The Beijinger Blog - Chinese Culture

Literary with a Capital M: Festival Tickets on Sale Now

thebeijinger — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 10:00:00 +0800

Tickets went on sale yesterday for Capital M’s Literary Festival. The restaurant’s fortnight of talks on writing, food and travel begins on February 25, which also serves as the unofficial kick-off date for Beijing’s book-based festival season. Here's a rundown of what to expect, where to purchase tickets, and the novelists, journalists, memoirists and adventurers who will be showcased at the Capital M Literary festival.

Chinese New Year By the Numbers!

thebeijinger — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0800

What do fireworks, great action movies, fruit wrapped in baskets, fancy envelopes, new clothing and people getting fat have in common? You guessed it, they’re all things you see during Chinese New Year! As this year’s chunyun comes to a close, let’s take a minute and look back on some of the impressive figures that were rung up during the CNY period.

It’s Not Demolition, It’s Restoration

thebeijinger — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:00:00 +0800

If the Drum and Bell Tower area were a person, they’d be a skittish, elderly worker constantly worrying about whether or not they will be fired. "Surely seniority counts for something?" they fret.

Well, after years of will-they-won’t-they debate about demolishing the hutongs that surround the towers, it looks like the pink slip is finally in the mail.

One More For the Road: Chinese Gala Sing-Along Songs

thebeijinger — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0800

We’ve already got a glimpse of Warren Buffet and Shaquille O’Neil on China’s New Year’s gala but they aren’t the only international acts that graced the stage. While Buffet’s song choice probably confused Chinese and foreigners alike, the next song set is full of KTV-worthy tunes just waiting to be sung along to.

Art Attack: 10,000 Kuai for Your Photo, On Han Han, and China’s Oscar Fail

thebeijinger — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0800

We’re still waiting for things to get back into full swing around here, but that means you have some time to: 1) take some photos to try and win a month or two’s rent money, 2) catch up on web news like the accusations of Han Han not being a real writer and China getting snubbed at the Oscars, and 3) sleep. If you don’t like those ideas, you can get your fill of more movie screenings, and aspiring thespians: don’t miss a workshop teaching you how to audition for the stage.

To Savor Later: Sensational Sino-Slideshows

thebeijinger — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0800

It's been a while since we told you to savor anything. To ease you back into it, we've ramped up the visuals. We promise to point you to some great long-form journalism next time, but for now, here's a set of China-related slideshows to feast your peepers on.

Galas Galore: The Best of the Rest

thebeijinger — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0800

If you thought that CCTV held the monopoly on kitschy Spring Festival song and dance numbers, think again. During the days around and on Chinese New Year’s Eve, most major television stations host their own seasonal gala. From Beijing to Hunan, we’ve got Shaq doing kung fu, a “funny magic show” in Guangxi and we even found a rogue presenter.

Gala Gigs: The Acts You Missed on Chinese New Year

thebeijinger — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:00:00 +0800

If you were out with friends on Chinese New Year’s Eve, you probably missed out on watching the five-hour Spring Festival Gala. The CCTV variety show regularly gets mixed reviews from Chinese viewers, and this year was no different. Nearly half of the viewers polled were underwhelmed by the acts. For your sake, then, we've whittled the show down to some of its more memorable highlights, from Warren Buffet on the ukulele to audience reactions to straight-up drag.

Wokipedia: V is for …

thebeijinger — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0800

“Wokipedia” is a regular magazine column in which we introduce aspects of Chinese gastronomy, one letter at a time.

… vegetarian 素食
Arguably, being vegetarian in China is actually quite easy. With an established religion (Buddhism) paving the way for traditional vegetarian temple cooking and the prevalence of tofu, there are quite a number of options for the meat-averse. If you’re looking to eat out, try places like the Veggie Table, Pure Lotus, Vegan Hut and Cai An Xin.

Dashan: Is It Time to Stop Hating Him Already?

thebeijinger — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0800

Expats can breathe a sigh of relief. The list of performers for tonight's CCTV Spring Festival Gala has been announced, and Dashan is not among them.

If you own a TV, like to watch Mandarin teaching shows and/or have spent any time at all in China, it is very unlikely that you've never come across the name Dashan (the name means “Big Mountain” in Chinese). The Canadian became an instant hit back in 1988 when he first showcased his Mandarin fluency during the CCTV Spring Festival Gala. Since then, he's become such a sensation that most can't imagine him having a real name. (By the way, he does – it's Mark Roswell.)

Dashan is adored by the Chinese but hated by many Chinese-language learners. Let’s take a second to remind ourselves why: