Celebrations New Year's 2008 in China

If you are in China at the time of New Year you will hear people wishing you Gung Hay Fat Choy. Don't get worried, it is Happy New Year in Chinese.

New Year 2008 celebrations is a grand event of China. New Year festivities lasts for one month in China. Chinese New Year is also called Spring festival. It begins from the middle of the last month of the year and ends up in the first month of the new year. These last day celebrations in China is called Lantern Festival.

How to Celebrate For a Chinese Christmas 2007

For Christmas 2007 in China, it's mainly Christians who celebrate Christmas party, although the commercial aspect of the special holiday is spreading.

Steps for Chinese Christmas 2007:

1. Make paper lanterns to decorate your house.

2. Set up a Tree of Light, or Christmas tree, and adorn it with paper chains, paper flowers and paper lanterns. These trees are usually artificial.

3. Help your children hang muslin stockings to be filled with small presents.

4. Expect Dun Che Lao Ren, or Christmas Old Man, to visit.

5. Participate in local festivals (like Hong Kong's Ta Chiu festival), which happen in many parts of China. They may or may not be directly associated with Christmas.

6. Go to church if this religious tradition is an important part of your Christmas celebration. Midnight Mass is popular with the small Catholic population.

7. Prepare for the Chinese New Year, officially called the Spring Festival, which marks the beginning of the new Chinese calendar year.

8. Buy your children new clothes and toys for the occasion.

9. Understand that it's appropriate to honor your ancestors during the New Year's celebration; hang portraits in your home of relatives from past generations.

10. Display bowls of oranges and tangerines, which symbolize wealth and good fortune.

AEMI International Clown Carnival in Hangzhou

Clowns try to spice up the atmosphere of AEMI international clown carnival in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province September 30, 2007. More than 70 comedians from 15 countries all over the world amused a great number of participants at the carnival.

[Source from; chinadaily.com.cn]

Panda cub in Chengdu

A newborn panda cub sleeps in an incubator at Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan province July 26, 2007. The giant panda is one of the world's most endangered species and is found only in China. An estimated 1,600 wild pandas live in nature reserves in Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi provinces, and 217 are kept in captivity. The panda, together with Tibetan antelope, swallow, fish and the spirit of the Olympic flame are represented by the five stylised doll mascots for the 2008 Olympic games.

[Source from; chinadaily.com.cn]

Contestants Sail on Bamboo in Guizhou

A young girl in a Red Army costume kicks her leg in the air during the Kong Zhu Piao contest or single bamboo rafting in which competitors must get across the water on a bamboo pole while striking difficult poses in Zunyi, South China's Guizhou Province.

[Source from; chinadaily.com.cn]

Newly Born Twin Koalas Showed Up in Guangzhou

A pair of newly born twin koalas made their first presence with their mother in Guangzhou's Xiangjiang Safari Park April 17, 2007. Six koalas arrived in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, from Australia in April last year.

[Source from; chinanews.cn]

Chinese Website to Launch Gay TV Show

A Chinese Web site will launch Thursday what its producer describes as the country's first show to focus on gay issues and the first with an openly homosexual host. The weekly, hour long Internet TV show "Tongxing Xianglian," or "Connecting Homosexuals," will debut Thursday on www.phoenixtv.com, producer Gang Gang said in a phone interview.

The Web site is run by the same media company that runs the Phoenix satellite TV station. Gang said clips from the online show will be aired on the broadcaster. Gang said while homosexuals have appeared on Chinese TV shows, this will be the first show to focus on gay issues and the first with an openly gay host, AIDS activist Didier Zheng.

He said he hopes the Beijing-based show will improve public understanding of Chinese homosexuals. "There are many people in China's gay community, but people don't have a deep enough understanding about this community. This community faces a lot of trouble and difficulties. They face a lot of pressure," Gang said. The new show will explore homosexuality from legal, parental and sociological perspectives, dealing with issues like gay marriage, Gang said. The program will also feature a friend-matching portion.

The show's host, Zheng, 27, is a France-educated activist at the Chi Heng Foundation, which works with AIDS orphans and promotes AIDS prevention. "I hope to convey my love in caring for gays, my hopes for them to get better recognition in society," said Zheng, a Chinese citizen who pursued graduate studies in psychology at the Sorbonne.

Gang said he believes gays in China face less discrimination than in the West, where criticism of homosexuals stems from Christian beliefs. "The pressure comes more from the Chinese problem of saving face," he said.

[Source from; chinadaily.com.cn]

Jay Chou - The King of R and B in Asia

Jay Chou born 18 January 1979 is a World Music Award winning, popular Taiwanese pop and R and B musician, singer, and producer. Jay Chou is known for combining both Chinese and Western musical styles along with his classical music background to produce a sound unique to mainstream Chinese pop. His unique lyrics touch on various controversial issues; for instance, domestic violence in "Dad I am Back"; eco-awareness in "Rice Fields", the devastation of war in "Wounds that end the War" and reminds listeners to honor their mothers in "Listen to Your Mother". His unique sound has gained enormous recognition throughout Asia, most notably Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and Japan. He is also very popular in other Overseas Chinese communities.

In 2002, Jay has won awards from all over the world. In China, he has won the most prestigious annual Channel V award for Best Male Singer. Today, he is often regarded as the best Asian male singer, and the reputation earned him a title of "Small King of R and B"

In 2005, Jay Chou played the leading role in the movie Initial D (Takumi Fujiwara), which was based on a popular Japanese manga of the same name. It was the most popular and talked about movie in Asia, premiering in Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan and Western Countries as well. Other well known celebrities are playing too, such as Anne Suzuki, Edison Chen, Shawn Yue, Chapman To and Anthony Wong.

Jay Chou's amazing 2002 tour concert "The One," with an incredible total audience of 40,000 people has been captured on to VCDs. This twin-VCD set is a live recording of his 23 smash hits in his concert at the first station, Taipei.

As always, Jay promises an excellent performance with his vocal and dance skills. He invited his idol David Tao to be the guest performer. Jay also came out with various costumes, including Ninja, basketball player, soldier and vampire looks, perfect for those R and B nights. Watch out for Jay's R and B and RAP skills!

[Source from; answers.com]

Sexually Chinese Movie - Curse of the Golden Flower

Chinese director Zhang Yimou has made some of the most fascinating films in cinema history. A short list would have to include "Red Sorghum," "Ju Dou" and "Raise the Red Lantern" from early in his career, along with 2004's "House of Flying Daggers." But his latest effort, "Curse of the Golden Flower," is a major disappointment.

It's easy to understand why this epic set in 10th-century China has generated so much buzz: It stars Chow Yun-Fat ("Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon") and Gong Li, two of the most charismatic actors on the international scene. But their talents are wasted on a glorified soap opera that clearly aspires to the crossover appeal of "Crouching Tiger" but is woefully low on martial-arts action.

Yun-Fat is the majestic but moody Emperor Ping; Li is the sleek but bleak Empress Phoenix. Their marriage is as sour as their surroundings are opulent. Clouds of discontent also hover over their son Prince Jie (Jay Chou) and stepson Crown Prince Xiang (Liu Ye). Ultimately, it all comes down to the question of who is to reign — and who is to die.

Yimou's gift for spectacle remains intact. But that's simply not enough to stave off boredom.

Yun-Fat and Li can't be faulted. Their performances are as good as could be expected, given the material. Because they're such fine actors, it's almost worth the price of admission just to revel in their interactions, despite the dubious circumstances.

In recent years, Yimou has alternated between making martial-arts epics such as "House of Flying Daggers" and "Hero," and intimate dramas such as "Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles" and "Happy Times." But regardless of genre, he has consistently demonstrated considerable artistry.

Perhaps the unfortunate "Curse of the Golden Flower" is merely a transitional film along the way to greater glory.

Rain Coming Shanghai in Concert

Name: Bi aka Rain
Real name: Jung Ji-hoon
Nickname: Puppy
Date of birth: June 25, 1982.
Physical stats: 184 cm in height, 74 kg in weight
Blood Type: O
Favorite Color: White, Black
Education: Post modern music department, Kyung Hee University
Favorite Actor: Charlie Chaplin, Hahn Suk-kyu
Favorite Genre: R&B, hip-hop, funk
Favorite Sport: Basketball, swimming
Favorite Artist: Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Usher
Hobby: Movies, music, collecting shoes and clothes
Special skills: Sing, dancing, acting

Jung Ji Hoon, born on the 25th of June 1982 is a well known actor and singer in South Korea. He uses his stage name'Bi' , when he performs as a singer and dancer. His real name is Jung Ji Hoon, which he uses when he performs as an actor. His surname is Jung and his given name is Ji Hoon (also spelled as Ji Hun)He discovered his passion for dancing ever since he was in the 6th grade. As a teenager, he was part of the boyband group called "fanclub" and years after the group ended, Park Jin Young (Korean producer/singer who worked with American singers Will Smith, Mase, Lil'Kim, 3LW, Tyrese) took Bi under his wings after he auditioned for JYP entertainment and trained him for years in dancing and singing. Bi was a back-dancer for a famous Korean singer named Park Ji Yoon and Park Jin Young himself. During those training years, Bi was not at home much and would lie to his parents telling them he was gonna study in the library while in fact he went to the dance studio. He struggled financially and at times had to go without meals. Nevertheless, he continued to focus on his dance and singing even though he was anxiously waiting for his debut.

Finally in 2002 he debuted with the song "nappun namja (bad guy)" charming fans with his singing and powerful choreography. After the 1st album, he starred in the drama "Sangdoo Hakyo Gaja (sangdoo let's go to school)"; many people were impressed by his acting skills regardless that it was his first time acting in a drama. Following the success of his debut, he came back with a new set of style in his 2nd album and hit song "how to avoid the sun".

In 2004, he starred in another successful drama called "Full House" which has aired in other Asian countries such as the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Japan and was one of the highest rating Korean drama which has won the hearts of many fans across Asia. His performance in Full House has won him the Best Actor Award at the KBS Acting Awards.

In 2005, Bi clinched the Best Buzz Asia from Korea at the MTV Video Music Awards Japan 2005. He also won the best Korean singer award 2005 at the Mandarin Music Honors in Taiwan. Having been voted as the best Asian singer by the Taiwanese media, Bi is positioning himself as one of the most admired Asian stars this year. Wherever he goes, he generates huge public interest and becomes a hot topic of conversation. His every move is monitored by the media and draws keen attention from music fans. Bi is currently on an Asian music tour which started in Seoul and will travel to Tokyo and Hong Kong. He is creating and showcasing fresh new spectacles at every single concert, and tickets are selling out quickly as a result. His first solo concert in Japan last summer, entitled "Rainy Day Japan" and held at the Tokyo International Forum, was so popular that all the tickets were sold out 30 seconds after going on sale. And the tickets for another of his concerts in Taiwan were sold out the moment they became available. Bi continues to set records in Asia. Now Bi will make a foray into China by giving a concert in Shanghai.

[ Source : from shdx.piao.com.cn ]

Last Cave Dwellers in China

For Wang Fengguan, a man's cave is his castle. He lives in a huge one and he has no intention of leaving. Neither do any of the other 20 families in his village.

"Where else would we go" said Wang, sitting in his house, built in the cave where his family has lived for more than half a century, deep in the poor, remote southwestern Chinese province of Guizhou.

"This is our home. We are used to it," he added, in uncertain sounding Mandarin.Wang's village of Zhongdong which literally means "middle cave" is built in a huge, aircraft hanger-sized natural cave, carved inside a mountain over thousands of years by wind, water and seismic shifts.

In other parts of China people live in houses tunnelled out of hillsides, but Zhongdong is, the local government believes, the last place in the country where people live year-round in a naturally occurring cave.

The villagers are all ethnic Miao people, supposedly related to Southeast Asia's Hmong, and one of several minority groups who live in Guizhou.

Getting to the cave is extremely difficult. It takes some four hours to drive there from provincial capital Guiyang, the last hour on a dirt road which clings precariously to the side of a mountain valley, high above a river.

But the final way up to Zhongdong is to walk for more than an hour up a steep, rough stone path hewn out of rocks. Everything must come up the path food, concrete and even washing machines.

The government has built houses for the villagers in a valley below the cave, but they don't want to go, saying the houses are "not up to standard" and leak during the heavy rains which characterise Guizhou's damp climate.


[ Source : from chinadaily.com ]

Famous Barbie dolls fashionable

Without a doubt Barbie is the best-known doll in the world. She was created in America in 1959 and since then she has traveled to more than 150 countries and areas. The blonde doll is popular for her fashionable clothes as well as her hair and figure.

Super Dollfie

Super Dollfie, or SD, is a combination of doll and figurine. She got her name because although she is a doll, her joints move just like a figurine.

Ddung

Ddung was created in South Korea, and is now become in China.


Ddung in South Korea
Barbie Dolls



[ Source : from chinadaily.com ]

Residents prepare for Year of the Pig in Fuzhou

Red lanterns hang as residents visit a market in Fuzhou, East China's Fujian Province February 4, 2007. Resident across the country are preparing to welcome the Lunar New Year of the Pig on February 18 and Chinese New Year 2007 in China

Residents shop for new year decorations at a market in Fuzhou, East China's Fujian Province February 4, 2007. Resident across the country are preparing to welcome the Lunar New Year of the Pig on February 18

[ Source : from chinadaily.com ]

Zenspa Traditional Beijing in China

Zenspa takes a holistic approach to physical and spiritual well-being, providing a sanctuary for the senses. It is the first spa in mainland China to introduce Reiki treatment, naturopathic principles, floatation therapy, Ayurvedic Shirodhara therapy, clinical aromatherapy and Thai and Indonesia herbal therapy. At Zenspa, we offer nothing but the best. Quality products are sourced and imported from around the world.

New spa therapies regularly introduced. Innovative East and West fusion signature treatments are offered. Our staff members are highly trained and undergo regular educational updates to ensure the highest standards of industry knowledge and expertise. Our massage treatments are based on evolving techniques that have passed through the hands of many generations.

Drawing on Asian traditions from centuries ago, Zenspa has created health and skincare remedies using pure essential oils, herbs and spices with ancient curative powers. Using these natural therapies and their skills in the tactile arts, our therapists devote themselves entirely to the physical and spiritual well being of our guests. Yet above allthe personal touch remains as the core of our services. To us, each guest is an individual, and each spa treatment, a highly personal affair. Our therapists are constantly attuned, sensitive and responsive to your every need. Under their intuitive touch, simple sensory pleasures are reawakened, completing the experience that defines Zenspa.

[ Source : from zenspa.com.cn ]

Beijing Badachu Park (Ba Da Chu)

BaDaChu is a large park in the western hills of Beijing, about 8 kilometers south of XiangShan Park and about 25 kilometers from central Beijing. Well forested, the park covers an area of 250 Hectares.

BaDaChu Park is comprised of eight historic sites: Buddhist temples and nunneries, some still active, that are nestled in three mountain slopes in the Western Fragrant Hills.

Visitors can stroll from one temple to another, enjoying the beautiful scenery and admiring ancient pine, cypress, willow and gingko trees. Some of the trees in BaDaChu Park have been standing for over 600 years.



Although not as high as XiangShan, it is still quite a trek to the top of BaDaChu Park (460m), but a very peaceful and enjoyable one. There are good views of Beijing in the distance. A cable car is available for the journey up or down.

Especially popular in autumn when the hills turn red, BaDaChu Park in china is an attractive and peaceful place to visit all year round.

One can arrive in BaDaChu by bus or taxi from XiZhiMen or PingGuoYuan subway stations.

[ Source : from kinabaloo.com ]