Chinese Culture

The Difference Between the Beginning of Spring and the Chinese Spring Festival

In Chinese culture, the Beginning of Spring (立春, lìchūn) and the Chinese Spring Festival (春节, chūnjié) are both significant events, each marking a new cycle in the year. However, they differ in terms of timing, cultural meaning, and celebration practices.

The Beginning of Spring (立春, lìchūn)

The Beginning of Spring is the first of the 24 solar terms (二十四节气, èr shí sì jié qì) in the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar.…

Should I Learn Simplified or Traditional Characters?

When you begin learning Chinese, one of the first decisions you’ll face is whether to study Simplified or Traditional Chinese characters. Both writing systems have deep historical roots, and each offers unique insights into the Chinese language and culture. Today, we’ll explore the history behind these two writing systems, their modern applications, and factors to consider when choosing which one to learn.…

Understanding Chinese Culture through the Idiom “君子之交淡如水”

As a foreigner learning Chinese, diving into the language also means exploring the rich cultural context behind idioms, proverbs, and expressions. One such phrase that offers profound insight into Chinese culture is “君子之交淡如水” (jūn zǐ zhī jiāo dàn rú shuǐ), which translates to “A gentleman’s friendship is gentle as water.”But…

10 Must-Know Chinese Idioms to Make Your Conversations More Engaging

Many Chinese learners have experienced this: you’ve studied for years, but when you hear native speakers chat, their conversations seem so much more fluent, lively, and natural. What’s the secret? It’s often those colorful and powerful Chinese idioms, or 成语 (chéng yǔ). These short phrases, packed with meaning and cultural references, are what can take your Chinese to the next level.…

Top 6 Chinese Internet Slang Abbreviations

All across Chinese social media, English letter abbreviations are running rampant.Whether on web forums, text messages, or WeChat, terms like “yyds”, “dddd” and “u1s1” have been evolving and gradually working their way into everyday conversation.

As it’s easy to just dismiss them as silly trends (or even typos), today we’re breaking down what some of these seemingly random collections of letters and numbers actually mean, and how to use them!…

4 Ways that Chinese People Honor the Double Ninth Festival

One of my favorite aspects of living and studying in China is that I get to learn about and take part in holidays that are completely new and very exciting for me. While some Chinese holidays such as New Year, the Moon Festival and the Dragon Boat festival I had known before arriving in China, there are also some lesser-known holidays such as the one that I will introduce today, 重阳节 (Chóngyángjié) the Double Ninth holiday.…

Three Foods to Eat During the Double Ninth Festival

Almost without exception, every holiday, especially ones only celebrated in certain parts of the world, have specific foods associated with them. American Thanksgivings feature roast turkey, Greeks prepare lamb for Christmas, and saffron buns are baked for St. Lucia’s Day in Sweden. Chinese holidays are no exception, with the Dragon Boat Festival’s steamed rice dumplings and Mid-Autumn Festival moon cakes.…

The Mid-Autumn Festival Moon Has the Power to Reunite Family

As the year embraces September, so too will Chinese people begin to embrace the nearing Mid-Autumn Festival. The Mid-Autumn Festival has evolved from “sacrificing the moon” ceremonies. So the Autumn Equinox in ancient times and has become a precious cultural heritage. To give you an idea of what it’s like: adults usually indulge in moon cakes of different varieties with a good cup of piping hot Chinese tea, while the youngsters run about with brightly-lit lanterns.…

Scroll to Top