Lunar or Chinese New Year, known as Spring Festival (春节) in Chinese, is much more than just New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day! Starting from New Year’s Day, the entire festival actually lasts 15 days! Read on to find out more information about some of the most important days of the festival and the history and traditions to be aware of, as well as exactly which date they fall on!
CULTURE: The Swallow – Journey to the South
How did the swallow go from mythical progenitor of the Shang Dynasty to the symbol of Fujian? Ilina Tatiana traces its journey.
Edited by Nic Doering
Continue reading “CULTURE: The Swallow – Journey to the South”
CULTURE: The little girl who grew up to be a goddess
A girl from a fishing village who became a goddess has travelled all over China and the world. Her devotees live in more than 20 countries and millions make pilgrimages to her temples. Who is she and why is she so revered?
By Ilina Tatiana (edited by Nic Doering)
Continue reading “CULTURE: The little girl who grew up to be a goddess”
The Future is the Past: The Beliefs of the Shang
The Shang dynasty is the earliest ancient Chinese dynasty that is shown through archaeological evidence to have actually existed. Excavations at the ruins of the final capital of the Shang, Yin (near modern-day Anyang in Henan Province) uncovered eleven royal tombs, the foundations of palaces and ritual sites, weapons, the remains of both animal and human sacrifices and thousands of bronze, jade, stone, bone, and ceramic artifacts. The beliefs of the Shang underpinned their society.
Read on to find out more about their religion, divination.
Continue reading “The Future is the Past: The Beliefs of the Shang”
Five Things to Know About… Baita Temple
Baita Temple is a Tibetan Buddhist Temple near Beijing’s Financial District that dates from the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). Read on for five key things to know about this ancient temple!