Author: Greta

niangao in the south, dumplings in the north, and good fortune all over

altar hz photo

New Year’s altar, with red paper wishes for blessings, gold ingots, Taoist immortals
and fruits of prosperity

Last evening was the chuxi (除夕), the Eve of Chinese New Year. Families gather from all corners of the country to feast and see the old year out together. Chances are there will be a bit of chaos too, made up of a crescendo of fireworks, kids begging indiscriminately for a hong bao filled with money, and the ever present CCTV New Year’s Eve Gala, probably watched by at least 700 million viewers.

Many foods will be present at the table, filled with meaning and wishes for the new year. In the south, sticky rice cake and sweet tangerines are popular. The name of the rice cake (黏糕 nian gao) sounds like 年高 nian gao, each year higher and higher aspirations. Juzi tangerines are found on topiaries decorated with ribbon and red envelopes, common around Guangdong province as the name sounds like luck (吉) in the Teochow dialect of the eastern part of the province.

Northerners are partial to dumplings, and make them by the dozens in a small slipper shape, which looks like the ancient silver currency, the sycee or ingot, another popular symbolic decoration. These get gobbled up at midnight with wishes for a prosperous new year. They might also serve long, uncut noodles, symbolizing longevity, the 寿面 shou mian a common feature at any birthday feast.

Xi’an has some of the longest, widest and tastiest noodles of all. Ring in the New year of the Horse with China Tea Leaves Xian, and stay with us to hear more stories surrounding Chinese New Year and how China Tea Leaves finds themselves this Spring Festival in Hangzhou, home of Bai Suzhen, ancient temples, secluded pavilions, and the heavenly West Lake.

traces of the golden tang

tang horse IMG_5619

Tang dynasty three-color ceramic horse at the Shaanxi History Museum, Xi’an

Centuries before the Forbidden City and Beijing were the center of China, there was the fantastic city of Chang’an (长安, the City of Eternal Peace), capital of the Tang dynasty (618 to 907 AD) at the site of today’s Xi’an. Still known as the golden period of China’s history, the Tang dynasty was affluent, artistic, worldly and open. Its arts, language, merchants and religion reached Japan and Korea, Central Asia, and even influenced culture in Europe. Chang’an was one of the biggest cities of the pre-modern world, with nearly two million people. The dynasty eventually grew weak and fell apart in 907, but traces of the era and its grand capital can still be found in modern Xi’an.

From remnants of the massive city wall and an imperial palace four times the size of the Forbidden City, to Buddhist pagodas that still stand today and gardens where you can relive the glory of the Tang, you can find China’s golden days very much alive in Xi’an. If you’re a fan of Chinese poetry and classic literature, Xi’an is a must-visit, as many of the greatest poets spent some time in Tang Chang’an. Imperial tombs, classical artwork, music and dance all keep the Tang dynasty alive in Xi’an.

Download China Tea Leaves 西安 Xi’an when the Year of the Horse arrives (4 days left!) and learn how you can discover one of the greatest cities in history.

马上有 china tea leaves xi’an

IMG_5885

The last red lanterns have been hung, the tangerine trees are out, the train tickets are bought. Soon it will be Chinese New Year, and China Tea Leaves 西安 Xi’an will be released.

We will be counting down these last few days until Chinese New Year on January 31 by looking at a few more treasures Xi’an has to offer, and some of the symbols and traditions of Chinese New Year.

Come back everyday this week to learn about Xi’an and to get ready for the most joyous holiday of the year in China!

spring festival is on its way

lanterns stringing

Spring Festival (春节 chūnjié), or Chinese New Year, is fast approaching on January 31. If you’re in China, this means kids are already out of school, department stores are fully decorated with red lanterns and budding trees, shoppers stock up on gift baskets, fruits, and baijiu, the classic white liqueur, and everybody’s already a little bit on vacation, mentally anyway. The preparations really kick up a notch starting today, the beginning of the xiaonian, (小年), the final week before the new year.

If you are in China before or during the Chinese New Year, you will enjoy a festive mood and be able to join in the special preparations and celebrations. Here are a few unique events and festivals you can experience before, during, and after the start of the new year.

茶 Make niangao (sticky new year cake) and dumplings at a traditional folk fair in Tangqi Ancient Village outside of Hangzhou.

茶 Visit the temples of Shanghai to ring the monumental bells for luck and pray for an auspicious year.

茶 Wrap up your Spring Festival at the Lantern Festival, the fifteenth day of the New Year, at Tang Paradise in Xi’an, and take a special walk around the City Wall to enjoy the brightly lit lanterns, towers, and rooftops.

The seven-day official holiday will start on January 31, but, like Christmas or New Year’s in the west, family celebrations really begin with the happy time anticipating the holiday and getting ready. This Year of the Horse (马年 mǎ nián) we say with special excitement, 马上春节回家！(Mǎshàng chūnjié huíjiā) – Very soon Spring Festival will return to our home!

Check back next week as we get ready for the New Year and the release of China Tea Leaves 西安 Xi’an!

 

 

a wall with gates to the past

IMG_5928

Xi’an’s second best known treasure, after the Terra Cotta Warriors, is its intact city wall. Most of the structure dates to the Ming dynasty, but stretches of its foundations were part of the great Tang dynasty (618-907) fortification. The golden period of the Tang based its capital here, named Chang’an (长安). After the end of the empire, the capital later moved to Beijing, and the first Ming emperor built Xi’an’s current walls in the late 14th century.

IMG_5921

The city walls that remain today measure about 2.8 miles east to west by 1.6 miles north to south. It is popular to walk or ride bikes along the top of the wall or the whole perimeter. Pass through one of the majestic entry gates and gaze over dozens of watch towers, and you will have no doubt you are in an imperial city.

In China Tea Leaves 西安 Xi’an we’ll explore the city wall and unique landmarks that still exist inside. Check it out on January 30!

xi’an’s noble steeds in the year of the horse

IMG_5682

2014, Year of the Horse, will mark the 40th anniversary of one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the past century, Xi’an’s Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses.

The thousands of Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses symbolically protect the tomb of the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang (秦始皇). There may be no more famous horses in all of China’s five thousand years of history.

IMG_5855

Horses served the emperor in life and symbol as much as his loyal soldiers, and so they make up an important part of his necropolis. Here you can see terra cotta horses in formation with the warriors, and pulling bronze chariots. The life-size terra cotta horses stand ready to march, strong in stature, with finely groomed manes and tails. In a separate area close to the emperor’s tomb mound, bronze chariots and teams of horses were found, painted white and decorated with fine metals and ornate bridles. The Qin dynasty even created special stone armor for their noble steeds entering battle, also seen at the museum.

Read more about Xi’an this month, and this Chinese New Year, January 31, download China Tea Leaves 西安 Xi’an to learn more about the Terra Cotta Warriors and plan your trip for the Year of the Horse!

saddle up for the year of the horse

IMG_4116

2014 is off to a start, and at the end of the month, we will welcome the Year of the Horse (马年 ma nian). In the Chinese Zodiac cycle, the Horse is full of energy and ready to go, making this new year an auspicious time to travel. And what better place to see this Year of the Horse than the Middle Kingdom?

That’s why we’re happy to announce the release of China Tea Leaves 西安 Xi’an on iBooks this Chinese New Year. Xi’an is one of the four ancient capitals of China, home to the Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses, and the center of a region with a history as fascinating and complex as ancient Rome.

We’ll be exploring this city’s treasures in the few weeks leading up to Chinese New Year on January 31, so check back often for tidbits about Xi’an’s dynastic past, its rich cultural crossroads, and the best dishes in Xi’an worth crossing a continent for.

Kick off your new year and travel the world with China Tea Leaves! Fully interactive and illustrated, with vivid cultural insights and locations hand-picked by China-based expats, our guides share the rich history and traditions of this amazing place.

where to say goodbye to the year of the snake

IMG_1205

On January 30 we will say goodbye to the Year of the Snake, and welcome the Year of the Horse. Snakes in China have a bit of a bad reputation—a lowly creature, overshadowed by its popular relative, the Dragon. But a few snakes are also some of the most intriguing characters in Chinese folklore. Here are some special places in China to ring out the old year and celebrate these Snakes one last time.

IMG_2404

One beloved snake is Lady White Snake (白娘子 bai niangzi) or Bai Suzhen (白素贞), the heroine of one of the most famous legends in China. Her story takes place around the beautiful West Lake in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. Visit the Broken Bridge, where she first met her love, Xu Xian, and climb the Leifeng Pagoda, where legend holds she is trapped for eternity.

To read more about the visions of West Lake and the full story of Bai Suzhen, download China Tea Leaves 杭州 Hangzhou today!

IMG_5641

Another interesting snake in Chinese culture is Nüwa, who was the daughter of the Jade Emperor and in some ancient myths created animals and humans from clay. She and her husband Fuxi were both snakes, as shown in this panel from the Shaanxi History Museum in Xi’an. A local legend says that Lishan, or Black Horse Mountain near the site of the Terra Cotta Warriors in Xi’an, was where Nüwa repaired the Wall of Heaven after a flood caused by a quarrel between the gods.

Check back soon as we get ready to welcome the Year of the Horse, and find out more about our upcoming release of China Tea Leaves 西安 Xi’an!

photo of the day

IMG_5484

Dragon relief at the Daci’en Temple in Xi’an, Shaanxi province. The Daci’en Temple (大慈恩寺 Temple of Great Mercy and Kindness) holds the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, an important Tang dynasty Buddhist site in China.