We are living in the year of the pig
The Chinese Lunar New Year is the longest chronological record in history, dating from 2600BC, when the EmChinese New Year is the longest and most important celebration in the Chinese calendar. The Chinese year 4705 begun on Feb. 18 2007.The Chinese New Year starts with the New Moon on the first day of the new year and ends on the full moon 15 days later. The 15th day of the new year is called the Lantern Festival, which is celebrated at night with lantern displays and children carrying lanterns in a parade.
Chinese months are reckoned by the lunar calendar, with each month beginning on the darkest day. New Year festivities traditionally start on the first day of the month and continue until the fifteenth, when the moon is brightest. In China, people may take weeks of holiday from work to prepare for and celebrate the New Year.
According to the legend, Buddha asked all the animals to meet him on Chinese New Year. Twelve came, and Buddha named a year after each one. He announced that the people born in each animal's year would have some of that animal's personality and one of the animals was the pig.
The pig people...
Pig people love to read, are generally thirsty for knowledge, and not readily talkative, but if presented with an opportunity to discuss topics of interest with like-minded individuals Pigs may find themselves talking non-stop for hours. People born in the Year of the Pig are trusted associates in whatever career they happen to choose.
Photo and source:google.com
China has started a campaign to protect ethnic cultures
Photo:www.nlm.nih.gov
In China a lot more languages than the most known, Cantonese and mandarin are spoken. Twenty-one ethnic groups had their own written language in China 2006.
China has the five last years collected more than a million ancient ethnic books and published more than 5,000 of them during the 10th "Five-Year" Plan period from 2001 to 2005. A massive catalogue of extant ancient books of the 55 ethnic minorities are being compiled. China publishes over 50 million copies of books in ethnic languages each year. There are also 99 newspapers and 223 periodicals published in 10 ethnic languages.
Source:Xinhua.com
Drinking tea in China
Photo:www.mybeijingchina.com
When living or doing business in a foreign country it's important to be aware of the local traditions and customs. The art of drinking and serving tea plays a major cultural role in China. For centuries, the ritual of preparing and serving tea has held a special place in the hearts and minds of Chinese aristocracy, court officials, intellectuals and poets.
Chinese tea culture includes the methods of preparation of tea, the equipment used to make tea and the occasions in which tea is consumed in China.Tea drinking was popular in ancient China as tea was regarded as one of the seven daily necessities(the others are : firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar)
Even nowadays, in both casual and formal Chinese occasions, tea is consumed regularly. In addition to only being a social drink, Chinese tea is used in herbal medicine and in cooking.
Learn more about Tea and the Chinese Tea ceremonies at:
• Xiamen Mingren Tea Industry
• Tea Trading.com
Chinese radio and TV stations to pay music royalties next year
Chinese radio and TV stations are expected to pay royalties on the music they broadcast from next year, when a set of fee collection methods and standards will be officially promulgated.
"The methods and standards are being drawn up by the Office of Legislative Affairs of the State Council. They are expected to be officially promulgated next year" said an official with the National Copyright Administration. Tens of billions of yuan is the estimated sum that could be collected in royalties each year. Source:www.newsgd.com, China View website
Chinese radio and TV stations to pay music royalties next year
Chinese radio and TV stations are expected to pay royalties on the music they broadcast from next year, when a set of fee collection methods and standards will be officially promulgated.
"The methods and standards are being drawn up by the Office of Legislative Affairs of the State Council. They are expected to be officially promulgated next year" said an official with the National Copyright Administration. Tens of billions of yuan is the estimated sum that could be collected in royalties each year. Source:www.newsgd.com, China View website
The Asian Winter Games started today
The largest-ever Asian Winter Games kicked off in the northeastern city of Changchun on Sunday evening. Chinese President Hu Jintao attended the ceremony and announced the opening of the competitions. This year's event features all 45 members of the Olympic Council of Asia for the first time in its history. 15 countries and regions, including Afghanistan, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan, will make their debut this year.
China has dispatched a delegation composed of over 260 athletes to compete in all events. Japan dispatched the second largest delegation, with over 110 athletes, while South Korea has the third largest team. The weeklong Games, to be co-hosted by Changchun and nearby cities in northeast China's Jilin Province, will give out 369 medals covering five main events, including figure skating, ice hockey and speed skating.
Source:english.cri.cn
Photo:AsianWinterGamesChangchunn
Chinese wisdom on a plasticbag
Photo: chinamarket.se
Year 4705, the year of the pig
People born in the Year of the Pig are chivalrous and gallant. Whatever they do, they do with all their strength. They have tremendous fortitude and great honesty. They don’t make many friends but they make them for life....Chinese New Year is the longest and most important celebration in the Chinese calendar. The Chinese year 4705 (= 2007) begins on Feb. 18, 2007. The New Year festivities traditionally start on the first day of the month and continue until the fifteenth, when the moon is brightest. In China, people may take weeks of holiday from work to prepare for and celebrate the New Year.
According to the legend Buddha asked all the animals to meet him on Chinese New Year. Twelve came, and Buddha named a year after each one. Some famous people born in the year of the pig are: Humphrey Bogart, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ernest Hemingway, Alfred Hitchcock, Mahalia Jackson, David Letterman, and Arnold Schwarzenegger .
Sources: www.c-c-c.org, wikipedia.com, infoplease.com, www.chizod.com
Playgrounds for adults
May the outdoor gyms be the solution for stressed housewives in Europe and America?