Photo: This flyer found at a local temple indicates that dogs, 25-year-old dragons, 34-year-old goats, and 16- and 52-year-old ox could have a rough time in 2012. Yesterday I posted the legend of how Chinese New Year came to be. As the year of the dragon approaches, I’ll share another folk tale I heard […]
China
Seeing Red: A Chinese New Year Tale
It was wonderful to return from three weeks in the US to the explosion of red and gold decorations around Singapore. These two colors represent luck and prosperity and are a must for the upcoming Chinese New Year holiday. In addition to the usual decorations – paper cut outs, couplets, and firecrackers – one may […]
Beijing’s Lamp Market: From AK-47s to horses
Lately I’ve been missing some of the quirkier aspects of living in Beijing, for example, the city’s vast lamp market, which was housed in three football-field-sized warehouses. There were lamps that I would buy for my home, to be sure, but of course the more interesting were those made depicting life-sized horses, AK-47s and human body parts. […]