culture

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.

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.

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.