We’ve come full cycle again to the Year of the Dog, known as an auspicious animal associated with good fortune. If you were born in the Chinese Year of the…
Read More
People of many cultures call upon a God or gods for guidance and protection in their daily lives, and the Chinese are no exception. Let’s meet three traditional deities who…
Sinophiles who’ve yet to read the Journey to the West (西游记, Xīyóujì) can still recognize the novel’s shapeshifting protagonist by name. Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) author Wu Cheng’en based his fictional...
Read More
As Spring Festival celebration approaches, our collective ears will be filled with New Year’s jingles hovering in shopping malls, non-stop chit-chat over family dinner tables, plus fire crackers loud enough to…
Start your Spring Festival chūnjié 春节 with eight auspicious actions drawing upon traditions honed over centuries by the emperor and his entourage.
Most people are aware of the tradition of giving red packets (红包 hóngbāo) in Chinese culture as gestures of appreciation during big life events. Venture beyond the surface level, however,…
