Our weekly cultural post
[Author: Matilde Spanò] Dream of the Red Chamber (红楼梦, Hóng lóu mèng), is one of the 18th century China’s most celebrated classical novels written by Cao Xueqin, and considered as one of the “Four Great Classical Novels” of Chinese literature. The novel is a masterpiece not only because of its Read more…
[Author: Luois Yu-Garambois] Fan Zhendong is a 27-year-old (born 1997) professional Chinese table tennis player. He is currently ranked 2nd in the world, having already led the ITTF World Rankings in previous years. His nickname in Chinese is ‘Xiao Pang’ (or ‘Little Fatty’). Coming into the 2024 Paris Olympics, Fan Read more…
[Author: Ni Jianhao] As the US presidential election gradually closes in, and at the time of publishing may have already concluded, we explore the consequences of a US presidential race that has already captured the world’s attention. Will a return of Trump to the White House further destabilize the already Read more…
Authors: Basile Theaud, Christine Yu The “Great Sichuan earthquake”, also known as “Wenchuan earthquake”, happened on 12th May 2008 in the #Sichuan province. The #magnitude of the earthquake was 8.0 and over 69,000 people lost their lives, the deadliest #earthquake in China since 1976 (242,000 dead) and the strongest since Read more…
Author: Lucy Dong Bian Lian 变脸 (‘Face Changing’) is an ancient Chinese dramatic art originated in the 1930s. It is typical of the more general Sichuan opera which, instead, dates back to 1700. Bian Lian is a romantic method to reveal the inner thoughts and feelings of the characters in Read more…
Author: Yao Tong The earliest documented evidence of Chinese culture has existed since around 2070 BC and, with it, a rich history of music has developed. Here are some of the most unique Chinese musical instruments. Guzheng | 古筝 The Guzheng, also known as the Chinese zither, is a plucked Read more…
Authors: Silvia Gramegna, Federico Alessandro Musso Confucianism is an ancient Chinese philosophy, religion, and secular morality, it is a way of life that follows Confucius’s teachings dating back to the V century BCE. Given the humanistic focus of Confucianism, emphasis is put on the role of the family and social Read more…
Author: Matteo Weijian Hu Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has evolved over thousands of years. People who practice TCM often use various approaches such as acupuncture and tai chi, as well as herbal products to address health problems. Some of these methods date back at least 2,200 years. Here are some Read more…
Author: Diandian Jiang Qingming (清明节 Qīng míng jié), or Ching Ming, is a traditional Chinese festival celebrated on the first day of the fifth lunar month (between April 4 and 6 every year) which, according to the lunar calendar, is the day spring will return to most parts of China. Read more…
Author: Alessandro Zhuohao Hu Have you ever wondered how the ancient Chinese performed calculations in their daily life? When neither calculators nor computers existed, merchants and shopkeepers performed mathematical operations, such as calculating costs, using the so-called 珠算 (zhūsuàn) method, a traditional method of performing mathematical calculations through 算盘 (suànpán), Read more…