Full moon fever on the Lantern Festival
The brightest moon of the new year welcomes a festival of light – the Lantern Festival, also the official end to Chinese New Year. Thought the new year was over after Chinese New Year’s Eve? Think again. In China, celebrating the new year is not just a matter of swinging around a few firecrackers and […]
What does the number 9 mean in China’s culture?
Look to the numbers as another reflection of superstition in China. Here in many Western, Judeo-Christian cultures, 7 is the big one. But it’s another story in China, where certain digits promise good fortune, long life and prosperity. Let’s take the number 9, for example. What does the the number 9 mean in China’s culture?
The Golden Pig Year baby boom and the power of superstition in China
It’s no secret that superstition runs deep in Chinese culture. And this Chinese New Year is yet another reminder of that, as this NPR news story discusses in the baby boom for the Golden Pig year: In China, city-dwellers are only allowed one child, so many are timing their pregnancies according to the traditional lunar […]
Reviving Chinese New Year in China — and what it means for the future of all things foreign
Is Chinese New Year in need of a revival? The experts seem to think so. Here’s the reason, taken from a Xinhua News article titled “Protect Chinese New Year” becomes a common idea in Chinese society: This suggested idea of “Protect Chinese New Year” came about because these years Gao Youpeng [a professor at Henan […]
Duilian…one of the most beloved Chinese New Year Symbols
This image courtesy of Wikipedia Commons and user Chrislb, and falls under their GMU Free Documentation License. Ever come across a door flanked by two vertical red strips with Chinese characters? If so, you’ve seen duilian — one of the most important and revered Chinese New Year symbols and traditions. Duilian are generally two long, […]
Yes, I’ll have some more walnuts and black sesame: the wintertime push for nutritional supplements in China
I’ll never forget the January scene I once witnessed at a foodstuffs store on Huaihai Road — Shanghai’s main shopping drag. There they were, masses of people, lining up for this classic wonder supplement. No, it wasn’t Amway or Nuskin or even some hi-tech offering from a Chinese company. Just walnut and black sesame powder, […]
What do you get when you add Starbucks to the Forbidden City in China? The answer is no joke.
Well, China’s given us that rare opportunity to use “Starbucks coffeehouse” and “Forbidden City” in the same sentence. And now it’s making headlines once again, almost six years after opening in one of the country’s most iconic tourist destinations. In case you missed the news back in late 2000/early 2001, here’s a quick review courtesy […]
How the Chinese government may have stolen Chinese New Year
The Chinese government may be treading on some thin ice with their recent announcement about the Chinese New Year. The problem? They’ve announced that the official holiday falls on February 18 to 24 — conveniently forgetting about February 17, Chinese New Year’s Eve. Here’s a rough translation of a portion of this article in BBC […]