China Info
Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) Explained
Spring Festival, or what we Westerners usually call "Chinese New Year", is the biggest holiday of the year in China and is full of excitement and holiday spirit for most Chinese.
As with many traditional holidays in China, it is loaded with customs that can be a bit daunting to the average laowai. To help, here is a rundown of the various important days that take place during the Spring Festival period.
Mid-Autumn Festival (Zhongqiu Jie) Explained
Dating back all the way to moon-worship in the Shang Dynasty 3,000 years ago, Mid-Autumn Festival is a harvest festival that takes places on the 15th day of the 8th month in the Chinese lunar calendar (usually late September or early October).
Sometimes called Moon Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival is one of China's biggest holidays, and is next to only Spring Festival in its importance for families to come together and celebrate.
Basics of the Chinese Zodiac
The Chinese Zodiac, or in Chinese shēngxiào, relates each year in a 12-year cycle to an animal and somewhat anthropomorphic attributes connected to that animal.
What (not) to bring to China
Packing can be the most exciting and most painful part of any journey. This page exists in an effort to make it, at least in part, a bit simpler to decide what you need to bring with you, and what can be got without too much effort once you've arrived in China.
This is by no means a final or definitive list. We understand the dynamic nature of information, and as such, will attempt to keep this as up-to-date as we can.
Dragon Boat Festival (Duanwu Jie) Explained
Dragon Boat Festival is one of the oldest holidays in China, said to date back nearly 2,500 years to the Warring States Period.
It is held the fifth day of the fifth month each lunar year, and has several possible origins. By far the most popular tale is that of Qu Yuan.
Chinese Visas
China requires pretty much everyone entering the country to have the appropriate visa. Offered here is a summary of the various visa types and their requirements. It is advisable that you check with your local Chinese embassy to confirm this information and to get country-specific details.
Chinese History
Chinese history is nearly as diverse as it is long. Though the line you'll hear in China reads something like "5,000 years of uninterrupted history", this is a bit misleading.
The country can certainly take pride in that it is one of the oldest areas to hold civilization - "uninterrupted", however, is a bit of a distortion.
What follows is our attempt at a China history primer - a graphical representation of China's dynastic past, with a smattering of details to give you just a taste. Simply click on the dynasty or era to get a bit more info.
Religions of China
As the high-paced modern world reaches more of China's people, an abundance of the population are again turning to the temples and churches across the country to try and find answers. However, half a century of religious repression is a tough thing to overcome, and though some are looking for spiritual enlightenment, many are just there to pray to be included in the boom.
Chinese Etiquette
Impressions about Chinese etiquette vary. Many come to China with heads full of a richly cultural country, filled with traditions and customs celebrated for thousands of years. Though there remains a veil of this laying on top of modern day China, it is thin and sometimes hard to see.
New to Lost Laowai
