn’t what you expect it to be! This post is a great insight into Chinese culture and it has quite a bit of useful vocabulary, so check it out if you missed it!<\/p>\n

2. Cantonese Food<\/a><\/h2>\n
\"Cantonese<\/a>

Dim sum in Guangzhou.<\/p><\/div>\n

There are many different styles of Chinese food. Without a doubt, one of the most famous is Guangdong cuisine<\/strong> (\u5e7f\u4e1c\u83dc \u2013 gu\u01ceng d\u014dng c\u00e0i). You may know it as Cantonese food, and it’s also called Yue Cuisine<\/strong> (\u7ca4\u83dc \u2013 yu\u00e8 c\u00e0i) in Chinese. Be prepared to have your mouth watering after reading this post! I introduce Cantonese classics like dim sum<\/strong> (\u70b9\u5fc3 \u2013 di\u01cen x\u012bn), drunken prawns<\/strong> (\u9189\u867e \u2013 zu\u00ec xi\u0101), and slow cooked soup<\/strong> (\u8001\u706b\u6e6f \u2013 l\u01ceo hu\u01d2 t\u0101ng \u2013 lit. old fire soup). Cantonese food is known to be fresh and is not nearly as spicy as the cuisine of Western China. It’s definitely one of my favorites!<\/p>\n