ICY HU

In China, 90% of the people are used to taking their cellphones into the bathroom while taking showers or baths. Surprised? Are people really that addicted to their phones? The popular reasons for doing so are of course to listen to music or podcasts, to watch videos, or even take lessons! Apart from that 18.14% of the people said they bring their phones with them into the bathroom because they don’t want their phone “be checked” by their partner or whoever. 9.15% of the people are even still working on their phones in the bathroom! Just recently, the memes published by GQ Lab brought public attention to those workaholics that …

Why 90% of the people consider cellphones a MUST in baths? もっと読む »

Dragon boat racing is one of the most important customs of the Dragon Boat Festival in China. This is also the most festive folk activities on this day, which super popularized in southern China, where people are really competitively racing the boats to the drumbeats. In northern Chinese cities dragon boat racing also take place near rivers and lakes, but the race are much less competitive and have evolved into dance performances on the shores rather than racing in the waters. Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated every year on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar. It initially started as a summer festival to drive away …

Why do the Chinese paddle dragon boats? もっと読む »

According to CBNData’s “Big Data Report on National Sleep Consumption in 2018”, 56% of the people reported difficulties in sleeping. Constant dreaming during the night, shallow sleep during the night, and difficulty concentrating during the day are the most common symptoms of a bad night’s sleep. Out of the 170 million people born after 1990s, a third of them suffer from sleep deprivation. 68% said they don’t get nearly as much sleep as they need. Studies also showed that women had worse sleeping quality than men. Factors such as hormonal changes and multiple stress factors from both work and family environment are the main reasons for such phenomenon. White collar …

How bad does China suffer under insomnia? Data shows 200 million people losing sleep at night. もっと読む »

“In today’s world, if China does not possess the ability to go into space independently, it is like not being able to build a ship in the Age of Discovery. If we don’t engage in space exploration, we will miss out on the beauty of space.” said Li Dong, chief designer of the Long March-5 launch rocket. on July 23, 2020, the Long March 5 rocket lifted the Tianwen-1 Mars probe into space, creating a beautiful arc across the azure sky. If successful the spacecraft will arrive at Mars in February 2021. To some extent, the capability of the space industry represents a country’s industrial development. The Mars probe is …

How many rockets has China launched so far? もっと読む »

37 different kinds! The most popular steamed buns (Baozi) among the Chinese people are: baked buns, custard buns, BBQ pork bun, small soup dumplings, soup dumplings, crystal buns, water pan-fried bun, crab bun, three ding bun, broken crispy bun, red bean paste bun. Also, Baozi are also popularized among other cultures surrounding China as well, and the buns are well-integrated into the local cuisines. In the Philippines there is “Siopao”, which looks like the Mantou bun but has pork chicken, mutton, shrimp, duck eggs and so on as filling. In Japan, they are called “中华まん”, where まん(man)came from 馒” (man) in Mantou, and the most common filing is pork. In …

How many kind of Baozi are there in Chinese food? もっと読む »

The Chinese traditionally believed that good luck comes through the front door. Before the Chinese New Year, there will be a huge clean-up around the house. To avoid “sweeping away good fortune”, people will sweep the floor from the entrance towards the inside until they reach the inner corners, piling the dirt up and then taking it out the back door. What’s more, you are also not supposed to do any more clean-up in the first two days of the New Year, because that would “drive the good fortune away”. In the urban cities nowadays, although hardly any families are so superstitious and meticulous about the direction in which you …

Are Chinese people still superstitious about how the house should be cleaned? もっと読む »

As of July 2019, China has 55 scenic spots that made it to the World Heritage List, including 37 world cultural heritage sites, 4 dual world and natural heritage sites, and 14 world natural heritage sites. Some of the most sought after scenery in China on this list are: Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area, Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area, Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area, Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas, Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries, Mount Sanqingshan National Park, and South China Karst. 截至2019年7月，中国已有55项世界文化和自然遗产列入《世界遗产名录》，其中世界文化遗产37项、世界文化与自然双重遗产4项、世界自然遗产14项。 中国世界自然遗产名单内，武陵源风景名胜区、九寨沟风景名胜区、黄龙风景名胜区、三江并流国家公园、四川大熊猫栖息地、三清山、中国南方喀斯特等均排在前列。

The history of tea dates back to ancient China almost 5,000 years ago. The way tea is pronounced is split into two main groups, either “te” or “cha”. For example, “tea” in English, “thee” in Dutch, “te-neer” in Tamil…and “chai” in Hindi, “chay” in Persian, “shay” in Arabic… How did this come divergence in pronunciation come about? It is believed that the difference in the pronunciation of tea in the local dialects was passed on along with different routes tea was exported. “Cha” is exported across land, along the Silk Road throughout Central Asia, while “te” was exported across the water by Dutch traders bringing the novel leaves back to …

Why is tea called “te” and “cha” in different languages? もっと読む »

Revered martial art superstar Bruce Lee famously described Kung Fu in the following: empty your minds, be formless, shapeless, like water. now you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. you put it into a bottle, it becomes the bottle. you put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. water can flow, or it can crash. Be water, my friend. The impression that “everyone in China knows Kung Fu” comes from pop culture. In Hong Kong action movies Chinese people are always shown to know Kung Fu or are flying through the air all the time. Jet Li, who is also known for his lightning fast moves …

Do all Chinese know Kung Fu? もっと読む »

The history of Chinese calligraphy is as long as the Chinese script has been in use. Since the invention of the script on the oracle bones, Chinese calligraphy has gone through stages of development, from the seal script to the official script, cursive script, regular script, and running script. The ten most profound calligraphers in Chinese history are Wang Xizhi, Yan Zhenqing, Ouyang Xun, Zhang Xu, Mi Fu, Liu Gongquan, Su Shi, Zhao Mengfu, Zhong Yao, and Wen Zhengming. Calligraphy is a systematic form of aesthetic that encompasses all kinds of fonts, both ancient and modern that are visually pleasing. Chinese traditional characters are the doppelgängers of the simplified characters. …

When did Chinese calligraphy come into form? もっと読む »