-
Things You May Not Know about Start of WinterThe traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. Start of Winter, (Chinese: 立冬), the 19th solar term of the year, begins this year on Nov 7 and ends on Nov 21. In ancient times, the Chinese people took the Start of Winter to be the beginning of the winter. However, in fact, the Start of Winter is not the beginning of winter in terms of meteorology. The climate every year is different, so the beginning of winter could be quite different. And with the vast territory of China, winter of every area doesn’t begin at the same time.Here are eight things you should know about Start of Winter.Welcoming the winter in ancient timesThe four beginnings of the seasons were important festivals in ancient times. Before the Start of Winter, the ancient emperor would take a shower and have no more meat. On that day, the emperor would lead his officials to the suburbs and perform the ceremony of "Welcoming the winter."1.Eating dumplingsA legend has it that at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD25-220), "Medical Saint" Zhang Zhongjing saved many people in Henan province from a typhoid epidemic and their ears' from being frostbitten around Start of Winter. He cooked mutton, hot peppers and herbs to dispel the cold and increase body heat. He wrapped these ingredients into a dough skin and made them into an ear shape. Since then, people have learned to make the food which became known as "dumpling". Today there is still a saying that goes "Eat dumplings on Start of Winter Day, or your ears will be frostbitten".2.Yifan Festival of Mulam Ethnic MinorityYifan Festival is one of the most important festivals of the Mulam ethnic minority in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. It is held around the Start of Winter every three to five years and lasts one to three days. The festival includes inviting the god, offering sacrifices, asking the god to enjoy the sacrifice, singing praise of the god, drinking wine with the blood of chicken, and sending the god off.3.Eating pumpkinsIn Tianjin, on the first day of Start of Winter, people eat dumplings stuffed with Chinese pumpkins (wogua). It is a common vegetable in North China. Generally, the pumpkins are bought in the summer and stored until the Start of Winter when they are taken out.4."Nourishing the winter" On the first day of Start of Winter, there is a custom, "nourishing the winter", in Southeast China in places such as Fujian, Guangdong and Taiwan provinces. To prepare for the oncoming cold winter, people there like to eat high-calorie food such as chicken, duck, beef, mutton, and fish, which are usually stewed with the four Chinese medicines: angelica, ligusticum wallichii, Chinese herbaceous peony and rehmannia glutinosa libosch, to enhance the effectiveness of the nourishment.5.Offering sacrifices to ancestorsThe Start of Winter, when the autumn crops have been placed in storage, was the time of the festival for the people of the Manchu Eight Banners and Han Eight Banners in Benxi of Liaoning province. Incense was burned and sacrifices offered to ancestors. The Eight Banners (baqi) were administrative/military divisions during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
2018-11-07 14:40
View：2061
-
If one flower represents one season, the lotus flower, would be the one for summer. The lotus has long been seen as Hunan’s provincial flower. When taking a trip to various tourist destinations in Hunan, you will always see lotus in bloom. The flowers last from June to August, and summer is the prime time for appreciating them. Don’t miss the following places:1.Changsha · 长沙Hunan Provincial Botanical Garden 湖南省森林植物园It boasts the most varied species of lotus flowers in Hunan, reaching almost 600. The best viewing place is close to the Science and Research center. There are many kinds of flowers such as roses, lotus, peonies, daisies and tulips. There are many types of blooms, single-petal, and multiple-petal. There are many colors red, yellow, white, reddish-yellow, etc. There are three petal flower and four petal flowers, etc.Sujiatuo Lotus Base, Kaifu District, Changsha 长沙市开福区苏家托荷花基地Sujiatuo is the lotus garden nearest to downtown Changsha. On low-lying land with rich water resources it is suitable for lotus growing. Most growers came from Huashi Town, Xiangtan County. When summer arrives, thousands of mu of lotus flowers bloom under Sujiatuo Viaduct on Changsha’s North Second Ring Road.Kaihui Town, Changsha County 长沙县开慧镇The First Lotus Culture Tourism Festival will be launched between July 14 and September 15 in Kaihui Town, Changsha County.2.Zhuzhou · 株洲Xianyu Ridge, Zhuzhou 株洲仙庾岭Xianyu Ridge, about 10 km east of downtown Zhuzhou, has hundreds of mu (1 mu= 0.0667 ha.) lotus ponds, including a hundred mu of “space lotus”.“Space lotus” is a type of lotus grown from seeds carried into space by Chinese astronauts in experiments and designed to increase their yield.Xianyu Ridge was chosen as the main venue of the 2018 Zhuzhou Rural Summer Time Tourism Festival. There are four parts for the event: the opening ceremony; traversing the lotus pond - a TV challenge competition; Joyous lotus pond—rural music festival; energetic lotus pond—world cup carnival.3.Xiangtan · 湘潭Lotus Park at Panlong Grand Amusement Park 湘潭盘龙大观园荷花园Covering a total area of 300 mu, the lotus park inside of Xiangtan’s Panlong Grand Amusement Park is the Only Lotus Species Treasure of China. Over 30 species have won gold prizes among lotus exhibitions.4.Yueyang · 岳阳Junshan Wild Lotus World, Yueyang 岳阳君山野生荷花世界Walking through Junshan Wild Lotus World on Tuanhu Lake, you will find open water teeming with lotuses. It boasts the largest area of wild lotus in Asia, stretching to over 5,000 mu (about 333 hectares). Giving it its name --" Home to Chinese Wild Lotus" by the China Wild Plant Conservation Association in 2009. Boating and harvesting lotus seeds on the lake is a must-do for visitors.Junshan Wild Lotus World is located at Guangxingzhou Town, Junshan District, Yueyang City.5.Yiyang · 益阳Luowen Village, Nanxian County, Yiyang City 益阳南县罗文村When strolling in Luowen Village, some gorgeous walls come into sight first. The village is the first international graffiti art village in Hunan. A pavilion in the pond center provides visitors a good place to enjoy blooming lotus flowers.6.Loudi · 娄底Houfu Mansion, Loudi 娄底曾国藩故居Houfu Mansion, the former residence of Zeng Guofan (Chinese statesman, general, and Confucian scholar of the late-Qing Dynasty), is the largest and best preserved official residence in south China. Its library is among the sixth group of the cultural relics coming under state protection. The lotus in a nearly 20 hectares pond in front of the mansion bloom in June, and last for two months.7.Chenzhou · 郴州Sandu Town,Zixing City 郴州资兴三都镇Acres of lotus bloom in Sandu Town, Zixing City, Chenzhou. You may taste glutinous rice cake wrapped with lotus leaves, and also lotus tea; experience farm work like ploughing and stone milling; and, try to walk on stilts.You may be deeply impressed by the well-preserved ancient dwellings, stone arch bridges, ancestral temples, and stilt buildings.This year, for the first time, from July 27 to 29, a Migratory Bird Music Festival will be held. Tourists will have chances to enjoy Chinese and Western music styles and appreciate Picasso oil paintings in this vast land of lotus flowers.8.Xiangxi · 湘西Wanhe Garden, Pushui Town, Xiangxi 湘西浦市古镇万荷园Lotus flowers in Wanhe Garden are in blossom every June and July. You may also visit the local dwellings and enjoy Chenghe Gaoqiang (an upper-octave opera) performance. The millennium town of Pushi has been promoted as a national 4A-level scenic spot. Source from Hunan Official Web Portal
2018-07-18 11:59
View：1948
-
The Fifth China (Xiangxi) Moni (smearing mud on body) Festival will kick off at Chinese Ethnic Culture Park, Beijing on June 22, 2018. Authentic folk customs of Tujia ethnic group will be presented.Moni Festival is originated from Tujia’s time-honored traditional customs. Tujia young men and women express their love by smearing mud on their faces and bodies. It has been held for 5 sessions since 2015. It has a far-reaching influence on inheriting national cultural heritage, carrying forward national spirit, enriching people’s cultural life, creating rural tourism brands, boosting targeted poverty alleviation, and achieving rural vitalization.The festival aims to build a large platform for poverty alleviation through cultural tourism, which integrates culture, tourism, and economy and trade.Between June 22 and August 30, various folk activities featuring local characteristics will be held in Changsha, Zhangjiajie, Furong Town, Red Stone Forest Park, and Fenghuang. The charm of traditional culture will be presented through intangible cultural heritage exhibition and performances; multi-ethnic mud-smearing carnival; and mud-smearing parade, and other cultural activities.Intangible cultural heritage performance (file photo)Young people paint each other’s face with colorful mud to pray for happiness. (file photo)Translator: Xiao Juan
2018-06-24 08:03
View：1907
-
Miao people perform lion dance to celebrate their annual “Siyueba Festival”, which falls on May 22 this year. Over 10,000 Miao people from Jishou, Huayuan, Fenghuang, and Baojing attended the observations held in Aizhai Town, Jishou City despite the rain. The “Siyueba Festival” (the eighth day of the fourth lunar month) or “Yanu Festival”, is a traditional festival mainly observed by Miao ethnic group nationwide. (Photo/Yao Fang)Translator: Yu Jiangjiang
2018-05-22 16:55
View：1719
-
A tourist and a village play funny volleyball game in a paddy field on May 17, 2018. On the same day, the Wulingyuan District of Zhangjiajie City held a B&B inns tourism and farming cultural festival at the No. 5 Valley Tourist Resort. Chinese and foreign tourists and local villagers together participated in interesting activities such as games of volleyball and tug of war; fish-catching; and rice-transplanting in the paddy field, to get the first-hand experience of farming and enjoy the fun of rural tourism. (Photo/Guo Liliang, Ning Kui)Translator: Yu Jiangjiang
2018-05-21 16:51
View：2803
-
The photo taken on May 6 shows consumers choose tea ware. The 10th Hunan Tea Cultural Festival (Changsha Spring Tea) and Exhibition of Red Stoneware, Painting, Porcelain, and Tea Set were held at Hunan Provincial Exhibition Hall between May 4 and 7. The exhibits included dark tea, green tea, black tea, white tea, yellow tea, oolong tea, and tea-related products, attracted many citizens. (Photo/Xu Xing)Translator: Xiao Juan
2018-05-06 08:50
View：1464
-
Changsha IFS, Hunan’s tallest building, opened on May 7.The Changsha IFS integrates the functions of large-scale high-end shopping mall, Grade A offices, serviced apartments, and international five star hotel.Beyond that, it’s going to nurture the locals’ art appreciation and enrich the city’s cultural life by hosting diverse art exhibitions, culture exchanges, and music festivals in the future.CPC Hunan Provincial Standing Committee member and CPC Changsha Municipal Committee Secretary Hu Henghua, and Vice Governor He Baoxiang witnessed the opening ceremony.The aerial photo taken on May 7 shows the beautiful night view of Changsha International Finance Square (IFS).(Photo/Guo Liliang)Translator: Xiao Juan
2018-05-07 08:45
View：1813
-
April 16, Chinese Lunar March First, Zhangjiajie held “Lifting Mao Buddha”folk culture festival with strong ethnic characteristics in Cili county. It is said that such folk activities have a history of more than a thousand years. It is a large-scale worship and blessing event to commemorate the protection of the heroes of the Cili people.On the day of the event, the people worshipped to the 12 local Buddha statues. At the same time, they also performed special folk shows such as dragon lanterns, dragon boats, drums and so on. Source from Liu xiao
2018-04-22 12:03
View：2172
-
Source from the new of Zhangjiajie City Culture and Sports Bureau，Appointed by Asia Pacific TV 2018 China National Minority Song and Dance Club,Zhangjiajie Sangzhi Drum Dance will be on Hong Kong stage from April 11th to 16th，It will show the unique charm of Zhangjiajie national culture to Hong Kong audiences.Zhangjiajie Sangzhi Drum Dance is a unique traditional dance of Sangzhi Bai ethnic group. It has a history of more than 700 years. This dance uses props as props and percussion instruments as dance music. It reproduces the life and labor scenes of Bai people. It is widely used in folk activities such as temple fairs, festivals, and sacrifices, and is deeply loved by Bai people.Source from Liu xiao
2018-04-14 12:24
View：1369
