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Have you ever heard a Chinese tongue twister? You may have but not even realized it. A tongue twister is a type of oral literature, which is a unique form of language art in Chinese folk literature. It can help people exercise eloquence, correct pronunciation, as well as improve their Chinese speaking ability.
Upon first ...
Once you set foot on foreign soil, you’ll have to adapt to your new environs. Of course, there will be the odd custom or two that you’re not familiar with, but we’re here to help you avoid turning naïve behavior into a majorly bad faux pas. All you need is a little openness. After all, ...
Chinese traditional operas, of a long history and well established, are one of the cultural and artistic forms of the Chinese nation. These ancient types of drama are still active on China’s stages today. Of all the traditional types of drama, Peking Opera is the most influential. Emerging in Peking two hundred years ago and ...
Zhōngguó chuántǒng xìqǔ lìshǐ yōujiǔ, yuányuǎnliúcháng,
中国传统戏曲历史悠久，源远流长，
tā shì zhōnghuá mínzú wénhuà yìshù pǐnzhǒng zhī yī.
它是中华民族文化艺术品种之一。
Chinese traditional operas, of a long history and well established, are one of the cultural and artistic forms of the Chinese nation.
Zhèxiē gǔlǎo de jùzhǒng, zhìjīn huóyuè zài Zhōngguó de wǔtái shàng.
这些古老的剧种，至今活跃在中国的舞台上。
These ancient types of drama are still active on China’s ...
You know Chinese Kung Fu because of movies, right? Chinese Kung Fu is so much more. It embodies China’s national wisdom and traditional culture in one very pure active art form. The main concepts of Kung Fu are moderation and harmony. Its artistic nature and require for discipline has influenced the entire world. Shaolin, Tai ...
Have you visited your local museum lately? Soon you may have the opportunity to do so for free. “国际博物馆日 (Guójì bówùguǎn rì) International Museum Day (IMD)” is an internationally celebrated day on or around 18 May. Each year, museums across the globe are invited to participate in IMD to promote the role of museums, which ...
Teaching Chinese culture and tradition is an essential part of teaching Mandarin Chinese. Not only are the words and phrases important, but learning about the lives of Chinese people adds a motivation to integrate and inspire my students to continue to pursue the language. Today, I’m going to introduce four traditional events that Chinese couples ...
A very enjoyable part of the experience of learning Mandarin Chinese in China is the opportunity to be able to see and experience new parts of the world. Sometimes, those “new” parts are actually quite old!
I’m going to introduce to you some places referred to as “中国四大古都 (Zhōngguó sì dà gǔ dū),” or the “Four ...
It’s very likely you have heard of Mahjong before, you might have even played some version of it on the computer or your phone. Or, perhaps you saw the Chinese mafia in movies playing Mahjong. But, do you know its everyday significance in China?
麻将 (májiàng) Mahjong
Note: “将” has 3 different pronunciations: jiàng, qiāng, and ...
Key Learning Points (Preview): 赏月 (shǎngyuè): v. to admire the full moon
月饼 (yuèbǐng): n. moon cake
On Mid-autumn Festival, the custom of “赏月 (shǎngyuè) admiring the full moon” began with people in ancient China, and is still maintained. In the Zhou Dynasty, on the night of the Mid-autumn Festival, people would offer sacrifices to ...
Key Learning Points (Preview):
粽子 (zòngzi) n. rice dumpling
庆祝 (qìngzhù) v. to celebrate
In the west, people "庆祝 (qìngzhù) celebrate" Easter Day in memory of Jesus. They eat Easter Eggs to commemorate this day. In China, people have a similar celebration of a heroic figure from ancient times on the Dragon Boat Festival. Instead of Easter Eggs, Chinese people ...
Dragon Boat Festival in Chinese is 端午节(Duānwǔ jié). It is on the fifth of May of lunar calendar. There are many legends about this traditional festival and the most popular one is “屈原 (Qū Yuán)QuYuan,” who was a Chinese scholar and minister to the King of State of Chu during the Warring States period. He ...
Have you ever heard of Chinese “糖画(tánghuà) sugar painting?” If not, check out the video below for a glimpse of this intricate, edible art!
Have you ever seen anything like what the artist makes in the video? Do you think the way “糖画(tánghuà)” is made is pretty amazing?
If you visit China, you might find that in ...
A: Nĭ zhăng dé zhēn piàoliang.
A：你 长 得 真 漂亮。
You are so beautiful.
B: Nălĭ nălĭ.
B：哪里 哪里！
You flatters me.
A: Méimao, yănjing, ĕrduo, bízi, zuĭ chù chù dōu piàoliang!
A：眉毛、 眼睛、 耳朵、鼻子、嘴 处 处 都 漂亮！
Your eyebrows, your eyes…everywhere (on ...
The “饿鬼节 (È Guĭ Jié) Hungry Ghost Festival” of Chinese Taoism is also the “盂兰节 (yú lán jié) Ullambana Festival” of Buddhism, commonly called “Ghost Festival鬼节 (guĭ jié) Ghost Festival“or “中元节 (zhōng yuán jié) Mid-July Festival.” It falls on the fifteenth of every lunar July. (In 2009, Hungry Ghost Festival will falls on ...
Before the guests arrive, most Chinese hosts will make certain preparations, such as cleaning the house, setting the table with a tea pot and cups, an ashtray, and some candy or snacks. When the guests are seated, the host will first serve tea, and then offer cigarettes, or snacks. While talking to the guests, the ...
Chinese Appellations
中国人的称谓很复杂，同事之间可以称职务，如“麦总，刘经理”等，熟人之间可以直呼其名，或者在姓的前面加上“老，小”来称呼，如：“老王，小王”等。比较正式的场合对不熟悉的人一般可以称“先生，女士，太太，小姐”等。
The Chinese system of names and titles is by and large complicated. Titles may be used to address each other among one’s colleagues, e.g. “màizǒng and Liú Jīnglǐ“. For acquaintances personal names and surnames may be preceded by “lǎo” (old) or “xiǎo” (young). Formal patterns of address include “xiānsheng” (mister,Sir). “nǚshì” (Ms or Mrs), ...
After accepting invitations from a friend, you must choose a special gift for the host. Many things could be on your present list: fruit, clothes, or books. However, in China, the Bell “钟”(zhōng) could never be given as a present.
In Chinese, “钟”(zhōng) has the same pronunciation as “终”(zhōng), which means “the end, the death.” “送钟”(sòng ...
Have you ever invite your Chinese friend to dinner? How to express “it is my treat, let me be the host”? Listen to how these two guys say.
Jīntiān de cài hěn là. Búɡuò, wǒ hěn xǐhuɑn.
F: 今天 的 菜 很 辣。不过， 我 很 喜欢。
These dishes are very spicy, but, I like it.
Wǒ zhīdào nǐ yě ...
Chinese food includes many different styles: the major ones are Lu (Shandong) cuisine, Chuan (Sichuan) cuisine, Yue (Guangdong) cuisine, Min (Fujian) cuisine, Su (Suzhou) cuisine, Zhe (Zhejiang) cuisine, Xiang (Hunan) cuisine, and Hui (Anhui) cuisine. These are often referred to as the “Eight Major Cuisines” of China.
Lu cuisine is represented by Hongshao ...
