China Holidays Blog

March 30, 2010

Three day Tomb-sweeping escapes

Filed under: Chinese Culture — Tags: , — China Holidays @ 10:15 am

The Qingming Festival (simplified Chinese: 清明节; traditional Chinese: 清明節; pinyin: Qīngmíngjié, Ching Ming Festival in Hong Kong, Vietnamese language: Tết Thanh Minh), Clear Bright Festival, Ancestors Day or Tomb Sweeping Day is a traditional Chinese festival on the 104th day after the winter solstice (or the 15th day from the Spring Equinox), usually occurring around April 5 of the Gregorian calendar (see Chinese calendar). Astronomically it is also a solar term (See Qingming). The Qingming festival falls on the first day of the fifth solar term, named Qingming. Its name denotes a time for people to go outside and enjoy the greenery of springtime (踏青 Tàqīng, “treading on the greenery”) and tend to the graves of departed ones.

Here’s a article from global times, may help you better understanding this particular festival and give a suggestion to plan your Qingming Festival holiday.

The Tomb Sweeping Festival is not only an occasion to commemorate death, but a happy break for those who remain alive. Apart from the obligatory visitation of the burial grounds of deceased family and friends, having a good plan for the break is also necessary. Lifestyle has advice for those who need a simple, short-term escape from Beijing.

Hongluo Temple

Hongluo Temple

Hongluo Temple

If you want to find a place to relax and have no intention of exhausting yourself with physical exercise, during your vacation, you may wish to consider Hongluo Temple. Located in Huairou district, 55 miles from Beijing, the temple grounds occupy around 800 hectares, making it the biggest Buddhist forest in northern China. The temple was originally built by a monk named Fo Tudeng in 338 AD, the first acknowledged teacher of Buddhism in China.

Now the temple has become one of the most popular national scenic spots; visitors include the emperor Kang Xi, who stopped by during his travels in 1694. The temple is also an ideal Qingming escape because here one can burn joss sticks at the altar in tribute to the deceased. Within the temple, visitors can appreciate the soothing atmosphere of birds singing, streams flowing and flower blossoming; don’t forget to pause and appreciate the wisteria growing here has blossomed every year, for 800 years, in April. For more flowers, step out to Hongluo Mountain to the north, where lilacs, roses and peonies flourish.

Address: No. 2 Hongluo East Road, Huairou District 怀柔区红螺东路2号

Tel: 6068-1175

Directions: Take bus No. 936 from Dongzhimen station to Hong Luo temple.

Ling Mountain

For mountain hiking fans who do want to take the chance to get off their bums, the holiday is a good chance to head for Ling Mountain in the western suburbs of the city. Located at the northwestern side of Mentougou, it is 122 kilometers away from the city center. Ling Mountain is the highest in Beijing’s vicinity, at 2,303 meters, and is home to up to 1,000 types of wild plants, making it a paradise for animals such as peccary, rabbits, fox, goats and domesticated yak.

Ling Mountain is also abundant with old historical remains like broken cave temples and beacon towers, making it great for exploring. With everything from these historical remains to plants that grow in both tropical and fridge zones, this mountain is like a museum of natural history, luring campers who like to call the area “little Tibet.” Take note, however: this adventurers’ paradise is also fraught with risks, and every year climbers lose their way and die of hypothermia or expo-sure. Be careful, or it’ll be your grave they’re sweeping next year.

Address: Ling Mountain scenic spot, Mentougou District 门头沟区灵山景区

Tel: 6182-7994

Directions: Take bus No. 929 branch line from Pingguoyuan subway station to Shuang Tang Jian.

Shuanglongshan forest park

If the Ling Mountain is too wild and Hong Luo Temple too “popular,” the natural middle ground can be found at Shuanglongshan forest park, Changping District, 50 miles from the city center. Get close to nature while enjoying a variety of activities, including fruit and vegetable picking in the eco-environmental center and learning from guides how to survive in the wilderness.

For something you generally cannot do within the city limits, go chase a mountain chicken (an actual activity) at one of the local chicken farms in an amusing diversion to get slackers to shake a leg and get some exercise. If chasing birds is too active for you, how about collecting their eggs? These particular chickens subsist on bugs and worms they find in the mountains, rather than chickenfeed; as a result, their eggs appear greener than what you’d pick up in the grocery store.

There’s nothing like pursuing wild fowl to rally the appetite, so at the end of the day, tuck into appetizing farmhouse dishes served in the Shuanglongshan folk-custom vacation village, made with local mountain ingredients. It may be basic fare, but for urbanites who subsist on greasy food every day, a healthy change is a big holiday pursuit indeed.

Address: 3 kilometers west of Duijiuyu village, east of Changling town, Changping District 昌平长陵镇碓臼峪风景区门前往西3公里

Tel: 8972-2163

Directions: Take bus No. 345, 845 or 919 to Changping District, and change to bus No. 5 to Shuanglongshan.

February 22, 2010

The real romantic Chinese holiday: Lantern Festival

Filed under: Chinese Culture — Tags: , — China Holidays @ 10:01 am

Source: Global Times

Forget Valentine’s Day. For romance lovers in the capital, it may be just as well that this most manufactured of Western holidays was eclipsed by the Spring Festival – on a day like that, family responsibility totally trumps affairs of the heart. But worry not frustrated lovers – this year, you get a go around! No need to fork out big bucks in a fancy hotel for a meal with prices involving eights and nines, no need to pay 10 times the price for roses and those strange cuddly animals. A perfect romantic evening can be had for the price of a cab – or if you’re really cheap – a subway ticket.

Red light district

The Lantern Festival is actually the most romantic traditional holiday in China, and we have those ancient Confucians to thank for that. In feudal society, young women were not allowed to go out freely, but on this day they were allowed to hang out with friends, and Lantern appreciation activities also gave them a chance to socialize.

Therefore, both then and now, single women and men take this opportunity to get to know each other better. Of course, nowadays, this traditional activity is gradually losing its romantic element as young women and men have the freedom to go dating on any day. But it seems that with this independence, young people eschew traditional activities, and head back home for one last night with their family.

Instead, this year what could be more romantic than a walk in one of Beijing’s parks among the beautifully decorated red lanterns – other connotations not withstanding. The sky will light up with the last of the year’s firework displays, sure to set any heart aflutter. And for singletons, it still may be a good place to catch an admiring glance or two.

Do any of Beijing’s young couples intend to have a romantic evening on Lantern Festival? Are they even aware of the traditional meaning of the event?

Yes…

“I’d like to stay with my girlfriend on that day,” Liao Kai, a young man who has been in a relationship with his girlfriend for two years told Lifestyle, “although I’ve sent a bunch of flowers to her, I think I’d better spend the day with her, like go out and eat something to make up for Valentine’s Day.”

No…

“Generally speaking, I’d like to spend it with my family,” said a traditional boy named Zhang Yi, “the Lantern Festival is included in the Spring Festival and I have no idea about the traditional Chinese romantic story on that day. But I did spend half of Valentine’s Day with my girlfriend and went back to my grandma’s in the evening to eat supper with my relatives.”

Other voices – bring the tradition back

“I think it is a byproduct of globalization that we lost many of our good traditions nowadays, not only the Lantern Festival but also some others,” Liu Yuehua, a 25-year-old girl said. “The young people have so many Western-style festivals because they think it’s fashionable. But we should not lose our tradition since it represents China and it’s unique.”

“I didn’t know about that,” said Edward, an English teacher in Beijing. “But I think it’s cool, I’ve hardly seen my girlfriend since the holiday began. I think they should promote this as a romantic holiday; I’d far rather do something like this than spend Valentine’s Day in an overpriced restaurant or bar. It’s a shame people in China don’t seem aware of it.”

January 27, 2010

Hutong worth more than Money

Filed under: Chinese Culture, Travel — Tags: , — China Holidays @ 10:52 am

Have you ever heard of Hutong in Beijing? Are you interested in Beijing Hutong? I’d like to recommended this essay from Brendan Forde, CRI.

Like many foreigners in Beijing, I have enjoyed exploring the hutong neighborhoods. Respectfully and unobtrusively walking down the alleyways, one can get a real feel of old Beijing.

The hutong are synonymous with Beijing, an integral part of Beijing as much as Tian’anmen Square or Beihai Park. They are some of the most fascinating parts of this great city and I have spent many happy hours exploring them. In my opinion, the hutong constitute some of the most important areas of Beijing’s historical and cultural heritage.

So, I was devastated to stumble across a recently demolished hutong near Deshengmen, the other day. The scene resembled the aftermath of an earthquake. Piles of bricks and broken cement competed for space with rubbish and other artifacts, all the detritus of society. Punctuating this scene were walls, painted white, occasionally rising from the carnage.

For some reason, these walls were spared from destruction. Also spared were the trees that formerly inhabited the courtyards of this hutong. For generations, these trees provided shade and entertainment to the residents, yet now they were made silent witnesses to the destruction before them. Surveying this scene, my strongest reaction was not one of outrage at the loss of historical structures, or anger at the wanton disregard for heritage, but rather a feeling of sorrow and mourning at what had truly been lost, a vibrant community.

I can understand the value of development and the need for urban renewal is self evident, but I cannot understand why the hutong neighborhoods are being obliterated. Not only are the hutong significant culturally and historically, they are also living, breathing, vibrant community. Anyone who has even casually passed through these can plainly see and feel the lively community atmosphere.

One can see commerce of all types, bustling small businesses and the elderly enjoying recreation. But most important are the personal interactions between the residents that even the most unobservant visitor cannot miss. Everyone seems to know each other; passing individuals will exchange greetings, or stop at length for a chat. This intimate atmosphere can be found nowhere else in the city.

Yet, as Oscar Wilde once opined: “These days, men know the price of everything and the value of nothing.” Land values and development are fuelling the destruction of the hutong. Mere monetary value is far from the most important measure, for there are intangible cultural and historical values, as well as the important community values.

However, these values are being sacrificed in favor of rapid urban development. The hutong are important historical assets to Beijing. Unlike other points of interest, such as the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven or the Summer Palace, the hutong represent the history of the people of Beijing.

It is my firm hope that more visitors, especially Chinese visitors, explore the less tourism-oriented hutong, to experience the hutong life. The greater the understanding and appreciation of these communities, the greater the public will to prevent their eradication.

To conclude, another Wilde quote: “Experience is the name we give our mistakes.” Let us not allow the loss of the hutong become another chapter in the history of this city.

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