Observe the Artistry of the Lantern Festival in China

We all know that the Chinese are fond of partying about everything, from plant to food festivals, which are all unusual to people, especially Westerners. In fact, among festivities that you haven't probably heard about is the incomparable Lantern Festival. This festival is paid tribute by the Chinese, whether commoners or aristocrats, by hanging lanterns on their front gates as a tribute to Buddha.

Originated from the aristocratic Han Dynasty, this well-known Lantern Festival is celebrated every 15th day on the first lunar month, usually on February; King Wen officially designated this date, but it was only during King Wu's reign when the Chinese started the classic festival. This event especially focused on the promotion of Buddhism in the country, so King Ming ordered the people to light lanterns in monasteries, palaces, and in typical houses as tributes.

Also well-known as the Yuanxiao Festival, the celebration soon became an important part of Chinese culture; people really indulge in all-out festival activities. Every year, the festival also shares the creativity of the Chinese, especially when it comes to making and lighting lanterns. The Lantern Festival even made well-known a delicacy, rice dumplings with sweet stuffing, which is created only during this time.

Shaolin Temple and the Extravagant Earlier Period of China

When I visit Asia, there is always one country I cannot afford to miss, probably due to the unique culture, artistically inclined locals, and enchanting scenic sights. But just recently, I alleged there was nothing more I could encounter. I have been to the formidable Great Wall, dined in the most gorgeous restaurants, submerged in their culture, and met amicable locals so, what more could I expect from China? This was my mindset on the first day of my recent China expedition but not until a very nice fellow brought me to Shaolin Temple.

Shaolin was first a house for an Indian monk named Batou who was spreading Buddhism across China. Since then, it has housed many monks who were alleged to have performed mysteries and legends.

But more than a monk house, Shaolin has become an advocate of martial arts that these two practically became inseparable. Since Shaolin was in a relatively busy and perilous area, which is the infinite Songshan Mountains, martial artists were generally fighting against possible invaders and Japanese culprits; that, in return, inevitably progressed their fighting skills. In the succeeding dynasties, over a thousand soldier-monks were appointed to guard the temple. Though there were many soldiers camping in Shaolin, they were not able to protect it from several fire incidents that practically powdered the whole construction.

Still, Shaolin is in its outstanding state, inviting sightseers from around the globe. With relics from the past dynasties, Shaolin is a window to the extravagant earlier period of China.

Chinese Dish Score

China is not really my choice location to visit, but there is one thing that makes me keep on coming back to this big country -- its food. The last time I went to a bar in China, I was able to overheard a tete-a-tete of some English-speaking tourists like me. I overheard from the trippers that the first domesticated animal is the pig. It was really an absorbing tete-a-tete because I realized that Christopher Columbus and Hernando de Soto were responsible in making pork popular in America.

However, I kind of felt spooked when I overheard that in China, pigs were buried with their breeders, which shows that pork was highly-esteemed in the country during the ancient times. That detail was quite creepy for me, but I must say that China has the most mouthwatering pork meals in the world. The tete-a-tete of the tourists about the pigs and pork ended as I munch my mouthwatering Mu Shu pork. I was about to order a serving of the bar's sweet and sour pork when my cousin urged me to take pictures of the Great Wall of China, which I have seen hundreds of times. I guess even though I have been to the Sleeping Giant many times, I will still go back to this country because my taste buds always itch for the tempting Chinese pork munchies.

The Greatest Fashion Accessory For The Sophisticated Chinese Woman

A companion of mine recently gave me a scented Chinese fan made of wood, crafted with intricate drawings of bamboo plants. I was so amused with the delicate fan that on my next journey to China, I decided to do a little research about the origins of one of China's early accessories.

Perhaps one of the most modern accessory a Chinese woman could have in early times was the lovingly crafted Chinese Fan. There is no definite record stating as to how the Chinese Fan was invented or discovered, but according to early ideas, fans were brought to China from Korea and Japan about a thousand years ago. Because the early fan was made of paper, artists and scholars both found the Chinese fan a perfect avenue for their calligraphic strokes and visionary portraits. Due to agricultural evolution during the Han and Tang Dynasties, fabrics used in making fans included smooth silk and satin. Soon enough, having a silk fan with intricate drawings became a fashionable mode among the well-read and Chinese elite. The fan was not just a tool to cool oneself, but has evolved into the paramount status symbol, customarily worn with the traditional summer costume. Expensive materials such as gold, jade, ivory, sandalwood, and silver have also been used to create these wonderful Chinese Fans.

Business Visits with the Right Merge of Leisure Activities

Primarily created as one of many Chinese business hotels, the Bund Hotel in Shanghai holds a strategic place in the economic activities of the territory. This is mainly because the place is set near two of the more vital places in Shanghai. These are the Bund, a line of Chinese buildings that have historic significance that lie along the coast of the Huangpu River, and the Pudong district, accepted as the financial capital of Shanghai. Business trippers will surely see the hotel as a fine place to conduct their transactions.

Of course, this does not really mean that the Bund Hotel will not be suitable for tourists who simply want to experience a tour of Shanghai. On the contrary, the hotel can effectively serve as a good starting territory from where visitors can explore this fast-growing Chinese district. After all, stunning and imposing establishments abound in the area, including the Oriental Pearl Tower, acknowledged as the TV tower of Shanghai, and the bewildering Liujiazui Business Center.

Nestled in downtown Shanghai, the hotel carries several wonderful restaurants that offer Chinese and Western dishes to satisfy your gastronomic cravings. On the other hand, if you ever get tired of your sightseeing recreations, there is a choice among a beauty salon, a sauna, and a gymnasium where you can learn to relax and unwind. An excellent alternative, though, is to get interested in a round of mind-enhancing games in the chess room of the hotel.