China's Fashion

I feel that China has pretty good fashion sense. There are many fashion brands from China that is famous within China. Let me list out a few of them: Meters/bonwe, Me & City, Lining, The Thing and many more.

Lining

Lining is a famous brand from China worldwide. Lining is a leading sportswear brand in China so it’s simple with all the sportswear needs. The prices of Lining sportswear are also less dear than Nike or Adidas.

Meters/bonwe

Meters/bonwe is a casualwear brand that targets the teen to mid twenties market. There are many very garish pieces that can be spotted in the street teamed with leopard print leggings, pantyhose and open toed sandals.

While some items do scream accidental Chinese hipster after a short rummage you can find all the key trends of the season. Imagine it a bit like H&M’s style, quality and pricing.

China Fashion Week

I have also found out that there is a fashion event that will be held in Beijing, China every new season.  China Fashion Week was founded in 1997 and is still continuing until now. During the fashion event, they do not only invite Chinese designers but also different designers from all over the world. In the year 2012, it was a very interesting theme (Tang Jing) as it brought out the attire from the Tang Dynasty, merging the past and modern fashion together. It combined the past with the present to feature traditional Chinese embroidery and replicas of attire from the Tang Dynasty blended with modern Haute Couture designs. Models showed off a wide range of long gowns in bright colors, some using techniques and styles often seen in the Tang Dynasty, AD 618 to AD 907, from NE TIGER, China's oldest luxury brand. Other past beauty themes included mythical creatures and Victorian goddesses with matching 3D makeup.

In conclusion, China's fashion is very interesting and unique.

Shang Hai n Yang Zhou food

Yang Zhou
1. Steamed chicken over bamboo leaves

Steamed Chicken over Bamboo leaves is a representative dish of Yangzhou Cuisine, which enjoys great reputation both home and abroad. Stamped with brilliant outlook, amazing bamboo aroma and wonderful taste, it has become a must-order dish when dining in Yangzhou.

Usually chefs in Yangzhou restaurants will wrap chicken nuggets and some dried mushrooms with bamboo leaves then steam them together. When put them into the plate, cooks will also add some cherries to beautify the dish. By now an exquisite plate of steamed chicken over bamboo leaves has finished.

2. Steamed Pig's Head

Steamed Pig's Head, however, was not allowed to eat in ancient times, as it was served as a sacrifice in the worship of ancestors. Later, it gradually became a major course mainly served in banquets. Steamed Pig's Head is ranked among the top "three heads" in Jiangsu Cuisine with the other two to be Braised Silver Carp Head and Shi Zi Tou(minced pork ball).

So as to make the heads clean enough, cooks usually spend a long time to remove all the hair and other dirties. Therefore, you need not worry about the sanitary problem. It is reputable for the best characteristics of glamor appearance, fat but not greasy, tender and sweet along with the pleasant aroma, making you love it as soon as you see it.

Sichuan, Shandong and Cantonese Cuisine. It is featured with light, tasty as well as aromatic.

3. Yang Zhou Fried Rice

Yangzhou, or "Yeung Chow" egg-fried rice is said to be originated from the "broken gold rice" favoured by Yang Su, Duke of the Yue in the Sui Dynasty. When Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty visited Jiangdu (now Yangzhou), he introduced egg-fried rice to Yangzhou. After innovations of chefs of various dynasties, the food has been developed into one of the famous foods with Huaiyang flavour featuring the characteristics of Huaiyang cuisine of careful material selection, precise cooking, stressing the importance of colour and authentic taste. Today, Yangzhou egg-fried rice is a household name in many countries worldwide. According to some foreign friends, many foreigners like eating egg-fried rice; but they have no idea about what Yangzhou is. In their minds, Yangzhou is not a name of a city, but the way of cooking rice.

Yangzhou fried rice boasts abundant varieties such as "gold wrapping silver," and fried rice with meat and vegetables.

"Gold wrapping silver" means that the rice is covered by golden egg. To make "gold wrapping silver" rice, first fry the rice in the pot and then cover the rice with egg. After cooked, the exterior is golden while the rice inside is white.

Fried rice with meat and vegetables is the most typical variety of Yangzhou fried rice. It consists of a lot of supporting materials such as eggs, sea cucumbers, ham, string beans, prawn flesh, pork fillet, fragrance mushroom, bamboo shoots and chopped shallot. Eggs are fried first and then other ingredients are cooked with clear sauce and salt. The rice should be fried evenly without burning spots. After that, a half of the cooked egg and other ingredients are mixed with the rice. Then, two-thirds of the mixed ingredients should be placed on a plate, while the rest should be mixed with the rice, which is served over the mixed plate. It is a feast for the palate and the eyes.

Shanghai

Xiaolongbao 小笼包, the soup-filled dumplings Shanghai is famous for, are a miracle of creation and construction - seemingly delicate, semi-transparent dumpling skins are wrapped and neatly pleated around an aromatic filling of pork and a mouthful of hot savory broth. 

The pork filling, seasoned with a little ginger and shaoxing wine, is mixed with gelatinized pork stock that melts on cooking, transforming into a delicious soup. The addition of crab meat and crab roe from the famous Shanghai hairy crab makes for a rich but equally traditional xiaolongbao.

Many wonder how liquid soup manages to get inside a hand-wrapped dumpling. Is it somehow scooped inside as the dumpling is wrapped? Or is it injected using a syringe? The secret, of course, is that the soup is actually a solid at room temperature, melting into a liquid only when the dumplings are steamed at high heat. The soup is essentially a flavoured pork stock or aspic, made with pork skin, chicken bones, ginger, scallions and shaoxing wine, simmered for hours and hours then cooled at room temperature until it sets. Every kitchen has their own secret recipe because the quality of the soup is paramount in a good xiaolongbao.

The word xiăolóngbāo 小笼包 literally means 'small steamer basket buns' and is the most commonly used name for these dumplings. More traditional restaurants may also use the term tāngbāo 汤包, meaning soup dumpling. The only accompaniment needed for xiaolongbao is dark Zhejiang vinegar, although a bowl of clear soup is often eaten alongside.

When you taste a xiaolongbao, the skin or wrapper should be fine and translucent yet strong enough not to break when lifted out of the basket. The meat should be fresh tasting, smooth and savory. Lastly, the all-important soup should be hot, clear, and fragrant of pork. Enjoy!

Reflection ( 7 ) ShangHai folk

folk

  (fōk)

n. pl.  folk or folks

1.

a. The common people of a society or region considered as the representatives of atraditional way of life and especially as the originators or carriers of the customs, beliefs,and arts that make up a distinctive culture: a leader who came from the folk.

b. Archaic A nation; a people.

2. folks Informal People in general: Folks around here are very friendly.

Usually, people think that folks refer to elderly or old people. But, from definition 2 folks mean people in general. 

ShangHai

1. Angelababy [ 杨颖 ］

    - is a Chinese model, actress, and singer, a quarter of German descent, based in Hong Kong. 

2. Feng Shaofeng [ 冯绍峰 ]

    - is a Chinese actor. He is currently an artist under the management of Huayi Brothers.

4. Sun Li [ 孙俪 ]

    -  is a Chinese actress. She's been hailed by critics and netizens as China's queen of television.

5. Hu Ge [ 胡歌 ]

    - is a Chinese actor and singer

6. Ryan Cheng [ 郑恺 ] 

    - is a Chinese actor and television personality. He is currently a cast member in the variety show Hurry Up, Brother.

Yangzhou
1. Jiang Ze Min
   -  is a retired Chinese politician who served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of China from 1989 to 2002, as Chairman of the Central Military Commission from 1989 to 2004
min was the president of China from 1993-2003

2. Wang Shao Tāng (1889 - 1968 )
    -  a famous story teller

I realize that ShangHai have more famous folk than Yangzhou.

Differences between CHINA YOUTH CULTURE n SINGAPORE YOUTH CULTURE

Dance 

Firstly, the impression we have about China is traditional and conventional. What gives us this impression? China's history [ dynasties eg. Qing, Ming, Tang ], structure [ palaces, Great Wall of china ], elderly... Not only those, China's dance is also a special. Even though people thinking about WuShu is only an elderly dance, I think their youth also perform WuShu as a form to show their culture. 

Singapore is modernize and westernize country. Youth usually shop and hang out with our friends, our life is very causal. Our dance has different type modern dance or international dance, inclusive of Indian, Malay, Chinese dance. 

Thus, China's WuShu is traditional while Singapore's dance is modernize.

Social Media 

Social media is widely use, but in China they have restriction to some websites life Facebook and Google. However, China uses QQ allowing them to Instant Messaging.

Singapore youth are describe as “低头族” as we always look at our digital devises. We are twenty four seven on our devises, even in the toilets. 

School 

China is very strict and the strong competition make the study environment in order. 

In Singapore, it seems that we are busy with school life, study, CCA and homework. It is true we are busy, but our study life is not as tense. For example. During morning assembly, we will have small chats among ourselves instead of standing up straight silently. 

👆🏻 these are the differences between CHINA YOUTH CULTURE n SINGAPORE YOUTH CULTURE :)

CID reflection 7- Festivals in China

                        My group's impression of China's culture.

Researching about the festivals in China really caused me to gain some insight into what festivals the Chinese celebrate in China. Initially, I thought that the festivals that the Chinese celebrate in Singapore would be the same as to the festivals the Chinese celebrate in China. However, I was wrong. While there are festivals in China that we also celebrate in Singapore such as - Chinese New Year, dragon boat festival and mid autumn festival, there are also festivals that China celebrate but Chinese in Singapore don't. For example, Chinese in China celebrate winter solstice, double seventh festival, laba festival and the chongyang festival. These are the festivals that we do not celebrate in Singapore. I researched and found out more about the festivals that I mentioned above. 

Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year, also known as the spring festival,  is widely celebrated in China, and is the most popular festival in China. It is a time for families to be together. Wherever they are, people come home to celebrate the festival with their families.

The New Year's Eve dinner is called Reunion Dinner, and is believed to be the most important meal of the year. Big families – families of several generations sit around round tables and enjoy the food and time together. 

There are many cultural activities that occur during the festival. Rural areas and small towns retain more traditional celebrations, such as setting off firecrackers, ancestor worship, and dragon dances. Setting off firecrackers and fireworks are common during the Spring Festival season all over China.

Dragon boat festival 

Dragon Boat Festival, as known as Duanwu Festival, is a traditional and statutory holiday in China, occurring on the 5th day of the 5th month of China’s lunar calendar. The Chinese will have a day off that day.

The main customs of the celebration include eating rice dumplings zòngzi, hanging calamus, Chinese mugwort, smoked herbs, and Chinese Angelica ; drinking Realgar wine , and racing dragon boats. Dragon boat racing is the most popular traditon.

Mid autumn festival 

The Mid-autumn festival is the second most important festival after the Spring Festival to Chinese people. Every year, when the festival comes people go home from every corner of the country and the world to meet their family and have dinner with them, admire the full moon and eat mooncakes. Chinese people will have a three-day holiday from September 6 to 8 during this festival.

Chinese people believe a full moon is a symbol of peace, prosperity, and family reunion. On Mid-Autumn Festival night the moon is supposed to be the brightest and fullest, which is why the festival is also known as the"Day of Reunion" and the "Moon Festival"

Winter solstice 

I found this festival to be the most interesting, as i find that the name of the festival is very majestic, mysterious and wonderful. The Winter Solstice usually falls around December 21, and more often refers in particular to the day when the sun is exactly at the celestial longitude of 270°. It marks the longest night and the shortest day in the northern hemisphere. In China, the Winter Solstice was originally celebrated as an end-of-harvest festival. Today, it is observed with a family reunion over the long night, and pink and white tangyuan are eaten in sweet broth to symbolize family unity and prosperity. 

Double seventh festival

Falling on the seventh day of seventh lunar month, the Double Seventh Festival in China is what Valentine's Day to the western countries. As it is a day of great importance to girls, the event is also called Young Girls' Festival. Because of the beautiful legend about Niu Lang and Zhi Nu, the festival has been endowed with the meaning of great romance. The story of Niu Lang and Zhi Nu is bittersweet, as the legend of Zhi Nu and Niu Lang ended with Zhi Nu only being allowed to see Niu Lang on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month every year, thus giving the festival the name, "double seventh festival".

Chongyang festival

Held on the 9th day of the 9th lunar month, Chongyang Festival is also called Double Ninth Festival. In Chinese, nine is regarded as the number of Yang (which means masculine as opposed to Yin which is feminine). The ninth day of the ninth month is the day that has two Yang numbers, and 'chong' in Chinese means double which is how the name Chongyang was created. It is a day for people to eat Chongyang cake, drink chrysanthemum wine, climb mountains, and pay homage to chrysanthemums. During the festival, Chongyang cake and chrysanthemum wine is the traditional cuisine. Climbing mountains and admiring beautiful chrysanthemums are interesting events that add to the festival creating a joyous atmosphere.

Laba festival ( rice porridge festival)

Falling on the eighth day of the 12th lunar month, Laba Festival was originally an occasion for people to give sacrifices to their ancestors, and to pray to heaven and earth for a good harvest and good luck for the family. Many years later, it has become a Laba Congee eating event - a porridge that contains different types of rice, beans, dried nuts, bean curd, and meat.After hours of boiling, the porridge is offered as a sacrifice to the ancestors and is presented to friends before noon. Family members eat Laba Porridge together and leave some, symbolizing a good harvest next year. Some kind people hand out the porridge to the poor to show their pity. And in some regions people believe that pasting porridge on the flowers and fruit trees indicates the blossom of flowers and good fruition.

These are the festivals which are widely celebrated in China, and I found all the festivals interesting, as they all have legends and stories behind them. Some of the festivals that are celebrated in China are also celebrated in Singapore, while the others are not. I learnt a lot from researching about the festivals that are celebrated in China but not in Singapore. 

☾ Festivals In China

There are many festivals celebrated in China, as festivals are a very important part of China's culture. I will be researching on some different festivals celebrated in China.

• Chinese New Year, or 春节, is the most widely known festival celebrated by most people in China. According to Wikipedia, CNY is an important Chinese festival celebrated at the turn of the Chinese calendar. It is considered a major holiday for the Chinese. Within China, regional and customs concerning the celebration of CNY vary greatly. However, most often, during CNY, it is a custom for Chinese families to gather for the annual reunion dinner. Many Chinese families also engage in spring cleaning, which they believe will sweep away the bad luck from the previous year, as it will be a new year, a fresh start for them. Windows and doors will be decorated with red-coloured paper-cuts and couplets, as red is a colour representing prosperity and good fortune to the Chinese. Other customs include lighting firecrackers and giving money in red-packets. 

• The Lantern Festival has been of great significance since the Western Han Dynasty. During the Lantern Festival, children go out at night to temples carrying paper lanterns and solve riddles on the lanterns, also known as 猜灯谜. These lanterns symbolise people letting go of their past selves and having a fresh start. The lanterns are mostly red to symbolise good fortune as well. In Hong Kong, the Lantern Festival is commercialised as the Chinese equivalent of Valentine's Day. It is not to be confused with the Mid-Autumn Festival, which is sometimes known as the Lantern Festival in Singapore and Malaysia. 

• The Qingming Festival is also known as Tomb-Sweeping Day. Its name in Chinese suggests a time for people to go outside and enjoy the greenery of springtime, also known as 踏青 in Chinese. However, it is mostly noted for the connection with the tending of family graves. However, I'm not sure why this occasion is a celebrated festival. 

• The Duanwu Festival is also known as the Dragon Boat Festival. Ways of celebrating this festival is to eat 粽子, which are sticky rice treats wrapped in bamboo leaves, and drinking realgar wine, also known as 雄黃酒, as well as racing dragon boats. 

• The Qixi Festival, known as 七夕, is a Chinese festival that celebrates the annual meeting of the cowherd and the weaver girl in Chinese mythology. It is also widely known as the Chinese Valentine's Day. The festival originated from 织女 and 牛郎, who were the weaver girl and cowherd, respectively. 

• The Ghost Festival, also 中元节, is a traditional Chinese festival in which ghosts and spirits, including those of deceased ancestors, come out from the "lower realm". On that day, Taoists and Buddhists will perform rituals to to transmute and absolve the sufferings of the deceased. Activities during the Ghost Festival include preparing ritualistic food offerings, burning incense, and burning joss paper. Elaborate meals, frequently vegetarian, would be served with empty seats for each of the deceased in the family, treated as if they were still living, and to show respect to their deceased family members. Other ways of celebrating this festival include releasing miniature boats and paper lanterns on water, signifying giving directions to the lost ghosts and spirits of the ancestors or deities. 

• The Mid-Autumn Festival is known as 中秋节. It celebrates gathering of the family, giving thanks and praying for various things, such as for babies, longevity, or for a good future. Brightly lit lanterns are carried around and moon cakes are made and shared. The senior person in that household would cut the moon cake into pieces and distribute them to the family members, signifying family reunion. 

• Another celebrated festival is the Laba Festival, also known as 腊八节. It is customary on that day to eat Laba congee and Laba garlic. This festival is used to commemorate the Gautama Buddha's enlightenment at age 35. 

THANK YOU FOR READING! (: 

Is Merlion the best icon to represent Singapore?

Is Merlion the best icon to represent Singapore?
I disagree that Merlion is the best icon to represent Singapore. I feel that they are many more icons to represent Singapore. For example, Sentosa, the Singapore Flyer, Esplanade and Marina Bay Sands. I think that icon means something that can represent the country in terms of  things. Although Merlion is very famous and many people visit the Merlion Park when they visit Singapore, I still think that there are other magnificent infrastructures to represent Singapore.
Sentosa is an island in Singapore. There are many attractions there such as Universal Studios Singapore, Adventure Cove and Underwater World. These are the few very famous attractions in Sentosa. Every year, about 20 million people visits Sentosa. This shows that many people visit this place and this place is a good icon to represent Singapore.

Esplanade is also a good representation of Singapore. Esplanade is a 60,000 square metres performing arts centre located in Marina Bay near the mouth of the Singapore River. It is where many famous theatre works are presented in. It is also one of the good icons to represent Singapore.

Singapore Flyer is also another good icon to represent Singapore. The Singapore Flyer is a giant Ferris wheel in Singapore that was built in 2008. Based on  a report in 2014, about 7.3 million people visit the Singapore Flyer annually. 

Therefore, I feel that there are other better icon to represent Singapore. Merlion is not the only icon to represent Singapore best as there are numerous icons to better represent Singapore.