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Chengyu »

[10 Apr 2010 | Comments Off on No More Tricks, Mr. Nan Guo! | 1,963 views]
No More Tricks, Mr. Nan Guo!

I have a weird habit. When I go to a classical music concert by an orchestra, I like to look at the individual musicians on the stage one after another. See their facial expressions and body gestures, see how they enjoy the music by themselves, how they pause and rest, how they response to the conductor, and try to catch some little things happened on the stage, or see if everyone is fully devoted to the performance.

Scenic Splendor of China »

[5 Apr 2010 | Comments Off on Top 5 Urban Districts in China w. Google Earth Links | 2,674 views]
Top 5 Urban Districts in China w. Google Earth Links

For this Scenic Splendor of China selection, most categories are about natural scenes like mountains, rivers, and lakes, etc.. Besides, there are indeed a couple dedicated to humanity. Today, I am going to show you the most beautiful urban districts in China.

A bit unfortunately, due to social and political turmoil in the recent 200 years, very few traditional Chinese urban districts are preserved from destruction and modernization. Among the top 5 urban districts I will show you below, three of them are western urban districts built by European colonists in early 20th century.

Museum »

[31 Mar 2010 | Comments Off on Bronze Jin with Cloud Designs: Proof of Ancient Alcohol Ban | 2,774 views]
Bronze Jin with Cloud Designs: Proof of Ancient Alcohol Ban

Jin, literally means “forbidden”. It was used from early West Zhou Dynasty to Warring States Period.

Why was it named “forbidden”? Because the Zhou People concluded from history that both Xia and Shang Dynasties were failed because of alcohol abuse. So in Zhou Dynasty, the King announced the first Alcohol Ban in Chinese history: Wine Rules.

Music »

[30 Mar 2010 | One Comment | 2,864 views]
What the Pipa Says: New Age Chinese Music

I am a big New Age music fan. My favorite musician is Yanni. Among Asian New Age musicians, Kitaro is one of the best. However, although New Age music is very popular in China, Chinese musicians have not achieved major success in this relatively new genre, yet, comparing to their famous foreign peers.

There are several promising young musicians who are trying to make some China voice in this field. Li Hai is one of them.

Carnival »

[22 Mar 2010 | One Comment | 1,585 views]
China Carnival #12: Wine, Train, Green Olympic

Welcome to the March 22, 2010 edition of china carnival. We have 6 posts today.

Jessie talks about wine culture in China. Becky explains China’s train system. Zhu recorded her Green Beijing Olympics experience. Andy and Hajar also share their travel tips with us. Nathan would like to show you how to speak some Mandarin Chinese.