Sept. 13 is officially celebrated in Dezhou, Shandong, China to commemorate the 1417 visit of Paduka Batara, the Sultan of Sulu, to Ming Dynasty Emperor Yong Le. This year, a Kaisa delegation joined the festivities marking the 600th anniversary of this historic event. Paduka Batara, sultan of Sulu According to Teresita Ang See’s book, The Ties […]
Though visiting Dezhou City to commemorate the 600th year of Sultan Paduka Batara’s trip to China is the main reason Kaisa made a pilgrimage to China, an extended stay at the Chinese capital to explore its cultural offerings proved irresistible for some. Our motley group consisted of both first-timers and repeat visitors, so coming up […]
Achi was busy chatting on the internet with classmates one long weekend. She was asking her classmates what they put in their booklets. Their homework for the long weekend was to finish reading Adventures of a Child of War by Lin Acacio-Flores published by Anvil. They were supposed to put words they do not understand […]
Hokkien, on the tongues of Tsinoys, has grown and evolved, taking on a life of its own. Sometimes words simply fail us. With some creativity, Tsinoys have strung together words to form colorful phrases that simply hit the bull’s eye. Here are some expressions unique to Hokkien as favored by Tsinoys. 毋精神 mm tsing sin […]
The Kagyur (Tibetan: “words, speeches;” a collection of canonic works attributed to Buddha) and Tengyur (Tibetan: “translation of teachings;” Tibetan collection of commentaries on Buddhist teachings) are the combined legacy of all Buddhists who have lived from the time of the Buddha until the present. Also known as the Canon, they are two voluminous collections […]
Amid a blistering heat wave, the number of orders for late-night snacks in major cities have climbed to more than double the usual levels. A popular online food ordering platform showed the top 10 busiest cities for the midnight snack economy: Shanghai, Hangzhou, Shenzhen, Wenzhou, Guangzhou, Beijing, Wuhan, Fuzhou, Xiamen, and Nanjing, reported 21st Century […]
A Dutchman’s sacrifice has earned him the community’s lasting gratitude. Franciscan priest Aemilianus van Heel died trying to protect his flock from the Japanese army in 1938. His effort earned him a violent death from two shots in the chest and slashed wrists. The villagers buried their protector in the church yard then fled. Today, […]
The city of Qufu held a grand ceremony to celebrate the 2,568th anniversary of its most famous son, ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius. Qufu is Confucius’ hometown. An educator and philosopher, Confucius (551-479 BC) founded Confucianism, a school of thought that deeply influenced later generations. He was also the first to set up private schools in […]
The remains of a mummified Buddhist master have been donated to the local government in northern China’s Hebei province. The remains are said to belong to Buddhist master Cixian Sanzang, who lived during the Khitan Empire, or Liao Dynasty (916-1125). From India, he had gone to Khitan to translate sutras. “Underneath the gold foil and […]
Yu Gun (庾衮) was born poor and lived in poverty since childhood. When he grew up, he took to farming to support his parents. From 275 to 280 A.D. (Western Jin Dynasty), an epidemic broke out in Yu’s hometown, killing two of his brothers and leaving an elder brother, Yu Pi (庾毗), in serious condition. […]