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The Dragon´s Shiny Scales – Silver Coins from China
People rush to precious metals lately. And it will get only crazier. American, Canadian and Australian are not the only coins to go for. How about something more exotic? Let´s discover the China-option together. Why silver coins anyway? Times have been crazy getting lately. Whenever financial or political turmoil is on the rise, people revert to what they can trust. Diamonds may be a girl´s best friend, but that is just a marketing ploy. Since you can create artificial diamonds of impeccable quality, only the marketing genius of the few big players in this field keeps the price stable. Not so gold and silver or more exotic metals like palladium,…
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Chinese New Year – When monster Nian comes to get you
The monster that cannot bear noise Why do Chinese call celebrating Chinese New Year-Guo Nian (过年)? Nian in this case is not just the New Year, it also is a spell to chase away the Nian, which one could interpret as the last year, but which is actually a monster by the name Nian. Like in many ancient cultures, the end of winter is marked by celebrations and rituals that chase away evil spirits. The legend The legend behind the celebration is actually quite funny and gives some insight into old traditions. There once was a monster called Nian(年). Its teeth were sharp and its horns were intimidating to say…
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Is Qingming the Chinese Easter?
While the Lunar New Year Festival is marking the beginning of a new year, the Qingming aka Spring Festival marks the beginning of a new growth cycle in nature. The resurrection of new life from death! Easter is just one of the festivals that celebrate the beginning of spring and of planting season. It is by far not the only festival in the long row of festivals that human civilizations have developed over millennia to celebrate the start of something new. All members of Christian influenced societies know Easter. Jesus is being crucified and rises from death. However, you might interpret that, as metaphor or literal truth, it conveys deep…
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The beauty of Chinese banknotes
Cash is vanishingChina is a pioneer on the way to a cashless society. In 2020 (maybe boosted by COVID-19), virtual payment methods have become almost universal in China. For the average customer this promises easy and quick ways to pay. In combination with self-checkout supermarkets and the greatest online shopping experience on the planet, China shows the way. Already, cash and banknotes have almost gone the way of the dinosaur in China. Yet one thing, that most won´t think about, will be gone too. Many countries have beautiful pictures on their bank notes. While Europe uses its paper money to showcase important buildings and iconographic symbols of Europe, China emphasizes…
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My top 10 Chinese Quotes on Education
Knowledge is Power Everyone who is interested in China and its history knows that for Chinese (for East Asians in general) education and traditional values are among the most important things in life. Deeply ingrained in Asian societies the positive attitude to rigorous education is reflected in many Chinese sayings. Reading them made me think about how different -despite of all the obvious similarities- East and West are in many ways. The changes in the last decades might have led to even greater differences at least in the field of education. And dare I say, maybe not for the better in the West. My thoughts are meant as a contribution…
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A Whiter Shade of Pale
The Chinese Whiteness Obsession In China one color trumps all: white. White is beautiful! No Chinese will get the idea to call brown skin healthy or beautiful. The whole of East Asia is striving for the same goal: Being as white as possible. Quite early on in our relationship my wife exhibited this very Asian attitude. Walking on the streets of Beijing she would nod at a passerby and make fun of her tan skin. Shocked I would simply answer with a nervous smile. My Western mindset smelled racism and if there is one thing Europeans or Americans are conditioned to, it is fear of being called racist. Not so…
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The New Summer Palace and its Stone Steam Ship
Are Chinese ships made of marble? Going for a walk in the park of the New Summer Palace some visitors rub their eyes in amazement. Floating on the edge of a lake, just next to the central hill with the beautiful palace complexes, one can see the most unusual boat. Made of stone! And it doesn’t float either. What presents itself there to the unsuspecting tourist is the famous marble boat of dowager Empress Cixi (pronounced: Z’ shi). But it’s not really Cixi´s boat either. And, well, not really a Chinese boat. It is popularly referred to as the marble boat or jade ship. The official name is: Boat of…
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Bamboo – the most Chinese of Plants
Future with traditionFew things are as Chinese as bamboo. Few things seem more mystical to Westerners than a bamboo forest. And few plants are as useful as bamboo. Which plant do you know that can be used as building material, furniture and in the kitchen? Bamboo is nothing special. It’s grass! One of the most common plants on this planet. And yet, like many things that don’t immediately meet the eye, we ignore them. This robust garden plant is vital for the most Chinese of all animals. The panda. But it is also highly beneficial for humans, as it contains large amounts of vitamins.
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A Holly Jolly Christmas
Come again? Christmas? In a communist country? How does that work? China, as everyone knows, is a communist state. Communism is, by definition, against religion. So, is there no Christmas in China? Do they know Santa Claus, St. Nicholas or Kris Kringle? Does Chinese culture have something similar? In recent years here in China, I have seen a change in many areas, including the way Christmas is celebrated. After all, there is a Christmas. There are a lot of Christians in China (although only as a small percentage of the whole population). But as in the West, you don’t have to be religious to celebrate Christmas and give presents, to…
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Not only Superheroes wear Masks
Masks are normal. If you walk on the streets of East Asian cities, you’re coming across a familiar picture. Masks everywhere. Are these people all suppressed drones? Masks, albeit to a lesser extent, were a normal sight even before Corona. The reason is quite simple. Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, all East Asians wear masks to protect themselves and their fellow human beings. No one is ashamed, no one is horrified. Wearing a mask, you are not perceived as a weirdo. Masks against viruses Those who are on the road during flu season, commute in subways or travel in public places teeming with sneezing and coughing people, have long put on a…
