Warm Impression of Spring Festival–Beijing
Just like Christmas in the West, Spring Festival is a great time for family gatherings and great food. The year 2008 is the year of the Rat in Chinese lunar calendar. As the year of the Rat draws to a close and 2009, the year of the Ox, approaches, all in China eagerly look forward to the Spring Festival (Jan. 25 to 31, 2009), the most cheerful holiday of the year.
So, let’s “travel” around China to experience the Spring Festival with our first stop–Beijing.
Beijing Impression of Spring Festival
Impression 1: Red lanterns everywhere
During Chinese New Year, Beijing is definitely in Spring Festival mode. Everything red… Fitting for the capital of China! Big Red Lanterns are hung from the trees or out of buildings during the Chinese New Year celebrations everywhere in Beijing.
Impression 2: Spring Festival Couplets & Chinese Character “Fu”
During the Spring Festival of every year, all families in both urban and rural areas traditionally handpick a pair of Spring Festival couplets to paste on the door, adding some joyous atmosphere to the festival.
During the Spring Festival, every household usually sticks posters of various sizes bearing the Chinese character “Fu”(meaning “good fortune”) on doors and walls. The character is a symbol of happiness, bliss and fortune. Sticking the poster upside down means the arrival of luck, happiness, and prosperity, because the Chinese word “Dao”, or “upside down”, sounds similar as “Dao”, or “arrive”.
Impression 3: Happiness of the New Year’s Eve
Family Reunion Dinner of the New Year Eve
The night before the Spring Festival is traditionally called “New Year’s eve”. The dinner for the whole family on this day is called “New Year’s Eve Dinner”. Every family member is expected to return home for the dinner. For someone really can’t make it, other family members will put an empty chair by the table and place an empty bowl and chopsticks on the table, indicating that he (she) is not forgotten.
Gift Money to Children
The gift money to children is wrapped in red paper. During the Spring Festival, when children send their wishes to elder people, elder people are expected to give some gift money prepared before hand to the children, wishing them a peaceful year. The earliest gift money appeared in the Han Dynasty. It was not the money circulating at that time, but a coin-shaped talisman especially cast for wearing on the body or for adornment. The gift money reflects elder generations’ good wishes for younger generations. It is a good Chinese tradition to give gift money to children during the Spring Festival.
Listen to the Sound from Heaven–Lusheng Festival
The Lusheng Festival is a traditional and influential festival of the Miao community. It is celebrated in many parts of southwestern China on different times. The Kaili International Lusheng Art Festival held in Guizhou on August 18 every year is particularly well known. The festival features many Miao ethnic activities, such as singing, bullfighting, horseracing, and dancing to the rhythm of the Lusheng.
Lusheng is an antique reed instrument. The longest one is more than 3.3 m (10.8 ft), while the shortest one is less than 0.3 m (1 ft). Some have a maximum of 10 reeds in one Lusheng; some have only single reed or two reeds. The most popular ones have six reeds, with forceful but low and deep tone or clear and melodious tone. During the long history of the development of the Miao’s culture, Lusheng has been not only regarded as the symbol of their people, but also mixed together with dance music, acrobatics and Wushu (Martial Arts) etc.
Festivals are usually held over a three-day period, the second and third being the most important. All the Miao people come together from different villages. The girls dress up in their best traditional costume and silver headdresses, and the boys carry their Lusheng and play Lusheng pipes while forming a circle, girls follow with a relatively simple dance step to show off their costumes to best advantage. They circle in rings as the girls dance to the rhythm of the music provided by the boys. The ceremony is performed to bring hope for a favorable harvest in the coming year alongside good health. It is also a chance for the youth to express their admiration and love towards one another.
Oriental Valentine’s Day for Miao Minorities in Guizhou
On the fifteenth day of the third lunar month of each year, there is a very important festival called Sisters’ Meal Festival for local girls of Guizhou province to pursuit of their happiness. It is same as Valentine’s Day for westerners.
As legend told, three daughters find their true loves by following the advice of a local god, who tells them to prepare rice offerings for the young men arriving from the mountains. Today, this celebration of love and spring is done with all the pomp and color characteristic of the beautiful Miao minority. This is Sisters’ Meal Festival, filled with very real stakes, and unlike any other you’ll ever see.
There will be thousands of natives gathered from many miles around on that day. You could watch young Miaos begin their courtship for potential lifelong partners. The Miao girls appear dressed in their very finest, their self-made costumes a dazzling display of flowing colored sleeves, richly textured embroidery, elaborate headpieces and many layers of silver (altogether several kilograms worth, shiningly polished to ward off evil spirits).
When unmarried girl harvest rice from the terraced fields and gather by the river to prepare it. The rice is cooked until it has a sticky consistency and is blue, pink, yellow, and white to represent spring, summer, fall and winter. The young girls then place some of the rice in small bundles of cloth as young men arrive and begin to serenade them. Each young man singles out the girl he hopes to marry someday. Although he sings about his hunger and thirst, his real meaning is: “I love you, do you love me?”
The young girl responds to his song by giving him a drink of rice wine and some rice wrapped in cloth. Her official reply is inside. If she has placed a hot pepper there, it is a flat refusal; one chopstick signals a more polite “no-thank-you” to his love. If he finds a leaf inside his bundle, he must first give her satin; and a piece of grass implies he must first supply her with a needle and thread before she will signal “love you too” with two chopsticks. For those who have already “exchange two chopsticks” at the river, the festival is also a time for married girl to return to their parents’ home. This is the only time that daughters see their parents and the one occasion that sisters sit down together all year. The rest of the days are spent with their husbands’ families. Girls arrive on foot laden with chickens, rice cakes and bolts of hand-woven cloth for their families. Their husbands remain at home.
The spectacular pageantry carries on for several days, with girl performing songs and dances, flirting as their cheeks burn with excitement. All the while, the ongoing clamor of drums, firecrackers, dragon-lantern battles and water buffalo contests ensure there is never a dull moment.
Christmas Holiday in Hong Kong
Hong Kong is the destination of choice for most travelers in china during Christmas holiday. Embodying both Eastern and Western cultures, Hong Kong stands out as it offers not only a vibrant Christmas atmosphere, but also lots of shopping and entertainment facilities, and big discounts at this time of year. Tour packages to Hong Kong are always bestsellers at Christmas. The best holiday entertainments recommended below are sure to help you find out how to celebrate a traditional Christmas in Hong Kong.
Christmassy Theme Parks
Both Disneyland and Ocean Park go all out to deck there parks in trees, lights and fake snow. Expect Santa to make an appearance, along with any number of reindeer. While Ocean Park would usually be our recommended park, at Christmas, Disneyland, with its American traditions, just about holds the edge.
Christmas Shopping
Not always fun for everyone, shopping is nevertheless an essential part of the Christmas routine. Luckily, Hong Kong is one of the best and easiest shopping destinations in the world. With such a fantastic selection of products from high end bankrupting boutiques to bargain basement markets, you can easily fill up the empty space under the Christmas tree.
Visit Santa at Winterfest
Set in the heart of Central, Winterfest is the focus of Hong Kong’s Christmas celebrations. Organised by the Hong Kong Tourism Board, Statue Square is transformed in to a winter wonderland, including Santa’s Lodge, a giant 35-metre Christmas tree and various other Christmas attractions.
Christmas Day Dinners
If you’re in Hong Kong for Christmas, chances are that you won’t have the kitchen facilities to cook yourself up a fancy turkey with all the trimmings. Never fear, Hong Kong’s hotels spend Christmas duking it out to lay on the most extravagant and tasty traditional Christmas feast, along with entertainment for the kids and plenty of alcohol.
Enjoy your Christmas holiday in Guangzhou
China is starting to adopt Christmas celebrations especially in major cities where Christmas festivities are becoming more popular year by year. We love to have a good time and to celebrate with presents, good food and entertainment.
Guangzhou is unexceptionally immersed in the spirit of Christmas celebrations during the holiday week. From the high street to the local barbershop, a traveler to Guangzhou in December will find every color and stature of Christmas decoration and tree. Giant trees are erected in shopping plazas and hotel and restaurant staffs donning Santa hats are easy to spot. Many of the large departments decorate their shop and Christmas carols can be heard over the noise of the crowds. Chinese “Father Christmas” helps to make the scene complete.
It seems that Christmas is more popular than Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) in Guangzhou, especially to the young people. There are three things they love to do: Have Christmas parties, go shopping and enjoy Christmas dinner. All are specially catered in Guangzhou. Below you’ll find more information on how to find an accessible Christmas here.
Christians in Guangzhou
Christians in Guangzhou celebrate by lighting their houses with beautiful paper lanterns and decorating their Christmas trees, which they call “Trees of Light”. On the Christmas Eve, they usually go to Guangzhou’s Sacred Heart Cathedral to spend the evening together, which is the Largest Gothic Stone Cathedral in China.
Christmas Shopping
Guangzhou is a modern highly developed city where east meets west. Smart shopkeepers won’t lose this opportunity to sale their products. Almost 90 percent of the shops in the downtown area decorate their shops to attract visitors in the holiday week. Why not do you Christmas shopping in Guangzhou? You will get a discount in every shop.
Christmas Dinning
Christmas trees, carols, shining lights and more will make up an inviting dreamland at many large international hotels in Guangzhou. Most of them such as White Swan Hotel, Westin Hotel and Garden Hotel will host Christmas Eve and Day buffets serving all your favorites: turkey, roasts, hot rolls, traditional Christmas pudding and veggie sides. Santa Claus, carrying his heavy sack of gifts will hand out gifts and well wishes to all guests. Some hotels’ western restaurants may also serve a sumptuous Christmas feast featuring roast beef, lobster salad, Norwegian salmon, Scottish oyster and turkey. Reservations are essential, so book in advance.
Night out on Christmas Eve
Guangzhou is a “City of Night Life” with some obsessing bar and café streets. A night out on Christmas Eve for a drink is very popular for young generations and foreigners. You may try Elephant & Castle, Hill Bar, Paddy Field, etc.
Latest Updates for 105th Canton Fair
The Canton Fair, also the China Import and Export Fair – is the largest biannual China trade fairs, canton trade fairs, China trade shows of any kind and held in Guangzhou. Canton Fair is the most effective way to develop the business relationships you need to succeed in China. It’s no wonder that the Canton Trade Fair has already become a must see for all those looking for business success in China.
The 105th session of China Import and Export Fair (105th Canton Fair) will be arranged in 3 phases instead of 2, from 15th April to 7th May, 2009. Each phase will last 5 days instead of 6 with 2 intervals for 4 days each. All three phases will be held in the Pazhou Complex, while Liuhua Complex will no longer be used.
Date: Phase 1: 15th-19th April 2009 9:30-18:00
Phase 2: 24th-28th April 2009 9:30-18:00
Phase 3: 3rd-7th May 2009 9:30-18:00
Venue: China Import and Export Fair (Pazhou) Complex
For more detailed information, please refer to http://www.cantontradefair.com/cantonfair
New Traffic Arrangement Made for 104th Canton Fair Guests
Venue of the Canton Fair: Pazhou Complex (southern Guangzhou)
The Transportation Department of the Guangzhou Government makes a new arrangement for the convenience of the 104th Canton Fair guests.
The 104 session of the China Import and Export Fair, also known as Canton Fair, will be separated into three phases and all are set in the city’s Pazhou Complex. By then, Halls A, B and C will be put into use from 9:30 to 18:00 by day from October 15 to November 6.
According to the new traffic arrangement, public conveyance conveying lots of passengers takes priority over private transport during the fair.
Metro:
Of the metro, departure intervals of all the four lines will be shortened and more spare trains will be put into use. More ticket windows will be opened to public. Also multi-language service will be set in some of metro stations for the convenience of foreign guests. Medicine chests, needle and thread and baggage carts will be provided free of charge for those in need.
Free Shuttle Buses:
Four free shuttle buses will be offered for buyers during the Canton Fair. The buses will be operated from 9:00 to 19:00 every day with Line One from Pazhou Complex to Huanshi Zhong Road (the Garden Hotel); Line Two from Pazhou Complex to Liuhua Road (the former Liuhua Complex); Line Three from Pazhou Complex to Haizhu Square (the Hotel Landmark Canton) and Line Four from Pazhou Complex to Tee Mall (Tianhe District).
Temporary Buses:
In addition to bus lines No. 262, 139, 20, 3, 507, 229, 303, 304, 505, 538 that travel pass by the Pazhou Complex, three temporary bus lines will be added. They are Line one from Pazhou Complex to Huanshi Zhong Road; Line Two from Pazhou Complex to Jiefang Road; Line Three from Pazhou Complex to Guangzhou East Railway Station. All are open during every day’s closing time from 17:00 to 19:00.
Water Bus:
Besides the normal water bus, one more temporary bus will serve from Xidi Dock – Tianzhi Dock – Zhongda Dock – Pazhou Complex Dock.
Taxis:
During the 104th Canton Fair, taxi is only a kind of supplementary transportation means. Only 3,000 to 4,000 taxis will be permitted to drive inside the designated area. For the Hall A and B, taxi area will be set on Zhanchang Zhong Road; for the Hall C will be set on Huizhan Nansan Road.
Note: the Liuhua Complex on the Liuhua Road is no longer in use during the 104th Canton Fair.
Canton Fair Buyers Get Last Minute Deals on High-quality Products
As is well known to veteran buyers at the Guangzhou-based Chinese Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair), the last day of each phase is the best day to get good deals on high-quality samples from exhibitors.
Satisfied buyers with their reduced-price goods
Products become “Christmas gifts”
On October 19, the closing day of the first phase of the 104th session, the fair experienced a reduced turnover due to the impact of the global financial crisis. Exhibitors said that most buyers complained about the crisis and prices had to be cut deeply.
Since no wholesale business was ordered during the fair, some toy and electronic goods factories began to promote their goods for retail sale as “Christmas gifts.” According to exhibitors, many of the toy factories in Shenzhen and Dongguan have closed down and negatively affected their business. Some gave away samples free of charge as souvenirs.
First phase led by turnover in machinery and electronic products
By October 17, the fair saw a 7.06 billion USD export turnover, with machinery and electronic products reaching 6.098 billion USD, 86.4% of the total. Turnover of electronic appliances and electronic products followed, with air conditioning, refrigerators, microwave ovens, washing machines and electronic fans reaching the top five in export turnover.
Soon! China’s Third Manned Space Flight on Sep 25
China will launch its third manned spaceflight Shenzhou VII at 13:10 GMT on September 25 if weather permits. Final inspection for the rocket and remote measurement system of the spaceflight has been completed, paving the way for a successful liftoff on Sep. 25.
For the successful launch of the Long March rocket, there must be no rain forecast, wind velocity of less than eight meters per second, and ground visibility of more than 20 kilometers.
The mission will blast off from China’s Jiuquan launch centre in northwest Gansu province and land in northern Inner Mongolia province.
Three astronauts will be on board the flight, with one of them conducting China’s FIRST spacewalk - a one-hour walk at an altitude of 341 kilometers from the Earth.
China has announced plans to broadcast the spacewalk live. The Shenzhou spacecraft is set to carry its own small satellite to capture the historic moment when the spacewalker steps into space.
China successfully launched its first man, Yang Liwei, into orbit in 2003, making it the third country after the former Soviet Union and the United States to put a man in space.
China plans to build its own orbital space station and create a space laboratory before 2020.
source: http://www.cantontradefair.com
China High-speed Railway Transportation
Beijing-Tianjin Train Debut at 350 kph
The self-developed Beijing-Tianjin Intercity Railway, the world’s fastest, has been running soundly and efficiently since its August 1 debut, setting a model for the high-speed railway industry, the Ministry of Railways (MOR) said Tuesday.
The self-developed China Railway High-speed (CRH3) has been running at a speed of 350 km per hour, with the maximum momentum of 8,800 kwh.
The high-speed railway network would stretch more than 50,000 km and connect all provincial capitals and major cities.
Beijing-Shanghai to Build the World’s Fastest Bullet Train
China will produce the world’s fastest bullet train for the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway, a senior railway official has said.
Zhang Shuguang, deputy chief engineer with the Ministry of Railways, said the domestically developed train will run at 380 kph, the highest speed for any railway in the world.
And if the project materializes, the travel time between the two metropolises will be cut from five to around four hours, enhancing the rail network’s competitive edge against airlines, he said.
Previously, China planned to run trains at 350 kph on the 1,318-km Beijing-Shanghai line, the same speed as on the Beijing-Tianjin intercity passenger railway that opened a month ago.
And the travel time is estimated at five hours, about half of the current time. Manufacturing 380-kph trains in China is already possible in terms of technology, he said.
It is likely that the high-speed line can be finished within four years, and become operational in 2012, one year ahead of schedule.
