Sister Meal’s Festival in Guizhou
–A feast of primitive beauty; a reminiscence of the movies in my childhood
I have been told by many of my friends that traveling to Guizhou is very interesting. “The experience is so unique that it will last for a life-time.” I had never been there before so had not seen the the minority villages or their festival events. The 2-4 hours of driving necessary to get to the remote places always made me hold back. However, when this opportunity to travel there came up, I finally got up the nerve and threw my doubts to the wind. My husband set a travel plan and route and we set off, albeit with a little trepidation. What happened in the following days convinced me that the hardship of driving was well worth it and paled compared to the rewarding experiences awaiting us. Fortunately, we were able to participate in the Sister’s Meal Festival there to admire the great pageant of Miao people. It was really a lot of fun!
a mom patiently help her daughter to put on ornaments piece by piece.
It was out of my expectation that only 60km away from Guiyang City, there was such a primitive time-honored feast. All the females around Shidong were heading to the event venue. They all carried suitcases which were filled with various ornaments and ethnic costumes for dressing up with. On our way to the festival, we were attracted by the charming girls coming in from all directions. But it was not until we reached the place where they would perform that we could experience the festival fully. We found ourselves immersed in a superb pageant with distinctive ethnic flavors. The moms were dressing up their precious daughters (as a mom myself, this was really touching) with the most beautiful costumes and ornaments you can imagine, some of which I guessed might have been obtained with the family’s year-long savings. Each mom showed extraordinary patience in helping their daughters put on the exotic costumes and dazzling ornaments piece by piece.
Girls ready to dance
When the daughters were finally ready, they joined the dance. Their sheer joy and childish delight seeped out of their every gentle movement. Their eyes sparkled and their faces shown; this was the event of the year and they were enjoying every second. The moms were filled with pride listening to praise from the travelers about their girl’s beauty and at the requests to have pictures taken with them. They were also happy to tell their address to the travelers as they hoped to receive the pictures. As the sound of drums beat ever stronger, more and more girls started dancing; I was deeply moved and really want to step out there and join the dance myself. But somehow I stayed glued to my seat, perhaps a little fearful that my awkward dance skills would be exposed and I would have to take my seat again red-faced.
getting together to dance!
I wandered throughout the crowd as I tried to take as many photos as possible of this amazing festival. And then I saw it, an adorable little girl dancing in rhythm to the music. She was dressed in a beautiful costume. It seemed she was the same age as my daughter. She was a cutie and I thoroughly enjoyed her lovely dancing. I went forward and talked to her. She told me she was three years old. I gave her some candy, which she accepted gratefully before continuing to dance. As far as I could tell, there were not less than 10 little girls about 3 or 4 years old dancing around. Young as they were, they showed no signs whatsoever of being shy, but devoted all of their energy towards giving a good performance.
me and the little dancers
cutie dancers of the festival
Visitors from both China and abroad were busy taking photos of this grand ceremony. As time passed, streams of people poured in as more and more people squeezed into the crowded square. It was the unique charm of the Sister Festival that attracted people from such a long way. On this special day, kids, young girls, mothers, grandmothers, all wore their finest dress, which varied according to the age of the women. So, it was a sea of brilliant colored local dresses and gorgeous women.
costumes varied according to different age
This was really a ceremony of a lifetime! Every second thrilled me and I couldn’t be more overjoyed to have taken part in it. Everyone should attend this kind of ceremony at least once in a lifetime. It was so touching; you definitely don’t want to miss it!
a beautiful local girl and us
Exciting Chinese Dragon Boat Festival 2009
——Plan your China trip to be part of it！
Upon summer time with nice and refreshing aroma prevails after rainfall, People in China are now busy preparing the Dragon Boat Festival (known in Chinese as Duanwu). As one of the most significant holidays celebrated in China, the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival is also the most history-honored one. 
Literally referring to the fifth day in May (in Chinese lunar calendar) in China, Dragon Boat Festival is a time for protection from evil and disease for the rest of the year. The Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated in various ways, especially featuring dragon boat races and eating of zongzi, an angular glutinous rice ball wrapped in reed or bamboo leaves.
Origins of the Dragon Boat Festival
The day commemorates Qu Yuan, a famous patriotic poet and minister several thousand years ago. Qu Yuan committed suicide by drowning himself in the Miluo River in Hunan when his country was bitterly defeated and seized by enemy. It’s said that the local people threw zongzi into the river to feed the fish, so they wouldn’t eat Qu Yuan’s body, and paddled their ‘dragon boats’ out to scare the fish away. This is the origin of the custom of zongzi making and dragon boat racing.
The 2009 Dragon Boat Festival will be celebrated in May 28, which is also the best time to travel in China. Plan your trip in China and enjoy the exciting Duanwu with friendly Chinese people!
Survey of Ming Dynasty Great Wall increases its length by 2551.8 km
A two-year investigation of the length of the Great Wall in the Ming Dynasty era, found that the length is 2,551.8 kilometers longer than earlier thought. It is the joint investigation of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage (SACH) and State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping (SBSM).
Badaling Great Wall
The Great Wall was originally built by China’s first emperor Qin Shi Huang (259-210 BC) in the Warring States Period (475-221 BC). It was listed as a United Nations World Heritage Site in 1987.
The Ming portion of the Great Wall is the most visually striking and well-preserved portion of the world famous monument.
The newest survey result shows that the Ming Dynasty Great Wall starts from the Hushan section of the Great Wall in northeastern Liaoning Province, and ends at Jiayu Pass in northwestern Gansu Province.
Hiking on Great Wall
“The man who have not climbed The Great Wall is not the true man”, as the saying goes. And if you want a great wall hiking tour to feel it for yourself, it is recommended to take the 6 days Hiking on Great Wall.
Ethnic Miao people celebrate Sister Festival
Festivals represent a nation’s culture. In China, each of 56 ethnic communities boasts their own festivals which record and carry forward traditions, cultures and ethnic folklore.
The Sister Festival is one of the Miao people’s most active festivals. It is held on the 15th day of the third lunar month (about Mid April of each year), in Shidong, Taijiang County, Guizhou Province. The four-day Sister Festival, dubbed as the ethnic Miao’s folk Valentine’s Day, is the Miao people’s busiest time of the year and a great opportunity for Miao youth living in the neighbourhood to choose their dates. During the festival, Miao people dress up, sing and dance, watch bullfights, compete in a canoeing contest…
The legend of Sister Festival
Once upon a time, there were seven beautiful Miao sisters who wanted to marry good men. And their parents invited young men from the village and neighboring communities for dinner, and sang folk songs during the daytime and danced at night. The three days and nights gathering allowed the girls to test and observe the men. And the sisters turned out to be the first of the Miao people to marry for love. And that is the origin of the Sister Festival.
Passed down from generation to genertaion, Sister Festival in Guizhou today is a big day for Miao People and also a strong appeal to tourists for the fascinating folk art.
The ethnic Miao young women attired in spectacular silver ornaments attend the opening of the Sister Festival.
An ethnic Miao girl looks self-makeup in a bright silver mirror while attending the opening of the Sister Festival.
An ethnic Miao youngster rides a bull horn motorcycle to attend the opening of the Sister Festival.
People of the Miao ethnic group in ornamental costumes swarm for a gala of Hall-Stepping with Luseng Dance during the opening of the Sister Festival.
Star-rating Standard for Cruise Ships on Inland River
The Standardization Administration of China has recently launched the new star-rating standard for cruise ships on Inland River in March. The new rating system requires the cruise ships on Inland River including the ones on the Yangtze River to be safer, more effective and environment-friendly.
For the safety terms, the rating system calls for standardization of safety management, such as the anti-fire construction of the cruisers, the building of safety broadcasting system on board, and the reasonable ratio between passengers and life boats.
The new rating standardizes the effective monitor over the ships fleets, cruise companies, etc, in order to promote an orderly and healthy market. The ships serving for domestic travelers is now included in the system. And the re-rating for all the ships including the right now five-star and four-star ships, will be more frequent and standard.
Furthermore, the standard emphasizes the building of eco-friendly ships, and lists the details for the water processing system on board, choice of food for passengers, energy saving etc.
This brand new standard is worked out in accordance with the International Convention for safety and standard on sea and strict regulation for the industry, and will by all means be a good approach for both foreign and domestic travelers.
3 Top Destinations in China for Valentine’s Day
For those who abandoned travel plans during the Lunar New Year holiday to avoid the crowds, the coming Valentine’s Day might be a good time to spend time with loved ones. Learn more about some of China’s most romantic destinations and make your Valentine’s Day travel plans.
Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province is a famous tourist city. Although not big, it has a concentration of more than 40 scenic spots, which would take at least a week to visit. The 6-square-kilometer West Lake is the pride of this provincial capital city and most sites of interest are around it. Unlike the man-made lakes of other cities, West Lake is natural and its sights are delightful, no matter what the season. Scholars and poets have left a legacy of rhapsodic poetry and prose after visiting the lake, and some settled, or stayed on to live the life of a hermit.
Modern Hangzhou inhabitants are very romantic and West Lake is now the place where young people go courting. At nightfall couples can be seen along the lakeshore, as on the Shanghai Bund.
Lijiang in Yunnan has a demure charm that is revealed in myriad forms: Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, the grey-tiled town of cobbled streets and thousand year-old bridges, the charm of the Naxi people and their customs and much more. Such qualities prompted UNESCO to include it on the World Heritage List and also inspired the best-selling novel, “Lost Horizons.”
Lijiang is the perfect place for couples and honeymooners as it oozes romance.
Young couples should visit Yufeng Buddhist monastery, famous for a 500-year-old camellia said to produce 10,000 blossoms every year. The camellia is actually two plants grafted together that supposedly represent a pair of lovers who were forbidden to marry and committed suicide rather than live apart. Today, Chinese couples believe that being photographed in front of the camellia will ensure that they will be together in the next life.
Last but not the least, Zhuhai, a city neighboring Shenzhen, could be a romantic destination with easy access for lovers in Shenzhen.
Romance is nature’s gift to Zhuhai. Situated south of the Tropic of Cancer, with a sheltered location in South China with glorious sunshine, Zhuhai is a luxurious garden paradise where colorful flowers bloom all year. People their are kind, friendly and romantic.
The best-known romantic location in Zhuhai is Lover’s Road, which winds its way several kilometers along the coast between the mountains and the water at Xianglu Bay. It has broad pavement and gardens, quiet seating and picnic areas and wonderful views displaying the natural beauty of Zhuhai, It truly captures the romantic atmosphere of this young city. Here you will find couples young and old, strolling together enjoying happy moments.
There are many seaside cities in China, but few are quite like Zhuhai. Walking through Zhuhai, you might wonder if this a city of gardens or a city in a garden. You can stroll through green parks and shady paths past colorful flowerbeds, or choose to take in the fresh air along well laid out boulevards by the water’s edge.
2009 China Eco-tourism Year Launched
You may think that China is big enough and old enough to protect herself, but the fact is, with the country finally opening up to the rest of the world, the deep wild China is about to be unveiled to and maybe stomped by millions. Promoting eco-tourism in China as visitors start to flood in will hopefully help it catch on! China offers the most spectacular views in the world whether you’re standing on the top of the Himalayas or on the shores of its golden beaches. Doing eco-tourism in China is the best way to experience the continent’s charms and leave having made a big difference.
Thankfully, China has declared 2009 as “the year of Eco-tourism”. The China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) hopes the event will promote the concept of environmentally-friendly travel, while encouraging resource saving tourism operations.
Launching eco-tourism in China is about approaching travel to China with the intention of leaving a positive rather than negative impact. It’s also about having a great time while you’re there and we think that getting mud under your finger nails and grass in your hair sounds like a lot more fun than looking through the window of a tour bus anyway! Experiencing a place means involving yourself with the issues that surround it rather than just taking a picture and heading off! We’re sure that our projects will convince you that eco-tourism in China will be fun and rewarding.
Join in the Chinese New Year Festivities in Hong Kong
Hong Kong is a city of bright and colorful festivals which reflect Chinese tradition, customs and culture. Chinese New Year (also known as Spring Festival) is perhaps the most significant and grand festival in the city. During this event, people in Hong Kong all emerge with a fresh energy and enthusiasm to welcome the New Year.
People engage themselves in a shopping spree for friends and family. The houses, buildings, shops, restaurants, parks, gardens and streets all are decorated with colorful lamps and bright flowers. The most common flowers to be seen in the market are narcissus. Other flowers include orchids and peach blossoms. An elaborate and ornate international parade is organized for this event. The gorgeously dressed people taking part in this parade, the beats of the drum, the rhythmic music and glittering lights all lend glitz and glam to this splendiferous event. Various sports events like horse race and soccer are organized during this occasion. The best holiday entertainments recommended below are sure to help you find out how to celebrate a traditional Chinese New Year in Hong Kong.
International Night Parade
This is the 14th parade sponsored by Cathay Pacific Airways. As one of the world’s most fascinating attractions, this night parade is perhaps the best-loved event of the entire New Year’s celebrations, as Hong Kong puts on a show famous across the globe. This year’s Cathay Pacific International Chinese New Year Night Parade has a distinctly global feel. The huge crowds at the parade will be entertained by the cavalcade or attractively decorated floats, carrying both international and local performing artists. This year’s parade follows a route that snakes around Tsim Sha Tsui East, where, in the evening, the harbourfront area will be transformed into a giant street party venue.
Flower Market
The Flower markets are an indispensable part of the Chinese New Year celebrations in Hong Kong. The markets exhibit a gorgeous rainbow of colours and a riot of scents, offering the perfect backdrop for the multitude of shoppers. People take a stroll through these popular markets in search of that perfect plant or bloom for the home or office, to bring them good luck for the coming year. Kumquat trees, narcissus and peonies are believed to bring prosperity, peach blossoms add fire to romance, while tangerine plants, with their leaves intact, help to ensure long-lasting relationships and “fruitful” marriages. Come and visit, interact and mingle with the bustling crowds and let the vivid sights and smells overwhelm your senses in this, the Year of the Ox!
Firework Display
Fireworks are banned for security reasons. However, the government would put on a fireworks display in Victoria Harbour on the second day of the Chinese New Year for the public. This illuminated show creates a magical aura and is something to be marveled at. Take this marvelous opportunity to be astounded by the magnificent display of computer-controlled fireworks that ushers in the New Year. Join the thousands upon thousands of people who will be lining both sides of the harbor cheering, celebrating and partying as they welcome in the Year of the Ox!
Horse Race
Catch all the fun and excitement in this uniquely Hong Kong way of kicking off the New Year. A day at the races, which takes place on the third day of the Chinese New Year, is a tradition among local sports fans as they head for the Sha Tin Racecourse to celebrate the first race day of the Lunar New Year. The stands are packed with excited race enthusiasts looking to get the New Year off to a prosperous start with a winning ticket.
Fortune Seeking
It’s customary at Chinese New Year to give thanks for the past 12 months and pray for good fortune for the coming year. For an unforgettable experience, join the crowds as they make a trip to Sik Sik Yuen and Wong Tai Sin Temple to burn incense sticks and shake the fortune stick for a new year prediction. You can also spin the Wheel of Fortune at Sha Tin’s Che Kung Temple to dispel bad luck and encourage good fortune. Another possible trip is to visit the fabled Wishing Trees in Lam Tsuen, Tai Po and make a wish!
Chinese Spring Festival Celebrations in Guangzhou
The upcoming Chinese New Year (also known as Spring Festival) falls on January 26, 2009, when we’ll be ringing in the Year of the Ox. This is the most enthusiastically celebrated festivals in China.
Guangzhou celebrates the New Year with as much enthusiasm as the rest of the country and offers a vibrant and exiting atmosphere that can be enjoyed by visitors and residents alike. People will pay visits to friends and relatives to exchange gifts, make a trip to temples to pray for good fortune for the coming year, and there is frenzied shopping and a lot of bustling around town. Since Guangzhou is the “heaven to gastronomists”, many food streets are open to serve various traditional Chinese food during the festival.
Flower Fair
Guangzhou enjoys the reputation of the “City of Flowers” and is known for the Flower Fair held annually during the Spring Festival. The streets are decorated with fragrant and beautiful fresh flowers, golden tangerines, and elegant miniature landscapes, looking like rivers of flowers in the distance. It is customary for most of the families to visit the fair after the reunion dinner on the New Year’s Eve, which is the climax of flower market. People usually buy a potted tree with tangerines hanging on it. The tangerine symbolizes good luck and wealth to the local people and the chrysanthemum symbolizes longevity.
Fireworks Display
The annual Fireworks Display on the evening of the first day of the Chinese Spring Festival is another highlight. Colorful fireworks light up the sky over Pearl River in Guangzhou to welcome the Lunar New Year. The display starts around 8:30 p.m. and lasts for about 30 minutes. Tens of thousands of people will turn out to watch the resplendent fireworks show. The sound of fireworks exploding is thought to scare away bad spirits and promote luck.
Lantern Festival
As everywhere in China, Lantern Festival in Guangzhou takes place on 5th of the first lunar month to usher in a coming harvest year and compete against the moonlight. The city is decorated with varieties of lanterns and some are graced with exhibitions of flowers, fruit pots, fine arts and photography in addition to lantern riddles. The Guangzhou Lantern Festival held in Yuexiu Park, Memorial Park to the Martyrs and the Guangzhou Cultural Park, serves as an exhibition of folk lantern art. Citizens hang lanterns at home while children play lanterns on streets in celebration of the festival.
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.
