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Meet the Mooncake – Traditional treats for Chinese Mid-Autumn Day

Thursday the 1st of October is Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节 Zhōngqiū jié) in China! To celebrate the festival, families get together and enjoy eating mooncakes (月饼 yuèbǐng) and drinking tea… and they may even get to gaze at the full moon if the skies are clear enough! 

But where does the tradition of mooncakes come from? And what are some of the most common flavours you can enjoy over the holidays? Read on to find out more!

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Noteworthy Dates in the Chinese Calendar: June 2020 Edition

As of the start of the Lixia solar term on May 5th , summer has officially started in China! Now we’re moving into June, there are several notable summer days to pay attention to. The best-known festival this month is the Dragon Boat Festival on the 25th, but what else does June have in store  for us?

Read on to find out!

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Best of Beijing: Beijing’s Best Snacks and Dishes!

It’s often said that spring is the best time to visit Beijing and see what the city has to offer. While getting out and about isn’t exactly possible at the moment, that doesn’t mean you can’t start to make plans!

To that end, for the past few weeks Cultural Keys, in partnership with some of the best travel and culture companies in the business, has brought to you our Best of Beijing series. Each week, our partners introduce you to the best of what the Chinese capital has to offer, from food to flowers, from classical architecture to useful words and phrases especially for Beijing! 

Now in week 4, it’s our great pleasure to welcome the Beijing Cooking School and Chef Chao who shares with us his top picks for Beijing’s best food and snacks. Enjoy! 

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Events and Offers in May from Beijing’s Best Culture Companies!

See that date? It’s May 1st! Even if you’ve been self-isolating for the past 90 days in a cave, you still know that with the start of May, summer (un)officially begins! But with Beijing (as with the rest of China) slowly waking from its pandemic-induced slumber, it can be a bit difficult to know what is on offer to you to learn, explore, taste and engage with in terms of culture.

To address that, Cultural Keys has asked some of the city’s best activity providers what they have in store for everyone. Read on to find out the best ways to culturally immerse yourself this month!

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Best of Beijing: The Most Beautiful Places to See this Spring!

It’s often said that spring is the best time to visit Beijing and see everything the city as to offer. While getting out and about and experiencing everything isn’t exactly possible at the moment, that doesn’t mean you can’t start to make plans!

To that end, we have started our Best of Beijing series, in association with some of the best companies that help you experience Beijing, and the rest of China, better. Each week, our partners will introduce you to the best that the Chinese capital has to offer, from food to flowers and from classical architecture to useful words and phrases especially for Beijing! 

Today we start with part 1 of our series: the most beautiful places to visit around Beijing, brought to you by the wonderful team of experts at Amber Travel!

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