Learn About China Headquarters

Chinese History for Children (And Adults) 

unit studies and educational activities

Ancient China: A Homeschool Unit Study

When teaching our children ancient history, we are sure to include Ancient Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, and Ancient Rome. Unfortunately we sometimes omit another great ancient civilization on the other side of the globe-- Ancient China...

Traveling Through The Middle Kingdom

Have you always wanted to visit exciting and exotic places, but haven't had the time or money? Well, now you can take that trip, without ever leaving your home! Hop on board the Lilliput Express as we go adventuring in China. Bring along your camera;...

Chinese Dynasties & Historic Events!

Are you interested in the historical background of this mysterious giant empire? China is emerging as the new global Super Power. Find out more of what makes it tick! From Pre-history to the present day, China has a long narrative that is worth stud...

Famous Chinese People 

Xian Fu Ren ~ Who in the World Was She?

Mme Xian (513-602 CE) lived during the tumultuous years of the Period of Disunity and Partition and the early years of the Sui Dynasty. She was a Li Minority Group figure from Gaoliang in Guangdong Province. When she was a little girl, Xian (her fam...

Qu Yuan ~ Poet, Statesman and Ideologist!

Situated on the banks of the mighty Yangtze River, at Xiangjiaping, 1.5km from Guizhou Town, Zigui County in Hubei Province, stands this impressive memorial and shrine to the famous poet, statesman and Ideologist. "Qu Yuan [Chu Yuan ] (circa 340-278...

Shih Huang Ti, First Emperor of China | Qin Shi Huang

Shih Huang Ti (or Qin Shi Huang Ti) was heir to the throne of Chin, a powerful feudal state in northwest China. On his accession he set about uniting China, annexing the other feudal states with ruthless efficiency, aided by espionage, brib...

Chinese Mythology 

The Eight Immortals

In the Chinese mythology, there are eight Taoist immortals or deities. The exact years in which these immortals lived cannot be ascertained but it is generally accepted that they are active during the Tang or Sung Dynasty. Each of the immortals has a...

Kuan Yin

Therefore should the mind be constantly fixed on her ~~ Lotus Sutra Many years ago, before I had heard the name of Kuan Yin, I walked through a doorway and felt this Kuan Yin gazing down at me and it took my breath away. I sat down on the wooden ben...

Chinese Philosophy 

Tao Te Ching - Classic from China

Very inspiring. About leadership, living life and letting things be (that you can't control anyhow). This lens has quotes from the Tao Te Ching and information about Taoism. Taoism is one of the oldest still living religions in the world. It combine...

CHI, QIGONG; MASTERING THE FORCE

CHI, QIGONG - Here we will cover what needs to be understood in order to manipulate the force known in China as "Qi" (pronounced as "chee"). First, we will attempt a scientific level of understanding of just what this force is. Some may opine that t...

Chinese Holidays 

Dragon Boat Festival

Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated on the 5th day of the 5th month. But that's not May 5th. This holiday is calculated according to the lunar calendar. The next Dragon Boat Festival is June 16, 2010. You still have time to plan some fun activities f...

Chinese New Year

新年快乐 Happy Chinese New Year! Take your children on a fascinating cultural experience -- celebrate Chinese New Year! Chinese New Year is the celebration of a new lunar year. It is a fifteen day holiday that starts on the e...

Mid-Autumn Festival

Most cultures have a harvest festival. China is no exception. The Mid-Autumn Festival 中秋节 (Zhong Qiu Jie) is one of the three most important, traditional Chinese holidays. (The other two are Chinese New Year and Dragon Boat Festi...

Tomb Sweeping Day!

Qingming Festival is also known as Tomb-sweeping Day, Pure Brightness Festival, Clear Bright Festival, All Souls Day, Festival for Tending Graves or Grave Sweeping Day. It falls on either April 4th or 5th of the solar calendar, is one of the 24 Chine...

Rice Dumpling Festival

Rice Dumpling Festival or Dragon Boat Festival falls on the 5th day of the 5th month on the lunar calendar. It happen to be on the 28th May 2009 this year. The festive is celebrate amongst the Chinese. Basically, all you do is to make or buy some ri...

Chinese Handicrafts and Folk Arts 

The art of traditional Chinese folk paper cut

Paper cuts are designs or patterns cut from a single piece of paper. All parts of a paper cut are connected in one piece, and connected lines form the picture. Rice paper (Xuan paper) is the material of choice for paper-cutting. The tools are scissor...

Dragon in the Sky Shadow Puppet Theater in Beijing

In 2009, we took a family vacation to Beijing. Our ten year old daughter "Sprite" is old enough to enjoy the architecture and to appreciate the history of the typical Beijing sites, but we also wanted some kid-friendly activities especially...

Made in China 

famous Chinese products

Health Benefits of Pu-Erh Tea

When it comes to our health, making a concentrated effort on the peace we can attain in our daily life through rituals and healthy foods and drinks can make a huge impact on our long term health. This lens will give you all the information you need t...

Pu-erh Tea

This unique tea is only just starting to become known in the Western world (pronounced "POO-air") Other names for Pu-erh tea: Puerh, Puer, Pu er, Pu'er. Pu-erh teas are known in China as "medicinal teas" and have long been conside...

Jasmine Tea

Jasmine is a delicate, floral Chinese tea, traditionally served with meals. Jasmine tea is the oldest known scented tea; it had its origins in the Hunnan province of China during the Sung Dynasty, more than 700 years ago. Nowadays jasmine tea is prod...

Tea Legends - The 10 Famous Chinese Teas

The Ten Famous Chinese Teas are a source of mystery and wonder. As with all great mysteries a certain amount of controversy arises when tea enthusiasts debate which teas actually make up the list of the ten best teas. Regardless of how you rank your...

Chinese Medicine 

The Seven Deadly Emotions

Traditional Chinese medicine has acknowledged the role of emotions in health and well-being for over 2000 years. Increasingly, scientific studies are backing up the ideas that negative emotions can cause serious health issues. Certain parallels can...

Chinese Language 

Learn How to Write in Chinese | Write Anything in Chinese in 2 Minutes!

Want to know how to write in Chinese characters? Learn how to write your name, numbers, "hello", "I love you", "peace", "dragon" and more...

Places in China 

The Beautiful West Lake of Hangzhou

If you want to visit China, West Lake in Hangzhou is a place you would not want to miss. There is a Chinese saying that goes, "Above there is heaven, below there are Suzhou and Hangzhou." This is not an exaggeration; Hangzhou is as beautiful as heave...

Liuzhou: City of Dragons!

Liuzhou is known as the "Dragon City", as it is said in folklore that eight dragons appeared in the adjacent Liu Jiang (River). The city consists of six counties and four districts, covering an area of 18,600 km2. Around 3.6 million people of 48 ethn...

Haikou City Sights and Sounds!

Haikou, situated at the north of Hainan island, is the capital of Hainan Province of the People's Republic of China and has an estimated population of 1.8 million, therefore by far the largest city on the island. Named "Haikoupu" in ancient times, Ha...

China's Wild West

This ain't Beijing. It's on the opposite side of the country, as far away as you can get from the major Chinese travel destinations. And if you managed to get here (a feat my friend), without knowing where you were headed you wouldn't recognize it, o...

Hainan Province: Tropical Paradise!

Hainan Province (Hainan Sheng) was created in 1988, after previously being administered from Guangdong. The major industries are tourism and agriculture, as the island is the only part of China in the tropical zone. Hainan has a permanent residence o...

The City of Beijing

The 2008 Summer Olympics has aroused the interest of the world in this historical city. The ancient buildings stand as a solemn reminder of past glories, however the new complexes, necessary to house the recent sporting triumph, demonstrate the willi...

Guanyin Buddha Statue at Nanshan!

Nanshan Guanyin Cultural Park is situated at Nanshan District around 40 km west of Sanya CBD in China's Hainan Province. It is a key project in the Phase II expansion of the Nanshan Cultural Tourism Zone, a 5A-rated national attraction, highlighted b...

Leshan Giant Buddha!

The Grand Buddha at Leshan (Sichuan Province, China) is the largest ancient stone carved image of Buddha in the world, standing 71 metres in height. It is located at the foot of Mt. Lingyun, where the Minjiang, Dadu and Qingyi Rivers meet. This edifi...

Tianya Haijiao: "Sky Meets Sea"!

In Chinese folklore, it was thought there was a remote part of the known world where the sky meets the sea. As this area is the most southern part of China, it has been named "Tianya Haijiao" (the furthermost part of the sky and the sea). Tianya Hai...

Wenchang Has Confucius And The Song Sisters!

Situated in North-East Hainan Province, China, Wenchang is 73km South-East of the Capital, Haikou. It is a coastal city, and faces the sea on the East, South and North with a coastline of 270 kilometres and a total land area of 2,403 square kilometre...

Dongfang (Basuo): A West Coast Port in Hainan Province!

Dongfang City is an industrial port located at the mouth of the Changhua River around 260 km South-West of Haikou City. The Japanese invaded and occupied Dongfang as their Hainan headquarters in the early 1940's. Thousands of Li Minority Group peopl...

Exploring China: Beijing, Shanghai, Pingyao

China is a fascinating place for a vacation. It is developing fast with some cities, such as Shanghai and Beijing very modern while others are still traditional and apparently unchanged for centuries. It is a country of contrast, with some wonderful...

Sanya: Tropical Island Resort!

Sanya is the "jewel in the crown" of Hainan Island. Most Hainan locals ask if you have been here to visit, and they refer to Sanya as "China's Hawaii". They are very proud of this city. There are five major bays in Sanya, namely: Yalong Ba...

Artifacts and Museums 

Hainan Museum Ethnic Minorities!

"The minorities of Hainan mainly inhabit the Central and Southern areas of Hainan Island. With a population of over 1.4 million, the Li, Miao and Hui nationalities have been living on Hainan Island for generations. They have worked hard overcoming ma...

Hainan Provincial Museum ~ What Can I See?

Hainan Provincial Museum was established in 1984 and relocated to Hainan Cultural Park at Guoxing Avenue, Haikou in 2008. It is adjacent to the Provincial Library and Provincial Arts and Culture Centre, all housed in magnificent new buildings. The co...

Travel Inside China 

China, The Middle Kingdom

Being transported from China's Wild West to China's interior involved my first sleeper train adventure. Fourteen hours of cramped existence, in a top bunk at that, from Dunhuong to Lanzhou was initiated by an "incident" in the train station at Dunhuo...

Chinese Animals 

Panda Fascination

The Panda Bear is most certainly one of the most famous and beloved of the world's endangered animals. Personally, I never was a huge fan of the panda until I saw them in person at a research center in China. They are amazingly beautiful animals -- g...

Chinese Practicalities 

10 Things You Should Know About China

China is the biggest country in the world. Here I would like to give you an introduction to this fascinating country and facts that everyone should know.

The Squatty Potty

When traveling internationally, there are two main areas of dread for many people -- food and toilets! You're on your own with the food, but I'm here to help you with how to use the "squatty potty" found all over Asia. This is a delicate topic, and n...

Humorous Shots from China 

and other countries in Asia

Crazy English

I call it Crazy English. Others call it Chinglish or Engrish. Whatever you call it, it's hilarious! When people in China try to use English, disastrous errors often result. Enjoy a chuckle at my collection of crazy English, most of which was capture...

Chinese Sports 

Traditional Yang Style Long Form 108

is an integration of self-defence, self knowledge and self well-being. T'ai Chi is a way of life that has been practiced by the Chinese for thousands of years. T'ai Chi means "the ultimate." T'ai Chi encourages the fulfillment of the indivi...

Standing meditation for health

The qigong exercise zhan zhuang is practised by people all over the world for both health and for martial arts. Translated as Standing like a tree, the exercises appear simple to the casual observer, but are challenging in a gentle way that means eve...

Soft martial arts

The three main internal kung fu (neijia) styles are taijiquan (tai chi chuan), baguazhang (pa kua chang) and xingyiquan (hsing-i chuan). Practising these arts has a profoundly beneficial effect on health, as well as building self-confidence and self-...

Good Books 

Two Authors of Chinese Origin

       Maybe you are a busy person and don't have time to read any more. You used to like reading novels, but now it's just not possible. Right? Well, you better make some time! Read these two novels by two autho...

Return to the Middle Kingdom by Yuan-tsung Chen

Return to the Middle Kingdom , the epic, biographical tale of Chinese revolutionary Ah Chen and the two generations of revolutionaries who took up the fight he began, is artfully researched and written by author, Yuan-tsung Chen. Chen fearlessly gat...

Photography in China 

Images of China

Mark Amy Photography presents stunning images from all around China. With galleries ranging from the well-known major cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, to the less less well-known places such as Huangshan and Sanya, and the legendary, but much les...

Legendary Shangri La

In 1933 British novelist James Hilton wrote a book called Lost Horizon, which was about a group of travellers who got lost in a place that Mr Hilton described as a place of eternity, peace and tranquility, an idyllic world of imposing snow mountains,...