Tea: A Principal in Chinese Convention

There's more to tea for Chinese people than plainly being a principal in their everyday diets. It is their means of life, carrying the healing skills and health benefits that people from China and all over the world crave for to enjoy a long, fruitful, and productive life. The wondrous liquid made from the pure, all natural relish of leaves started becoming a prized four thousand years ago when Emperor Yan Di was saved from death by tea tree drippings.

Since then, every Chinese dynasty formed a distinctive blend of herbs as its significant contribution to the tea industry, forming the basics of the varieties being offered in the present day -- white, green, black, compressed, oolong, flavored, and instant. Teas are classified according to the herbs' harvest season, geographic location, and actual processing, providing the distinctive healing skills that people of all ages and all nations enjoy. In Chinese fashion, every type of tea possesses different characteristics, different health skills, and different advantages, making it exclusively popular to a special group of tea drinkers. It has also become a cool drink for lazy afternoons, even wrapping up moments enjoyed by the young, the yuppies, and the oldies alike with the fusion of fragrant of relishes flowers like chamomile and jasmine.

Adulating the Romantic West Lake

I am no poetic soul; I actually find it hard to think and come up with lyrical lines that the literary world will soon adore. But when I headed to Hangzhou City, the so-called Paradise on Earth, I felt the poetic energy that Confucius and other literary epitomes pridefully once enjoyed.

Once there, strolling around the provincial city, I instantly felt attracted with the romantic West Lake. It was so immense that everywhere I looked around Hangzhou, I would easily take a glimpse of the all-natural lake. Rapidly, I brought out my camera (glorious, it's a digital one) to capture a number of photos. You wouldn't believe it; whatever angle I took, the lake shots turned out to be romantically stunning.

On the final day of my Hangzhou exploration, I asked a local buddy to bring me to West Lake for the last time. I sat on the lawns, which remarkably felt like a carpet, and stretched my arms into the air. Whoa, that very behavior seemed so rejuvenating that I was energized. With a fresh breeze that seemed to kiss me and the lake that was wonderful to my sight, I immediately wished to settle in Hangzhou City.

I desolately left the exquisite place, anyway. But I secretly envied the locals of Hangzhou because anytime they plan, they could stroll, dine, and simply relax in the impressive city with West Lake as the background.

An Overwhelming Food Trip In The Famed Chinese Land

Biking through the busy streets of China is an overwhelming affair not to mention a sure way to increase one's appetite. For this motive to satisfy my hunger pangs, I went inside diverse restaurants in Guangzhou. The restaurants in this city of China are notable for their exquisite Cantonese cuisine.

To start off, I ordered for a flavorsome Shrimp Dumplings with spicy soy extract on the side. This dish is undeniably one of my favorites because of its mouthwatering flavor and soft texture. Another entree I undeniably enjoyed is the Shuang Pi Nai, a sweet milk covered with a frozen mixture made of egg white and creamy milk. Next was a steamed Vermicelli roll, or Chang Fen, that is consistently made with tea.

Since tea drinking is a customary course in the Guangzhou region, I also opted to go for a cup of Gongfu Cha (Gongfu Tea). This tea's herbal zest doesn't only soothe thirst, but also certain medical conditions such as sore throat and stuffy nose. Contrary to this healthy and enjoyable hot drink is a perfect dish that wards off the summer heat -- Guiling Gao, a brown, vessel-shaped jelly with a bittersweet flavor. Finally, after savoring my food trip, I tried a customary entree served in several Guangzhou restaurants known as the Cha Shao Bun, which is a pastry bun stuffed with steamed meat. It has a sweet and soft zest, making it my favorite Chinese entree. No wonder I will never get tired while riding a bike on the roadways of China.

Zhang Ziyi: China's Fabulous Award to Hollywood

Fashion in China has certainly ripen since the early times as seen from the stylish clothes up to the newest beauty products. Today, many clothing brands and beauty products use celebrated figures as their endorsers because they know that fashion icons are important to increase sales. A fashion figure is not only a trend-setter but is also a person who every one loves to be.

One of the most famed fashion figures is Zhang Ziyi. She was born in 1979 in Beijing, China, is one of the most famed Chinese film actress today. She has successfully shifted from being a Chinese actress into a Hollywood icon through her stunning portrayals in her films that include the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Hero, House of Flying Daggers, and the Memoirs of a Geisha. She has been on the covers of many local and international magazines and even earned various award nominations. She has also accepted many acting awards including Best Female Supporting Performance for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon in 2000 by the Toronto Film Critics Association Awards, and was appeared in the People's list of “50 Most Beautiful People in 2005” and Time's “World's 100 Most Influential People”.

Zhang Ziyi has come a long way from her modest beginnings in China and being the current endorser of Maybelline and GARNIER, she really is China's award to Hollywood.

Pristine Chinese Lakes and the Nan Hai Hotel

China is one of the few places in the world that is not intensively polluted in spite of the verity that it happens to be one highly populous country. As such, its many local sites scattered all across the country are undeniably sights to behold.

In Shenzhen, for instance, the views of the Chinese seas are basically breathtaking and one can get to see them perfectly when staying at the Nan Hai Hotel, with its resort-inspired facilities that are constructed with absolutely modern accommodations like a fitness center, a bar-lounge, and babysitting services, just to name a few. The rooms, meanwhile, offer various attractions like satellite channels, colored TV's, electronic locks, air-conditioning system, and IDD phones.

The conference rooms are extremely huge and equipped with high-tech facilities. Additionally, the rooms can be properly adjusted depending on the peculiar function for which they will be used like product launches or exhibitions. The hotel even has a war-game territory comprising of 30,000 square feet complete with battle gears and equipments where guests can play a round of sophisticated but safe games of war.

Making the Nan Hai Hotel even more attractive is the fact that three prime Shenzhen transportation systems can be accessed quite conveniently from here. Virtually lying next door is the Shekou Passenger Pier, while both the Shenzhen Train Station and the Shenzhen Airport can be accessed just a few meters away.