Phoenix
6 de Novembro, 2013
Phoenix is a legendary bird in Chinese myth. It has been regarded as the head of all birds and a symbol of auspice for thousand of years. It is said that social stability usually follows..
Saber maisPine and cranes: a symbol of longevity
6 de Novembro, 2013
There is a very famous picture in China named “song he yan nian”(the pine and the crane lengthen the life), it is to wish longevity. For thousands of years, Chinese people have been fond of..
Saber maisChinese Manners (Ⅱ): Giving Gifts
6 de Novembro, 2013
Chinese consider gifts as an important part to show courtesy. It is appropriate to give gifts on occasions such as festival, birthday, wedding or visiting a patient. If you are invited to a family party,..
Saber maisNeighborhood relationship
6 de Novembro, 2013
Neighbors seem to be an important part of community relationship in China. For instance, if a couple had a noisy fight and the neighbors heard it, they would come over to calm them down. Or,..
Saber maisWith li (Politeness), One Can Go Everywhere
5 de Novembro, 2013
“Li” in China not only refers to not only gifts, but more often than not, courtesy and modesty towards people. Politeness is extremely important in contacts among Chinese people. It helps you approach the other..
Saber maisThe Dragons and the Quality of Fertility
5 de Novembro, 2013
In China, various customs are associated with the quality of fertility as symbolized by dragons. In Hunan and Hubei provinces, women wanting to be pregnant will let the dragon circulate their bodies and give money..
Saber maisStudy Chinese: Self-explanatory Characters
5 de Novembro, 2013
If you have studied Chinese or are studying Chinese now, you may have heard of “Self-explanatory Characters” when learning Chinese characters. The pictographic character for knife is “刀” (dao), isn’t it look like a big..
Saber maisStudy Chinese: people – Chinese characters and the human
5 de Novembro, 2013
According to the legend, when Cangjie created Chinese characters, he noticed not only everything in the universe, but also the human race itself. Chinese characters, therefore, reflect not only the Chinese people’s understanding of the..
Saber maisThe Dragon Boat Festival (IV): the dragon boat race
5 de Novembro, 2013
There were countless boats, each of which had a dragon head and a dragon tail carved its hull (borrowing the implication of “wrath” from the figure of the dragon); 20 strong men were seated on..
Saber maisThe Lantern Festival: Illuminating Silkworms, Holding Torches and Displaying Colorful Lanterns
5 de Novembro, 2013
There are a lot of folktales about the Lantern Festival, and the most believable one is that it originated from the custom of illuminating silkworm by peasants in the past. Illuminating silkworm fields meant that..
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