Categories
Uncategorized

Meet the Chinese web novel volunteer translators

Meet the people behind the frenzy of translated Chinese online literature. They are members of 20 active Chinese-to-English translation groups, composed primarily of ethnic Chinese and Chinese learners from all over the world, responsible for one of the most significant non-governmental outputs of Chinese culture, and they do it for free.  To find out what […]

Categories
Uncategorized

Shadow play in Huazhou

Huazhou district in northwest China’s Weinan City, Shaanxi province, is home to the traditional shadow play. Dating back over 2,000 years, it is one of China’s earliest operas. Shadow play, or shadow puppetry, is an ancient form of storytelling and entertainment in China and an indispensable part of Chinese culture. Also known as “father of movies” […]

Categories
Uncategorized

600-year-old Buddha surfaces China waters

A 600-year-old Buddha statue has been discovered in a reservoir in east China’s Jiangxi province after water levels fell during renovation work. The head of the Buddha was spotted by a local villager when the water level fell by more than 10 meters during work on a hydropower gate, Xinhua reported. The Buddha’s head, sitting […]

Categories
Uncategorized

The dating festival of the Yi ethnic group

While many single men and women in China eschew the blind dates their relatives try to set them up with during Spring Festival, the young people of a remote village in southwest China’s Yunnan province are the exact opposite: they attend a local mass-dating event, following a tradition that dates back about 1,350 years. For […]

Categories
Uncategorized

Australia woos Chinese with new incentives

Australia intends to significantly increase its Chinese visitors following the China-Australia Year of Tourism on Feb 5. The incentives are in addition to the recently introduced enticements for Chinese to visit Oz, such as increased flights, 10-year visas and a Chinese-language online visa-application system. China is Australia’s most valuable inbound-tourism market, with Australia’s tourism authority […]

Categories
Uncategorized

The art of preserving precious Chinese treasures

Numerous top-tier artworks from China, ranging from Dunhuang frescoes to painting masterpieces from ancient Chinese history, have passed through Qiu Jinxian’s hands in her past 29 years at the British Museum. “I am supposed to carefully and meticulously treat precious cultural relics, and strive to possess the magic hands to rejuvenate the paintings, just like […]

Categories
History

Marilaque Highway: The long and winding road

Tagaytay is a popular weekend getaway for many metro people. They drive down south to enjoy the cooler climate, good food and breathtaking scenery. Lately though, Tagaytay is becoming more crowded and more expensive. An alternative: a road trip on the Marilaque Highway up north. Once named after former president Ferdinand Marcos who commissioned it, […]

Categories
Culture Idioms...Hokkien style

When words fail, use idioms… Hokkien style (38)

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. 圓頭短嘴 en t’ao te […]

Categories
History

In Iloilo, history can be seen and eaten

Folks looking to get to know the country more should explore Iloilo City. The charming city has a rich history: it has many old houses, some of which have been turned into museums and beautiful churches, and delicious food – all of which tell the story of a city, a province, and a people. Stop […]

Categories
Health

Tips for stomach upset, dyspepsia and ulcer

Some time ago, I was fortunate to interview two outstanding doctors in our program, Dr. Venancio Gloria, past president of the Philippine College of Physicians, and Dr. Ramon Estrada, past president of the Philippine Society of Colon and Rectal Surgery. We discussed stomach problems and answered dozens of phone-in questions. Here are some of the […]