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Traditional Chinese Medicine and Infertility


Although health and healing are the common goals of Traditional Chinese Medicine
(TCM) and allopathic medicine, their ideas on the etiology of disease, disease itself and the process used to regain health are decidedly different. The allopathic physician learns that disease must be cured by prescribing medicine, which kills bacteria or renders a virus ineffective; at times surgical intervention is a necessity.

There is nothing inherently wrong with this approach. It often works. The question worth exploring is why TCM succeeds where allopathic medicine fails? What is the mechanism of action of acupuncture and herbal medicine, which results in palliation or cure that is not manifest in biomedicine?

Though the goal of TCM is to cure a patient, the doctor of TCM attempts to do this not by treating the disease but rather by treating the whole person, taking into account the various attributes of an individual which, when combined, account for an individual being sick or healthy. A person, according to the tenets of TCM is more than their pathology. While treating the pathology may yield impressive results, they are commonly temporary.

A person is not, according to TCM, represented solely by his or her illness, but by the accumulation of every human interaction engaged in from the moment of birth, including the values of and the culture from which the individual develops. The emotional experiences, eating habits, work habits, work and living environment, personal habits and the social milieu are factors that contribute to disease and are factors which, when modified appropriately may lead to regained health.

Though the Western scientific community has not, to date, arrived at a methodology to use in research of Chinese medicine, the veracity and efficaciousness of this medical modality is nonetheless proved by its long history of continued success. More than a quarter of the world's population regularly uses TCM as part of their health care regimen. Chinese medicine is the only form of classical medicine, which is regularly and continuously used outside of its country of origin.

THE FOUR EXAMINATIONS

The 'Four Examinations' is a method of diagnosis which dates back over three thousand years. Observing, Listening and Smelling (Listening and Smelling are counted as one of the Four Examinations), Questioning and Palpating make up the 'Four Examinations'. This method of diagnosis is far from simplistic, allowing the practitioner to arrive at a differential diagnosis.

Each of the "Four Examinations" can take years to master, and while these diagnostic tools are not replacements for that which Western medicine can provide in analyzing and treating disease, they have the ability to offer information which, when understood in the context of TCM, provides additional opportunities in mapping out patterns of disease and arriving at greater treatment success.

The doctor of TCM must approach a patient with a clear and calm mind, without a
preconceived diagnosis and etiology. This mind-set will enable the practitioner to yield clinical gems which are clues about the individual who sits before us! This is the stuff of TCM.

The subjective, interpretive and objective evidence of an individual obtained via the 'Four Examinations' leads to the discovery of the etiology of disease while concomitantly opening a window to the 'Whole Person", thus revealing where in the individual's life the pathogenesis started and what initiated it. The practitioner of TCM must utilize his own interpretive skills, which takes into consideration what is verbalized by the patient and what is observed, while considering what the patient does not verbalize as well. Often, that which is not said can be as clinically enlightening as the information which is freely provided. The tone of the voice, the complexion, the condition of the eyes (in TCM, the Shen or spirt of an individual is said to be revealed through their eyes. Who can deny the clinical efficacy of this? Is there a different expression revealed through the eyes of a clinically depressed individual than from those of a happy, well adjusted one?), the facial expression, the overall demeanor, how one walks, sits, and stands are all observed and utilized by the doctor of Chinese medicine as part of the information required to arrive at a differential diagnosis. The doctor must be able to note and sense inconsistencies in an individual that are expressed by the patient even without the patient being cognizant of the chasms which exist between what they verbally express and what their spiritual presentation divulges. The sensitivity to and awareness of these human idiosyncrasies enables the TCM doctor to develop an understanding of who the patient is even before the 'main complaint' is discussed.

Proper treatment in TCM is more than the elimination of pathological processes. In addition to attacking a pathological factor(s), it is the responsibility of the TCM doctor to support the individual in his or her goal of achieving overall health which includes aspects of physical-psycho-emotional and spiritual health. This paradigmatic approach is an inexorable part of the process of healing. Without it, we are merely chasing the sickness and forgetting about the patient. With this approach, the patient is seen as a whole person, representing the sum of a lifetime of experiences if you will, not just an embodiment of pathology.

Pathologies are guests (and we hope temporary ones!) in a home which serves as a gracious host - our physical, emotional and spiritual selves. TCM first is concerned with strengthening the immune function which includes homeostasis of the physical, emotional and spiritual attributes of the patient, so as to be able to assist the patient in his or her endeavor to do battle and destroy the enemy at the gates (or inside them). When people are chronically exhausted from lack of sleep resulting from anxiety or depression, they can become chronically sick as a result of a lowered immune system.

In TCM the point of departure from Western medicine is not to view the acute
presentation (called "the branch" in TCM) as primary, but to treat the etiology (called "the root" in TCM) which is the anxiety and depression which causes the insomnia then facilitating exhaustion and lowering the immune function which can lead to chronic illness.

So, rather than prescribing antibiotics repeatedly, we might address the patient's anxiety/depression syndrome or refer them out to a psychotherapist for appropriate intervention while simultaneously providing treatment.

In Part II we'll look at the mechanisms of action in infertility.

The Great Wall of China as some believed originated as a military fortification against intrusion by tribes on the borders during the earlier Zhou Dynasty. In 770-BC-476BC, the ducal states extended the defense work, and built large structures to prevent the attacks from other states. The Great Wall of China was eventually separated during the Qin Dynasty, which preceded the Zhou Dynasty. The Zhao, Qin, and Yan kingdoms were connected to form a defensive system on the northern border of the country of Emperor, Qin Shi Huang. In 214 BC the building of the Great Wall of China was on its way. The Great Wall of China took as long as ten years to build.

The Great Wall of China took hundreds of thousands of laborers working daily beyond human limitations to construct and build. Many persons that did not work were thrown into the foundation trenches starving from hunger and exposure of the earths changing weathers. The Great Wall of China was then called The Longest Cemetery on Earth. Buried beneath its structure were more than 400,000 persons.

The Great Wall was stretched from Linzhao (eastern part of Gansu Province), in the west to Liaodong (Jilin Province) in the east. The Great Wall of China served as both a defense and symbolized the power of the emperor. The Great Wall of China was partly successful in repelling invading Mongol forces more than a century ago.

The Great Wall of China has more than 300 million trees, and its purpose was to serve as a barrier from the dust storms that swept into China from the Gobi Desert and other low-rainfall areas. The Great Wall of China was dubbed This Great Green Wall. During the 50's, the city of Beijing was beset by 10 to 20 dust storms every spring. Visibility was only half a mile for 30 to 90 hours each month. By the 1970's the storms had reduced resulting in greater visibility at less than ten hours per month. The reduction made work easier for the many laborers.

The Great Wall of China towered China's mountains, plunging to the lower valleys, and marching across burning desert plains. Very cold winds coupled with snowstorms, made it very difficult for workers. At the same time raging desert sun and stinging sandstorms oppressed the workers, making their jobs difficult, and often risky.

Today the Great Wall of China is a captivation for tourists around the world.

One day, Tian Di (The God Above) wanted to manage all animals on earth. He took out 12 chairs and told the cat to tell 11 other animals to go to the sky palace.

When the cat told the ox about it, the rat overheard the news. The rat was very angry and he ran as fast as he could to the palace. As a result he got there before the ox. Tian Di then let him sit on the first chair. The ox took the second seat. Then the tiger, the rabbit all came and settled on the chairs. From then onwards, the rat comes the first in the zodiac cycle. The cat was not in the cycle because he went to tell other animals. Ever since, the cat is not in the zodiac cycle.

The truth is that cats are not originated from China but just imported from overseas. That is another reason why cats are not included in the animals zodiac.

In fact, different countries consist of different animals. India has lions whilst Egypt has cats.

In the Chinese animal zodiac, different animals have different characteristics.

• Rat - Though it has nature of stealing. It is smart and has good
• Ox - It is hard-working and ask for little.
• Tiger - It is brave, strong, and is the king of all animals.
• Rabbit - It is cute and loved by children. It runs very fast.
• Dragon - The only imaginary animal. Only kings can be referred to as dragon. After all these years, people have come up with this description of a dragon: deer horn, fish scales, snake body, chicken feet and phoenix tail. And all Chinese people are the offspring of dragon.
• Snake - Also known as little dragon. Snakes are known to be devilish because of its poisonous nature. However, snakes are very useful, particularly its gall bladder, which is a very healthy medicine in China.
• Horse - The fastest running animal. Before people invented vehicles, horses were the only transportation tool.
• Ram - An animal symbolizes submissiveness and good luck.
• Monkey - Clever, like humans. It is often used to describe smart and clever children.
• Cock - Hens are very protective to their chicks.
• Dog - Although dogs are highly respected in the west and loyal to their masters, in China, they are rude and not respectful. Chinese consider them not a cute animal.
• Pig - The last one in the cycle. It is slow and lazy though they are clever.

It is believed that people born in different animal years would carry their characteristics and this would affect the person's life. That is why the year of the dragon is highly favoured since people want their children to be as respectful as a dragon.

It looks like all roads leads to China these days. If you are into business, attending one training course,or taking a vacation , your most likely destination could be one Chinese city or the other. China is fast becoming an ecomnomic powerhouse and with it comes properity and modernization. China is also one of the few places not affected by modern terrorism. So how about taking a visit to china on your next vacation. One of the most beautiful cities in china is shanghai. One thing that strikes one immediately about the city of shanghai is that there are a lot of highrise (skyscraper) buildings. The density of highrise buildings is comparable to that of Newyork city. Shanghai is also one of the most prosperous cities in China. There are interesting places to visit in shanghai. In part one of this article on shanghai I will be writing on the places you can visit while vacationing or doing business in shanghai.

One of the most interesting places to visit in Shanghai, china is the the Bund. It is located in the Huangpu district, in the central part of Shanghai. It is a place you can go and relax with your spouse or girlfriend or even by yourself. It is an open place that overlooks the Huangpu River. This river runs right across the city of Shanghai. On the other side of the Bund is the Oriental Pearl Tower. The tower is about 396 ft high and can be seen clearly from the Bund.

At the Bund, there are relaxation spots where you can sit, take pictures and generally feel the cool breeze from the river. You are sure to find the usual hawkers of various kinds of souvenirs and fake wrist watches of all kinds. If you want you could pay a small amount of yuan (chinese currency)and take a ride on one of the numerous boats that ply the river so that you can have a good view of the Oriental Pearl Tower from the river. One of the interesting things you can do on the Bund is take pictures with your back to the tower. The background is fantastic. You could even use the picture for a postcard.

The oriental pearl tower is another very interesting tourist spot to visit. The tower, when you get close to it, is an achitectural masterpirce and a beauty to behold. It is just like the Eiffel tower in paris. You pay a small amount to enter through the base of the tower where the lift that will take you up is situated. There are three stages of the tower corresponding to three differrent hieghts. The higher you go the more money you pay. I highly recommend going all the way to the top. That is where the best view is. The lifts are high speed lifts that will take you to the top in seconds. This is also a good spot for taking pictures. Two most interesting things about the tower is the view, which is fantastic from the top most spot on the tower. Another is the sourvenirs you can find. This a place to buy gift items of various kinds that depict the city of shanghai. There are restaurants and spots where you can relax to catch your breath,and take pictures.

Another interesting place in Shanghai is the Peoples Square. This is an historic place. It used to be where people go to gather to make speeches. The place is made up of beautiful flowers and scenery.

Very close to the peoples square is one of the most famous shopping street in the whole of china. That is the Nanjin street. It is a street with modern shopping malls comparable to malls like printemp or galarylaffayete in paris. Here you will find all you could ever dream of having. That is if you have the money to pay for it. The prices of items here are government controlled. That is you may not find great differences in prices of items amongst the various shops. But you are free to bargain. Usually with a calculator.There are many peculairities of life in China. Especially for a foreigner. These are things anyone should know before visiting China. Some of these i will be writing about in part two of a "trip to Shanghai China".

Purpose: Expose China Opportunities for Smart Investors

The move by China’s central bank to drop the yuan’s rigid peg to the dollar last week on the day of my return after a three-week trip to Asia left a host of questions unanswered. The basket of currencies that will allegedly determine the value of the yuan going forward was not disclosed. What sort of band the currency will be allowed to fluctuate within is not at all clear. The 2% revaluation in the currency on Thursday followed by a slight strengthening on Friday week may actually encourage further short-term speculation since most economists believe the yuan is undervalued by roughly 10% to 20%. With $1 trillion of trade transactions each year and hot money capital inflows equivalent to 5% of its GDP, the uncertainty concerning the Chinese currency is high.

Not In the Mainland
In the near term, this uncertainty gives investors an opportunity to benefit not just from the expected strengthening of the Chinese currency but the overall rise of Asian currencies against the dollar. In early 2005, I advised clients that the Euro’s rise against the dollar was over and that Asian currencies would be the next area to appreciate versus the dollar. It may turn out that many of your best China investment options don’t involve investing in mainland Chinese companies at all.

Direct Currency Approach
The cleanest direct currency play on the expected rise in the yuan (also referred to as the renminbi) is to open a renminbi currency account at Everbank. A leading online bank ranked “Best of the Web” by Forbes, Everbank offers a variety of world currency accounts as well as FDIC backed three and six month CD’s which offer attractive rates.

Direct iShare Approach
Another direct equity China play is through the China iShare (FXI) that tracks the FTSE/Xianhua China 25 index that is comprised of 25 of the largest and most liquid China names. FTSE is a UK based index company and Xianhua is a China based media company.

All of the 25 stocks included in the China iShare are listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Some of them are incorporated in mainland China (H shares) and some of them are incorporated in Hong Kong (red chips). The total market capitalization of the index is $170 billion. The broadest Xinhua China index includes 1,355 listed companies with a total market cap of $550 billion.

To put this in perspective, the average market capitalization for a company in the S&P Global 100 Index is $70 billion. Again, that’s for one company. The China iShare provides good exposure to three key sectors of China: energy (20%), telcom (19%) and industrial (18%). This concentration can be viewed as a plus or a minus depending on your perspective. For example, some smart investors are placing a bigger bet on China’s consumer markets. The top five companies represent 40% of the index. The annual operating expenses of the China iShare are only 0.74% compared to 2% plus for other alternatives out there including actively managed Asia and greater China region funds. Keep in mind that most of these companies are still largely controlled and owned by the Chinese government.

Indirect Approach
The best way to invest in China may be through more indirect vehicles that benefit from Chinese growth and its currency moves. One example of an indirect investment in China is through the Hong Kong iShare (EWH). It has sizable allocations to Hong Kong real estate (33%), utilities (17%) and banking (16%). Having just returned from a trip to Hong Kong, it seems clear to me that real estate markets have a way to go before becoming too pricey. Supply is inflexible and even if prices rise as expected 30% during the next 18 months, price levels will still be about 50% below where they were in 1997. Being the last Asian currency pegged to the dollar should encourage capital inflows. Furthermore, the Hong Kong market has been much more successful than the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges signaling that it will be China’s financial capital for the foreseeable future.

Indirect Currency Play
China’s move last week will also increase pressures for a number of other undervalued Asian currencies to appreciate. To compete with the China export machine, many Asian countries have resisted letting their currencies rise but now they have a bit of room to maneuver. The Malaysian ringgit was released from its peg to the dollar last week and it rose 0.7% the first day. While currency appreciation will somewhat dampen export growth it will also reduce the cost of rising energy import costs and analysts expect the economy to grow 5.5% this year. The easiest way to invest in Malaysia is through the Malaysia iShare (EWM) which tracks a basket of leading companies listed on its exchange. Another attraction - the annual fee for the Malaysia iShare is only 70 basis points.

The Play for the Informed
Malaysia is oftentimes overlooked by investors even though it has progressed quietly but remarkably from a relatively poor producer of raw materials to a bustling and broadly diversified middle income country.

Malaysia, positioned along the strategically important Straits of Malacca , should be on every investors radar screen for the following reasons:

- It has little external debt and healthy foreign exchange reserves. In area, it is slightly larger than New Mexico.

- Malaysia has a balanced economy with strong industrial and service sector, important natural resources and openness to foreign investment.

- It has a parliamentary system and divided powers between central government and 16 states and federal territories.

- Malaysia is well situated to benefit from growth in the region with key export and investment partners being Japan, China and the USA.

- Natural resources include tin, petroleum, natural gas, timber, copper, iron ore, bauxite. Small but consistent exporter of oil and natural gas.

- It has a young and increasingly well-educated population with a median age of 24 and a literacy rate of 90%.

Malaysia’s per capita income is approaching $5,000. Solid middle-income country with growing middle class.

- The Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange, also known as Malaysia Bursa has over 800 companies listed.

Canada?
Another smart indirect China play would be to invest in the Canada iShare (EWC). The Chinese are going on a buying spree investing in Canadian energy companies and recently plunked down $2 billion to build a thousand mile pipeline from Alberta tar sands to port on the west coast and onward to Beijing and Shanghai. The Canada iShare tracks the MSCI Canada Index that has 40% exposure to Canada’s energy and materials sector.

Starbucks?
And what about Starbucks (SBUX) as a China play? Starbucks has about 9,000 stores worldwide and in the first quarter of 2005 its sales were up 27% and revenue exceeded $100 million. It entered the Chinese market in 1999 and has about 300 stores that have performed beyond expectations. The company hopes to expand to 30,000 stores and China is a key part of its expansion strategy. With 250 million Chinese approaching middle-class and millions of new affluent status conscious youth, Starbucks expects that before long China will be its second most important market. During my recent trip to China trip, I visited ten Starbucks stores and all of them had brisk activity with a lot of young Chinese enjoying not only coffee products but the higher margin specialty drinks. Think the Chinese will always prefer tea? Japan shows that when income levels reach certain tipping points, consumer preferences change from tea to coffee. Starbucks always looks expensive but many great companies always are. Starbucks investors have made 43 times their investment in its 1992 IPO and revenue was up 27% in July.

China represents an enormous opportunity for long-term investors but an indirect approach may be the smartest strategy.

On August 20, 2005 find out what is the next great Asian Bull Market in the 21st century – hint” It’s not China!

Find out more insights at http://www.chartwelladvisor.com

Copyright 2005 Carl Delfeld

While a U.S. Representative to the Asian Development Bank Executive Board of Directors during the first Bush Administration, I consistently called for China to “bite the bullet” and privatize its state-owned companies as soon as possible. Representatives from European and other Asian countries would just shake their heads and mutter about impatient Americans while counseling that China adopt a slow, incremental approach to privatization.

Here we are more than twelve years later and this bullet has turned into a time bomb that could derail China’s impressive economic growth and a better life for its people. The fact that a majority of China’s large companies are still owned and controlled by the Chinese government has three negative economic consequences.

First, it has stunted the growth of China’s financial markets and prevented many companies from tapping equity capital markets. Almost 70% of the shares of China’s 1,377 listed companies are substantially owned by the state and cannot be traded. This is the dreaded “overhang” which bedevils the Communist Party leadership and bureaucrats anxious for private Chinese shareholders to have share prices mirror economic growth. The Shanghai Composite Index recently dipped below 1,000 for the first time since 1997. The problem is that when the government sells these shares, private shareholders are diluted and share prices decline. The use of public funds to compensate private shareholders for this dilution has been considered and rejected as too expensive.

The Chinese government announced a $15 billion buyout fund to invest in state-owned companies but markets are deeply skeptical. My view is that only solution is auction off equity to private investors and de-list poor performers and let them struggle for survival.

Meanwhile private firms hungry for capital are denied a chance to list on these exchanges. The result is that private Chinese companies rely on banks for 99% of their financing! This lopsided dependence on bank financing is unhealthy and furthermore many Chinese banks are bogged down by mismanagement, bloated bureaucracies, corruption and saddled with politically motivated non-performing loans

In addition, China’s stock market slump is putting its brokerage firms in intensive care. China’s 114 brokerage firms that depend largely on stock trading commissions suffered a 45% decline in revenue in the first half of this year. Trading in the China A shares (for Chinese citizens only) market has virtually disappeared. The Shanghai Composite Index is down 15% this year. The Chinese government also has an unofficial moratorium on new listings.

Second, maintaining state ownership and control of so many Chinese companies leads to a lack of transparency and openness that is necessary for China to fully participate as a member of the global investment community. Foreign institutional investors tend to favor investing indirectly in China through the Hong Kong Stock Exchange to gain better disclosure and listing requirements. As an investment advisor, I recommend clients participate in Chinese growth primarily through investing in Hong Kong (EWH) Malaysia (EWM), Canada, (EWC) Australia (EWA), and other Asian countries. The issue of dysfunctional Chinese financial markets has also led to our recommendation to clients that India, not China, may be the best performing Asian stock market in the next ten or twenty years.

The recent announcements of Bank of America and HSBC to invest in two leading Chinese Banks is a welcome step but falls far short of the mark. Both are relatively small investments and both foreign investors will have little authority nor any meaningful management responsibilities. The Chinese want the publicity, the brand and the opportunity to learn but are clearly unwilling to relinquish any control.

Look at what Indonesia is doing to open its financial sector to international investment. International investors are now allowed majority and management control and just last week a large Singapore and Malaysian bank announced plans to make sizable investments in Indonesian banks. The Indonesia government is also drawing up a list of which of its 145 state-owned enterprises will be sold to investors. International investors have taken notice - the Indonesian stock market is doing well and our recommended Indonesia Fund (IF) is up 29% this year.

Third, as the recent high profile cases of Lenovo, Haier and CNOOC demonstrate, as state-owned Chinese companies seek to acquire or invest in foreign companies, the reaction is wariness, skepticism and outright political hostility. The Chinese leadership is trying to groom about 100 of its largest companies to go global in a big way and “brand hunting” of leading multinationals firms with its surplus cash ($700 billion in foreign exchange reserves) is the fastest way to achieve this objective. If you thought the Japanese spending spree during the 1980s was controversial in America – fasten your seat belt.

The U.S. Congress and other foreign governments will resist these bids since they have little interest in having a foreign government, especially an economic rival enjoying a $200 billion bi-lateral trade surplus, purchase its most prized companies. The issue of Chinese bidders using government financing is also a red flag. Then there is the issue of reciprocity – foreign companies can only obtain minority interests in Chinese state-owned companies and approval for even these minority stakes is not transparent and highly political.

Finally, there is the broad policy question as to the intent of the Chinese Communist leadership. The slow and grudging pace of privatization could reasonably be read as an indication that the Chinese government has no intention of relinquishing control of state-owned companies. This, in turn, has serious consequences as countries evaluate how to treat a rapidly growing authoritarian country that seeks to participate and benefit in the global economy by using state-owned and state-sponsored companies.

The Chinese adage of “crossing the river by feeling the stones” may be a wise policy at times but in this case a plunge into the river ten years ago would have been much better for the Chinese economy and people. It is by no means too late to take the plunge and the US should be ready to help in any way it can.

Find out more insights at http://www.chartwelladvisor.com

Copyright 2005 Carl Delfeld

The fragrance of fish, lobsters…, the sturdy Great Wall, the broken hush of winds by the Martial Arts, the grand museums and unpretentious down to earth people…welcome you to the third largest country on the globe-China. China is universally known not just for any single reason. The country has earned remarkable name not just in electronics and technology but it also surpasses many countries in its receiving tourists’ attention. The charisma of China is such that people from all over the world endeavor to bask at least once in the Chinese glory.

China is the land of rich history and has contributed a lot in sphere of philosophy. However, demographically China is the most populous country that we have today followed by India. The commonplace life and activity of the place can be enjoyed by taking on to the streets of the Chinese cities.

A Brush with the Chinese Cities

Like nay other country, China too has its own network of cities. But unlike many other cities, the Chinese metropolises are swarming with people. This is because the place has an exclusive charm and unique assets that lure the people all over the world. The first city that hogs limelight besides Hong Kong is the capital city Beijing.

Beijing is one of the wonderful cities that can keep all its visitors glued to it. Once you decide to step in this city, scores of attractions await your encounter. The pleasant weather of Beijing is a good reason to go for a stroll and water and other games in the Beijing Amusement Park. As soon as you enter the place, get ready to discover the child in you for the rides like roller coaster, bumper cars, paddle boats etc. will not at any cost let you to ignore them. Beijing also hosts a recreation center popularly known as The Beijing Recreation Center. This center invites people of all age groups for there are multitude of games like poker, bowling, electronic golf, squash, tennis and billiards. The discotheque, fitness room, sauna and mah-iong room are added pulls. The Summer Palace (Yiheyuan) at Beijing with its archaic temples, pavilions, huge mansions, lakes etc. make a superb picnic spot. Your vacation can be an experience of fun with learning when you enter the eminent Beijing Museum of Natural History. Also to behold is the China Aviation Museum that lies nearly on the outskirts of Beijing. This museum has about 200 planes and the aircrafts etc. used during the World War II. Finally shopping in Beijing can be enjoyed once you take on to the Wangfujing Business Street of Beijing. From here you can take home books, amazing handicraft items, medicines, electronic gadgets and almost everything you require in your routine life.

Are you trying to make your way through the bustling population? Walking down the street have you encountered the world’s third tallest TV tower i.e. The Oriental Pearl TV Tower? And do you think there is no end to the place you are in...You have entered the by far the largest metropolis of the world-Shanghai. Along with these magnets, The Tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang-Xian where this foremost emperor of China is believed to be yet lying in a single piece is a site that summons many visitors. The Shanghai Museum is worth visiting to view some distinctive relics of China. The place can be a center for a thrilling nightlife. There are beautiful night clubs and bars, Caribe Bar being a frequently budding one. Some vibrant streets of Shanghai are a perfect place to shop. From sparkling glass items to exclusive china-ware, everything is at hand.

The glorious city oh Hong Kong needs no introduction. It has already established itself as the Asia’s world city. Many attractions of the place also include the Hong Kong Space Museum that is one amongst the largest planetariums in the world. It is an educational site for kids as well as adults that reveal some of the baffling facts of the universe. When it comes to food, generally eight cuisines are found in China- Shandong, Sichuan, Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Hunan and Anhui. Few restaurants in Hong Kong serve ‘vegetarian pork’ and ‘vegetarian chicken’. The dishes made of Soyabean are difficult to be distinguished from the real ones. Hong Kong is an ideal place to shop. The Times Square is a recommendable venue that welcomes you with numerous shops. There is anything and everything from dazzling jewelry, garments and antiques to sports goods and toys.

The Sites Globally Known

The Great Wall of China speaks through itself. Besides the historical significance the site that makes through the wonders of the world, exerts a pull on each and every person that comes to China. The Grand Canal of China that has 60 bridges and 24 locks has always been a center of worldwide attention. Not to be forgotten is the Mt. Huangshan that is known for its deformed pine trees and springs. You can trek up the Mt. Huangshan or take a tram to have an exotic and breathtaking view of the mountain as well as the entire China.

Travel Tips for China
China is a large country at a size of 9,596,960 sq km. China was only partially open to the world from 1979 onwards and has been a communist country for many decades. Although there is much progress in the travel industry and infrastructure of China, there remain parts that needs to be improved before it can match the level that most tourist would require.

However, much of the fun remain that it is different from the rest of the world. China will be the host nation for the Olympics in Year 2008. Travel facilities and infrastructure will be improving quickly as we approach Year 2008.

Chinese is rich in culture and history. Visit the Great Wall of China in Beijing, sip Chinese tea in Xiamen, dance with ethnic tribes in Yunnan, check out 19th Century European buildings in Qingdao - there are just so much to do, see and learn in China!

Below are some travel tips to make your travel in China easier:

Entry Visa
China require entry visa from most countries. Apply at the Chinese consulate or through your travel agent before travelling to China.

Climate

Extremely diverse; tropical in south to subarctic in north. Be prepared with the right seasonal clothing.

Foreign Exchange

The Chinese unit of currency is known as Remembi(RMB) or Yuan. Get some Chinese Yuan in your local country before travelling. When in China, exchange foreign currency for local currency in the banks or at the hotel. Banks tend to give slightly better rates than hotels. Take note that some banks close for a noon siesta between 12-2pm.

Payment facilities

Most better class hotels and shopping centres take Credit Card or Travellers cheques. Smaller hotels and shops take cash only. Once
out of the bigger cities, credit card and ATM cards tend to be almost impossible to utilize. Cash is still king in Chinese business and trade.

Counterfeit notes are common in China. Check carefully before accepting change, especially if it consists mostly 100RMB notes. You can feel a texture difference where counterfeit notes is concerned.

Understanding of English

Most civil servants, custom officials, police and hotel staff and men in the street do not speak English or at best a smattering of English.

Most signboards and notices will carry both English and Chinese. However, be aware that some translations can be so notorious that one can hardly understand what was it's original Chinese intention.

Do not expect hotels or shops to understand English. Only the very big hotels will have staff that will understand English.

Most young people can understand basic English if you speak slowly.

Social Security
China is generally a safe country. However, hang on tight to your wallet especially in crowded, popular tourist sites in tourist cities such as Beijing and Xian.

These Chinese cities that are popular with tourist also has a lot of touts in the streets touting tourist from currency exchange to jewelleries to female companionships. Avoid at all cost!

Domestic Travel

Bus, train, ferries and domestic flights are quite well developed. Avoid the crowd at the stations and book your tickets through the hotel tour desk or the nearest tour agent. Prices are likely to be competitive and tickets will be delivered to your hotel room. Again, avoid ticket touts who approach you in the streets.

Local buses are cheap (US$0.10 or YS$0.20) and you may want to try out. Taxis are convenient and are available at all hours. Starting fares differ from each city and may be as cheap as US$0.70 in Weihai and US$1.50 in Shenzhen.

Avoid travel during peak holiday seasons or book tickets well ahead.

Local Hotels
There is a good choice of hotels in China ranging from one star to the most luxurious 6 stars. Most of the time, the rooms are safe and clean and in my opinion, cheap does not mean bad.

There are many websites selling hotel rooms on the internet. You can also check out the travel counters which are available in most train, bus stations as well as airport.

Book ahead if travelling in peak seasons.

Peak Tourist Seasons
Chinese New Year: Date varies but generally late January or early February.
May Day: First two weeks of May
China National Day: Middle two weeks of October

Avoid travelling during these period. Book rooms and travel modes way early if need to travel.

Chinese Food

Local food is absolutely fabulous. Try as much Chinese food as your wallet or stomach can afford. Restaurants are available everywhere and open to late hours. Most restaurants will have menu that includes photographs or simply point at the food of your neighbouring table, especially if it looks good!

However, avoid street side stalls and drinking directly from the taps if you have delicate stomach.

Telecommunications

Mobile phone coverage is good in most locations. Global auto-roaming is not a problem.

Internet

There are cyber-cafes everywhere, especially in tourist areas. Most are patronised by young people playing online games but you still can check your Hotmail, Yahoo and Gmail. Access may be a bit slow for international websites.

You will need to show your passport as China has tight regulations at Internet CyberCafes.

Toilet facilities

One of the worst experience many has with China is the atrocious toilet facilities. Things has improved very much but it may still be a good idea to empty your stomach or bladder at every opportunity in a hotel, restaurant or departmental store. Public toilets and toilets in small shops can be a nose hazard!

* Useful China travel tips *

Try to get a English speaking tour guide at every opportunity you can. China has a rich and wonderful history and culture and without a guide, somehow, the flavour and significance of most tour sites can be lost.

*Sneaky tip: Hang around a group that has a English speaking guide if you cannot afford one!

Always ask for a receipt from a taxi driver so that you can complain if you have been cheated or for tracing purposes if you happen to leave your camera behind in the taxi.

Try to take the namecard for each hotel that you are staying at as these cards will have a Chinese address and the map of your hotel location. This is useful if you need to seek assistance to find your way back as the English version or pronounciation of a hotel or a street name may be quite different from the Chinese version.

After a tiring day, check out Chinese foot reflexology or Chinese TuiNa (Chinese massage). Wonderful for the body after a hard day and very cheap to boot. Just look out for any shop that has two feet as it's signboard!

Make friends with the Chinese whenever you can. They love to meet foreigners and will make good tour guides. Just buy a small present as a small token of appreciation.

For more information, check out this interesting China Book.

Base on our experience, most of our travel expense is on the hotel, the food and tour service are really cheap in China.what do we come here for?-sightseeing and cultural experiences on this new land! why do we have to spend more on hotels
? So our tips are:

1. Book a hotel through China's LOCAL hotel network - like HotelGuideChina.com. and etc
With wider hotel choices (including international hotels), better local discounts, they don't need prepayment for hotel, so there is no fee for cancellation, you just pay when arriving in the hotel.

2. Book tour packages directly from China's LOCAL hotel network(like the former one). the prices are cheaper and the designs of those trips are more to your specific taste. like, you know most people who come to china and go visit the great wall have been travelled along the same path ,which can be quite boring sometimes...somehow the local network provide you with some amazing choices for a hike in china that you have never had.

3.Or if you wanna stay in China for a longer time(more than one month)then renting a serviced apartment would be an ideal choice for you.There is no doubt that its much cheaper than staying in the hotel,whats more,maybe you can get a homecoming feeling living in a cozy apartment ,where you can also get serviced(breakfast and cleaning stuff; or you may handle it yourself too-like cooking a tasty pasta to your own style(taste;)
my email: zoe_liang_0316@hotmail.com

As an athlete (or at least having been an athlete in the past) and a sports fan, one of the difficult things about finding myself on an extended stay in Shanghai, China (setting up sporting goods manufacturing and other business contacts) is the near isolation from most American sports. Although basketball, over the past ten or so years, has become popular among the Chinese people, baseball has yet to find its way into the sports culture here. While at every school or playground it's likely you'll find some kid aspiring to become the next Yao Ming, mention the term "baseball" to most Chinese, even ones who speak pretty good English, and you'll likely find yourself having to search through a phrasebook to find the Chinese phrase for baseball: "bangqiu" (pronounced bong chi-o).

I had heard from some of the expatriates living in Shanghai that there was some sort of baseball team playing in the city, so I did some Google searches to see whether I could find information about the team. I found a few articles on the Internet about the Shanghai Eagles' spring trip to the U.S. to compete against junior college teams. The game summaries, published by the news people at a few of the U.S. schools against which the Eagles played, described a team that had decent pitching, but not much hitting. As can happen with that kind of team chemistry, the Shanghai club lost all seven of its exhibition games in the U.S.

I didn't expect much when I went to watch the team play, but I was excited to actually see a baseball field again, having been in China for awhile, and I wanted to experience the baseball environment here. A Chinese friend of mine hunted down information about where the Shanghai Eagles played and at what time, so I took my wife out for a Friday afternoon at the baseball field.

The old ball game didn't have any peanuts or Cracker-Jacks, or hot dogs, or drinks, or very many spectators. There was a mascot dressed in a chicken suit, and, although we had to search behind some buildings to find it, surprisingly the field looked pretty standard. There was a total of probably fifty people in attendance when the game began. People came and went as the game progressed. Something that struck me was the feeling that many there were obviously hard-core baseball fans, the kind you would expect to find catching foul balls at a MLB park. After quickly being spotted as one of the only white guys in attendance, I was approached by Dan Washburn, a news consultant doing a story for Baseball America. During my conversation with him, he told me that he met some older Chinese men at one of the games he'd attended. He mentioned that when he asked them what brought them out to the event, they told him they played ball when they were much younger, being forced to leave the game behind when Mao Zedong did away with the American influence during the Cultural Revolution. As for the group of boisterous, college-aged enthusiasts, I was told that a group of them attended the local baseball college, and they were being trained to later become professionals. (In China, many children who express a particular athletic skill are guided down a specialized path devoted largely to the ultimate fulfillment of their athletic capabilities.) There were some younger T-ball aged kids at the game who were introduced to me by the uncle of one of the boys. He wanted them to practice English with me and my wife, and later the two boys asked me to play catch with them using the homemade-looking, well-used baseball one of the boys brought to the game.

The area we used to play catch was the same grass area outside the stadium used by the professional teams to warm up their bullpen pitchers. I used the opportunity to get a feel for how well a professional pitcher in China throws. The one I saw was probably throwing in the high-70's to low 80's. I watched him throw curve balls with some good movement and change ups as well. His control was comparable to an average to good college pitcher.

The particular game we watched went into extra innings as the Eagles dropped a large lead late in the game. Being distracted by people attempting to practice English during the tenth and eleventh innings, it wasn't until the twelfth that I noticed a strange twist to baseball as the Chinese play it. Probably for the sake of ending the game as soon as possible, they allow both teams to start extra innings with a runner on second base. One problem I saw with this approach is that it made the game boring, as the apparent lack of confidence in hitting on the part of both teams turned the extra innings into a bunt-fest. Finally Tianjin broke open and went on to win 9-5 in 12 innings.

During the game, I met some college baseball players who had become interested in baseball when they came to college. They don't attend the designated baseball college, so their educational involvement baseball is only extra-curricular. They invited me to play with them, and I have participated in some of their practices and scrimmages.

On a Wednesday afternoon in May I followed the directions given to me to meet the team at the Shanghai Teacher's University on Guilin Road. The field where the team practiced wasn't actually a baseball field. It was a general-purpose field used mainly for soccer and track exercises. I have quickly come to understand that the space limitations in Shanghai, similar to most parts of China, make it so that facilities have to double up on their usage. It was amusing to me to watch as we set up for a scrimmage. The areas where right and center field should be was filled with a mix of people, including a few of our people playing those positions, and soccer players who were not in the least interested in what we were doing, especially since they were fully engaged in their own game. As fly balls dropped among them, some of the soccer players would pick the balls up and toss them back, while others would, with a demonstration of irritation, kick them out of the way. Fortunately for the soccer players, none of them were hit.

Many of the baseball players were not so lucky. A healthy fear of hard baseballs traveling at high speeds seems to be second nature for most Americans, as if we are born with an understanding that if a ball is fouled off into someone's face, it's going to hurt like heck at best. Although most of them didn't understand what I was saying, I attempted many times to tell those watching the action to back away from the batter and catcher. During one ten-minute interval, I saw three people get hit hard in the face or head by baseballs. Throughout the whole practice there were constant near-misses as well.

On-deck hitters kept with the Chinese custom for preserving one's place in line by crowding behind the person in front. That approach is okay for the local McDonald's. In fact, if you don't push your way up in line, you will find yourself standing in the same place for a long time, with person after person jumping in front of you. However, when the person at the front of the line is swinging a bat, a different set of rules should apply.

During the first practice with the college players, I was invited to pitch to the team as they scrimmaged. It soon became apparent that there were various skill levels represented at the plate. I was reminded of something I saw in Little League (where kids are usually just beginning to learn how to react to balls thrown towards them) when a particularly nervous batter accidentally stepped in front of the plate, opening up towards the ball so that it hit him directly in the stomach. Fortunately I was only throwing about 70 mph, so no major damage was done, except that the player was likely quickly cured of any interest he had in the new American sport. After that incident the other players warned me when I was pitching to someone who was new, so I could slow it down enough for them to take some solid cuts.

In a country where the sport hasn't really caught on yet, it amazes me that these players respond so well to the difficulties of learning baseball. It is obvious that many of these people, girls and guys alike, have developed a love and even a passion for the game. Before their season started in June, they practiced on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Most practice sessions last five hours or longer. During the time I have participated with them, I have seen their skills improve, with arm strength increasing and fielding and batting capabilities doing the same.

So when the Olympics come to Beijing in 2008, what can we expect from the Chinese team? Will it be somewhat of an embarrassment, like the Greek team's performance in 2004? Or will the home team have a chance to compete? My personal opinion is that the competition level doesn't exist in China now for the national team to compete with the likes of Japan, Taiwan, the U.S., or Cuba. However, if they can get enough exposure by playing outside of China, they might just pull off a medal. As for the long-term outlook on baseball in China, comments made by someone who has more experience with the system, as an investor and active baseball supporter in China, give a pretty good take on the subject. When I mentioned to him that I was considering opening a baseball retail store or batting cage in Shanghai, one of the founders of the CBL told me that it wouldn't be a bad idea if I didn't mind starving for a couple of years. A few years from now however, he said, a much different scenario is likely to exist, with baseball possibly becoming what it is in Taiwan.

[This article, written by Richard Robbins, was originally published online at http://www.robbinssports.com/articles.]

Travel Shanghai China, An amazing city.

I live, work, play in Shanghai, China’s largest city, largest port; a city of 16 million people, (many millions more during holidays and festivals), a city wanting to be the biggest, best and most important in the world.

If you had been able to Travel Shanghai 10 years ago, and returned today, you would see a very, very different city.
Shanghai today is a modern, 21st Century city, with tall, new shiny buildings, amazing nightlights, a wonderland.

Finding the old sights and sounds of the old city is becoming more difficult as the city’s rapid development produces almost instant change, almost everywhere.

Shanghai is a Chinese city of surprises: - a bizarre, and sometimes brutal, colonial history (British, French, American, Italian, Japanese) and dark days exploited as an Opium trade hub. Mix that with ancient Chinese culture and today we have a city urgently trying to leave its colourful past behind and which will soon be compared, in class and elegance, with any major city in the world.

When you Travel Shanghai China, you will quickly notice it is the power-house of China, the money-making machine that drives the Chinese economy continually forward.

Shanghai is usually a business destination. However if you are coming for a China vacation, or traveling through on the way to somewhere else, Travel Shanghai China has some must-see experiences and is a good way to introduce yourself to the wonders and difficulties of Travel in China.

There is still a lot for the visitor to see and do in Shanghai. Bars, Clubs, Business, the incredible skyline of beautiful tall buildings as far as you can see. The 21st century architecture. However, the truth be told, when you Travel Shanghai China, the city itself does not have a lot of cultural feel about it. Shanghai is the financial center of China.

I could talk all day about what great fun it is to live here; it’s a lively vibrant place that moves at an extraordinarily fast pace.

I will cover some of the highlights but you need to see and feel the place personally to fully appreciate it.

Some Shanghai Highlights

• The beautiful colonial-style buildings along the river; an area called the “Bund” where these remarkable buildings from old European days are marvelously lit up at night, and have been beautifully restored; the contrast between the Old and the New is quite a sight.

• The most famous shopping street and lighting effects in China, Nanging Rd, is just a short walk from the Bund.

• The famous Xintain Di district: - this area is the social hub of Shanghai, the very best in chic and style, expensive cars, fine wine, the best restaurants, a very happening place.

• At the southern end of another famous shopping street, Huai Hai Rd, is an area known as the “French Concession”, where peaceful tree-lined streets with wonderful colonial-style villas would make you think you were actually in Europe.

• A must thing to see and do, is to visit the viewing platform at the top of the Jin Mao Tower, the third highest building on earth, the tallest with an hotel inside (the Hyatt). This stunning building is 89 stories high and the view of the city from the top is spectacular.
A very special treat is to have a buffet dinner at the Hyatt on the 53rd level, then go up to the bar on the 89th floor and enjoy a drink and the view, which at night will amaze you.

• Shop !!! There are Antique markets, Bird and Bug markets, Commodity markets, Clothes and Fabric markets, local markets and a very famous market where you can buy all the world’s best brand names, at amazingly low prices.
Shanghai is a shopper’s heaven, come with a small suitcase and leave with a big one.

Secret Treasures

If you come to Travel Shanghai China and have time, just outside the city, one or two hours on a bus are some real treats.
Would you like to see tranquil lakes?... beautiful Chinese gardens?... ancient villages?

Here are a few places that are very close to Shanghai which can often be overlooked when one comes to Shanghai. These cities, towns and villages are the real deal and a must-see adventure.

Just an hour by local bus is Zhujiajiao, About two hours away by bus or train is Suzhou, as well as Hangzhou. As I grow this site, I will add places that are more interesting.

Enjoy Shanghai…I do!!

John Mckenna
http://www.Travel-the-Real-China.com

Survival China Travel Tips and Tricks

These China Travel Tips, Survival Techniques, will help you get around and make your trip to China easier, so you will be able to experience the real China with a little less stress.

China is an odd beast that needs to be respected; the major cities, Beijing, Shanghai, and Xian, all have their own personalities.

Some complex situations that you think would be an organizational disaster turn out to be great and you wonder afterward what all the fuss and worry was about. Then the simplest of tasks can turn out to be a major calamity.

This is when you have what we call here a “China day”.

These days come and go and are part of the experience of everyday travel in China. One needs to have an open mind when travelling China. It is a place with thousands of years of history and culture that is trying overnight to adapt to Western ways of living.

You need to have a very open mind when you Travel in China.
I have listed below a few China Travel Tips that will make life that wee bit more bearable on your Travel China experience.

China Travel Tips – Be Toilet Wise

• Never expect a clean toilet 100% of the time.

• Be prepared; Carry some tissue.

• You may have to use a squat toilet, again if you know this before hand it is not a shock. If you don’t know how to use a squat toilet, try the following experiment at home.

While holding onto something for support with both hands, lower your body down into a low squat position, so that the cheeks of your bottom is almost touching your heels or the back of your calf. Now, let go with your hands. See if you stay in this position for at least 1 minute. If you fall backwards or you cannot get up, then a squat toilet could be a problem for you! Practice, you will be happy you did.

• If you see a clean toilet, Go… it may not come again for a while.

• There are many public toilets around the cities, usually the ones you pay for are OK, (RMB .5), the others best to stay away from if you can. You will soon notice them as you walk around the cities.

• Be warned that public areas like bus and train stations are usually what I class as “tough toilets”, however if gotta go you gotta go.
• Outside of the major cities, the toilet systems are old or have very narrow plumbing /pipes and get blocked easily. In these cases a small basket is usually beside the toilet, this is for your used toilet paper.

One of the best China Travel toilet Tips I can give you, is use hotel lobby toilets; these are everywhere and are always clean. Still they may not always have toilet paper. It depends on the class of hotel that you are using.

I do not wish to scare you. However, of all the China Travel Tips in all the other web sites I have read, this is a topic not often mentioned, but it is very important to us all.

So outside of the major cities conditions can be tough. But most of the time everything will be fine, especially if you book a tour; everything will have been checked out before hand. However even the best laid plans can go wrong, so be prepared, the toilets in the smaller cities, towns and villages can be scary.

China Travel Tips – The Food

• The food is great and the variety is overwhelming. Most of the time you get to choose what you eat, or you can recognize what you’re eating, however sometimes you do not get a choice. Carry a chocolate bar or something; this will keep you going until some food that you can recognize turns up. Drink bottled or boiled water, as the tap water is NOT safe to drink, this is for the whole of China. Even boiled water, while sterilised can contain a lot of minerals and iron deposits that you probably do not want in your system. The safest bet is to drink bottle water. Tap water in most big cities is OK for brushing teeth.

• Eating habits - Most Chinese people have a great habit of being very noisy when they eat and lunch and dinner times can be a wonderfully noisy celebration, food tends to go in all directions, its just part of being in China.

• People also smoke at the table while everyone is eating, so some restaurants get very loud and smoky.

• If you get stuck what to order as most of the menu’s are in Chinese just look at the table next to you and point to the dish you fancy and ask how much it is, this system works really well and know seems to mind.

• I have a basic menu that will help you order safe food, (no Cats or Dog) this will enable you to visit a larger selection of restaurants, not just the tourist ones with high prices. You can carry it with you and use it in the local restaurants where most will be able to serve what is on it. This way you will know what you are eating.

These local places are very cheap and the food it great. Contact me if you would like me to send it to you.

China Travel Tips – Taxis

• China Travel Tips- Taxis - Taxis are an experience that can have you griping the seat and gasping for breath; however you soon get used to it, after the first few rides, you’re an old hand.

• The taxis in Shanghai are, overall, quite good. Try to get the Blue, Blue’ish Turquoise, Gold and White taxis, these are the best… these are the four major taxi companies and are generally recognised by their single colour paintwork. The others are OK, just older and a rougher ride (the others also may have faulty metres). No drivers will speak English.

• Carry your hotel or accommodation business card with you, written in Chinese, this helps if you get lost walking around town.

• In all the taxis around the country you will see the drivers name and taxi registration number in plain sight. If you have any problem, or if you think you have been over charged etc, just take this number down, make a big fuss about it, and the driver then should wake up and fix whatever problem you have. Even better is to take the receipt. This has all the trip details on it and you can ring the taxi company if you want to take things further or if you’ve left something in the taxi.

• The government takes rip-off drivers in all cities, Beijing and Xian especially, very seriously and if you complain they will lose their license. This is their livelihood. So far I have had not one driver in 3 years that has not backed down and we have then agreed a price for the trip or solved our problem.

• In Shanghai, it is common practice for taxi fare increases after 11pm. However, one can usually bargain for a 20% discount, which will get the fare back to the pre-11pm rate.
Be strong with the taxi drivers, never-the-less, keep your cool, smile and negotiate.

China Travel Tips – Shopping

• China Travel Tips - Shopping - China is a shopper’s paradise, Markets, Bargains; Top labels… anything and everything if you have the time. With clothes, the larger (Western) sizes can be quite hard to find, however in the major cities where you get a lot of tourist traffic, you can find them.

• Electrical gear, DVD’s, Cameras, stuff like this is not worth buying in China, Hong Kong is still the best place for this.

• Store hours in the major cities are from 10am to 10pm, 7 days a week.

• Visa card is still the best card to carry, with ATM’s in good supply all with PLUS access etc.
There is usually a surcharge for use of VISA, MasterCard or other forms of credit card.

• Wait on purchasing if you can, look around to get a feel for the prices. The Chinese are VERY experienced at selling and know that we halve the opening price when bargaining.
In the markets go for 25% of what they first ask; go so low that they let you walk away. This will give you an idea of the bottom price. The resulting end-price will probably be around 40% to 50% of where they started.

Whatever the market people say, they are used to pushing and haggling for best prices. Do not worry about being too hard, they are used to it and will not sell you an item unless they make a profit. Don’t be concerned with the apparently hurt body language when you go low – it is all part of the game. As soon as they have wrapped up your first purchase, they will try to sell you something more. Remember to keep smiling and having fun while bargaining.

China Travel Tips – Medical Treatment and Records

• Most hotels will have a doctor that you can see. In the major hotels English will be spoken.

• Always take a small first aid kit, cold remedy, headache tablets at the very least. WATSONS is a very large chain chemist. Most of the remedies, tablets etc, that you may require should be in these shops. These shops are all over China.

• There is a great network of pharmacy type shops; these are indicated by a Green Cross. There will always be a 24 hr Green Cross pharmacy in the city you are in. It is handy to carry a Phase book, as no one will speak English, however you will end up with something that will help.

• INPORTANT POINT – for most of the mass produced packet type medicines, the packaging will be written in Chinese on one side, English on the other. However in the shops you only see the Chinese side. Have a good look, turn the packs over, it gives you a lot more confidence knowing you can read the package.

• If you have a specific medical issue, take records, most of the Doctors will have OK written / reading English, even though their oral English will be poor.

China Travel Tips – Telephone

• Using the phone is as easy as at home. However the person picking it up will not speak English or have very broken English… the Major 4- or 5-Star Hotels will all be OK.

• What is worth doing is buying a Chinese Telecom SIM card, they are about RMB100 and with this you get RMB50 in calls, the other 50 is for the price of the SIM card; this SIM card will go into all major brand phones and work OK.

By doing this, people can reach you within and out of China if there is an emergency. If you have a couple of phones, you can short (txt) message each other (SMS). Also you are able to call your tourist guide, hotel etc if you have any major problems. It is a cheap way to keep in touch.

NB.Before you buy a Chinese SIM card, check that it will work in your Cell / Mobile phone. There are plenty of China Telecom shops that can help.

China Travel Tips on when NOT to move around China.

• Spring Festival, this would be the Chinese New Year time, around the end of January / Early February

• Early May; Labour day Holidays

• Early October; National Day Holidays

Of all the China Travel Tips National Day is the biggest one. Millions of Chinese travel at these holiday times of the year. Most are travelling back to home towns or visiting family. Hotels, trains, planes, cars, buses, and roads are all crowded to the maximum. Major congestion, everywhere.

Also travel fares are at their full price. No discounts are offered!
Stay in one place and enjoy where you are. It’s best and causes fewer hassles.

China Travel Tips – TV

• If you want to watch TV, most of the major hotels will have cable and if you are in the smaller places, the national channel, CCTV9 is in English. Over the last couple of years it has got a lot better, with some great China Travel Tips programs, news and views on people and places around China.

China Travel Tips – Airport Tax

• There is a “construction fee” at almost all airports.

Domestic flights RMB 50
International flights RMB 90 – which is to be paid in local currency.

Just recently, tickets are being tissued with the Construction Tax included; however make sure you have the Tax money with you just to make sure.

I hope some of these China Travel Tips will come in handy and will make your trip to China that little bit easier.

If you have been to China and wish to share your China Travel Tips, please feel free to contact me anytime.

John Mckenna
http://www.Travel-the-Real-China.com

The China Bubble
By
William Cate

Bubbles are good speculations. They are terrible long-term investments. If you sold your DotCom shares by March 2000, you did well. If you still own those shares, you are reading this article from the Poor House. If you cash out of the PRC before the Bubble bursts, you can watch the PRC economic failure from a safe haven. If you ride it to the end, you could find yourself little better off than many people in North Korea today.

Bubbles develop because there is a gulf between investor expectation and reality. As more investor lemmings jump into the investment, the gulf grows. Business decisions are made on perception. In time, the perception gulf is recognized and the bubble bursts. Currently, the American Media is questioning the perception gulf in U.S. Real Estate. In due course, the American Real Estate Bubble will burst. Eventually, economic reality will overtake the Chinese Economic illusion. You don't want to be invested or living in the PRC when this happens.

The People's Republic of China (PRC) phenomenal economic growth of the past decade came as a byproduct of an unlikely marriage between Capitalism and Maoist Communism. China's economy is based upon an "Export to the West" strategy. However, both the European Union and the United States are objecting to the tactics used to create a massive favorable PRC trade balance. This trade-based conflict of interest can only get worse over the next few years. As it grows worse, the PRC favorable trade balance will contract. In turn, this contraction will slowly reverse the PRC's economic growth curve.

Wedding Capitalism to Communism is dangerous. The expectation of Communism is that the wealth created by Capitalism will be equally distributed to the masses. The expectation of Capitalism is those who make the money will keep the money. The Beijing Government cannot distribute sufficient wealth to the countryside. The Government risks rebellion. Distributing the Capitalist wealth evenly in any country offers little financial benefit to the majority of citizens in that country. This share the wealth axiom applies equally to the United States as it does to the UK or PRC. So, the peasants will eventually conclude that Beijing has failed in keeping the promise of Communism. The peasants won't have two cars in every garage and a chicken in every pot. The reason is there aren't enough cars or chickens to meet the peasants' expectations.

China's development of hydroelectric energy has already reduced some major rivers to a dribble. The resulting reservoirs flood millions of hectares of peasant farmland. Beijing's environmental policies are based upon development at any cost. Eventually, the bill for those costs will become due. It can't be paid.

Political stability exists as long as the standard of living in any country remains at least constant. The risk in a sharply raising standard of living for those directly benefiting from PRC Capitalism is that when their living standards fall, social unrest is certain to follow. I suspect PRC living standards will start to fall in the next few years.

Taiwan is a flash point. A decision by Taipei to declare independence would put the PRC into the untenable position of losing face or going to war. A loss of face would probable lead to the breakup of the PRC. For instance, there are 250 million PRC citizens who follow the teachings of Mohammed. Most want independence from the PRC. The PRC invaded Tibet and the Tibetans have consistently sought their independence. A war would quickly involve the United States, Japan and the European Union. Either response to Taiwan Independence ensures that the Chinese Economic Bubble would burst.

North Korea is a loose canon that threatens the region. The PRC is at far more risk of a North Korean nuclear attack than is generally acknowledged in the West. After all, when you are crazy and your friends turn away from you as your people starve, it's easy to blame your former friends for your woes.

Because of the PRC's export dependence, you should view the longevity of the PRC Bubble in the context of the strength of Western Economies. When the American Real Estate Bubble bursts, as the U.S. Media predicts, a Worldwide Recession will follow. Given that the Real Estate Market is based upon perceived value and the American Media are destroying the perception, the odds are the West should brace for a Recession in the next couple of years. A Western Recession will drastically reduce the PRC exports. It could be the needle that pricks the PRC Bubble.

If you are a PRC Capitalist or Taiwanese investor, there are some steps you should consider taking to protect yourself.
1. Take your PRC Company public in the West. You will convert your fixed PRC assets into liquid shares that can be converted into a free trading currency.
2. Move a percentage of your assets offshore. Doing so gives your family insurance should you find it necessary to flee the PRC or Taiwan.
3. Obtain a second passport.

This Bubble Bursting Defense is common sense. A trickle of PRC middle class families has adopted it. A larger number of Taiwanese family use it. You should be part of this trickle before it becomes a flood and the economic dam cracks and the bubble bursts.

It's your future and the fate of your family. Plan carefully or be swept aside by macroeconomics.

Have you ever heard of .CN? .CN is the domain name extension of China. It is China's country code top level domain (cctld) .CN at one point was a very restricted domain name extension. It was only allowed to be registered and used by Chinese businesses. China changed the rules in late 2002/early 2003 and now .cn is available to register by any business in the world.

You can register .cn domains in the second or third level. This means you can register a .cn domain name in the form of "somename.cn" or "somename.com.cn". The Chinese registry, CNNIC, does require that .cn domain names not be used for sites that have adult or gambling related content.

China's economy is growing very quickly. The amount of internet users in China is increasing by leaps and bounds. China is quickly becoming a major economic powerhouse. If you have a business that would like to reach this extremely huge and rapidly developing market, a .CN domain name for your website may be a very good way to do just that.

INTRODUCTION

In late September of last year, Beijing’s No 1 Intermediate People’s Court heard a case involving the Chinese Press using pictures of Beatrix Potter’s fictional character, Peter Rabbit, on books. The British company Frederick Warne Co. Ltd. alleged infringement upon their trademark of Peter Rabbit illustrations, which was registered in 1994 (a decision has not yet been reached in the case).

The rights attached to a fictional character can generally be referred to as “property rights”. As is the case with most property, those rights include the right to use a fictional character’s name, image, appearance, etc., to receive the benefits resulting thereof and the right to dispose of it. These rights are in principle owned by the creator of that character unless lawfully transferred, created in the course of his professional activity for his employer, commissioned to be created, or conferred on the creator’s descendants for the exploitation of his/her work.

The secondary exploitation of a fictional character’s essential features by its creator in relation to various goods and/or services to exploit consumers’ affinity with that character can be defined as character merchandising. This merchandising activity is very seldom conducted by the creator of the fictional character, and thus the various property rights vesting in the character are subjected to contracts which authorize one or several interested third parties (the merchandisers) to use the character. The main economic rights relevant to the merchandising of characters are the rights of reproduction, adaptation and communication to the public in any manner or form--books, for example.

Beatrix Potter was a pioneer in the secondary exploitation of literary works. The animal characters from books Peter Rabbit and Squirrel Nutkin were recreated and are still being recreated as still as soft toys or other articles for children. This merchandising successfully continues today, with a wider range of merchandise. On May 25th, 1919, Frederick Warne & Company Limited was registered. Although the imprint is still used by Penguin Books, Frederick Warne & Company Ltd really ceased to exist on December 31st, 1984.

LEGAL PROTECTION

The rights attached to a character may enjoy legal protection in a number of forms, either automatically (copyright), or following an act before a competent authority (for example, trademark or industrial design registration).

Copyright

Copyright protection starts on the date of creation of the work as expressed in a material form such as writings, drawings, etc. Contrary to industrial property rights such as trademarks or industrial designs, a work enjoying copyright protection is protected against all unauthorized uses, irrespective of the goods or services covered by each use. Generally, no one may exercise economic or exploitation rights without the authorization of the copyright owner. Needless to say, enforceability of such IP rights is not dependent upon effective registration or patent granting, although there are public registrars to this effect that provide evidence of the date of creation of such works.

It is generally accepted that copyright must be recognized and protected at least throughout the life of the author. After his/her death, his/her work continues to be protected for a certain time. Under Article 21 of China’s Copyright Law, copyright protection extends through the lifetime of the author and 50 years after the author’s death. Article 21 later states in paragraph two that “where the copyright belongs to a legal entity… the period shall be fifty years provided that any such work has not been published within fifty years after the completion of its creation”. Upon expiry of the term of protection, the work falls into the public domain. It is no longer protected by copyright and can be used by anyone without authorization.

It should, however, be noted that, through other forms of legal protection (for example, trademark protection), some works may continue to be protected against unauthorized use. Because Beatrix Potter created the fictional character of Peter Rabbit herself, she enjoyed the copyrights until her death in 1943. Afterwards, the copyright was probably managed by her descendants unless previously transferred by an act of law thereafter for the following 50 years.

Copyright vs. Trademark (Effectiveness in its Use for Fictional Characters)

When does a fictional character become a trademark in a strict sense? A mark is a symbol which distinguishes the goods or services of one entity from the goods or services of another entity, that is, it is intended to indicate who is responsible for the goods placed before the public. There may be many makers or sellers of the same goods, and they may all use different marks which all consist of pictorial devices, without any words at all. The consumers distinguish between the goods of competing traders solely by means of their marks on the basis of expected properties or a certain quality. When any consumer tries to purchase one of these books online, a notification comes up on the screen: “The Penguin Online bookshop is the recommended online shop from which to purchase Beatrix Potter titles”. This is a good instance of the natural way trademarks work: Penguin Publishers is the industrial origin of the books, and the little logo of a penguin appears in these goods to tell consumers which is the publishing company.

For that to be possible, the marks must be clearly recognizable. In other words, marks must be distinctive in order to apply for registration, as referred to in Articles 9 and 11 of the PRC’s Trademark Law. But then, how distinctive is a trademark consisting of a globally known fictional character first published and thus introduced to the general public in 1902? Article 9 of the Trademark Law sets forth the condition that the applied trademark “shall not conflict with any other legal rights acquired earlier by others”. It could be argued that when a fictional character’s copyright expires and falls into the public domain, it forms part of that ‘conflicting’ legal art and rights, as it is a legal text (Copyright Law) which concedes this right upon citizens.

A second point on the effectiveness of the PRC trademark law for fictional characters is that a trademark must be used in the same way it is registered and for the goods or services so elected, as set forth in Article 51 of PRC’s Trademark Law. It should be noted that, mainly in the case of cartoon strips and animated cartoons, copyright protects each different original pose adopted by the character. The same cannot be expected from a trademark, which, one can argue, makes it rather impossible for any trademark consisting of a fictional character of public domain to be distinctive at all.

In a further argument on this issue, the PRC Trademark Law states in Article 1 the purposes of trademark registration such as “…pressing producers and sellers to guarantee the quality of goods and services, maintaining the repute of trademarks, safeguarding the interests of consumers…” However, neither a merchandising agency nor the creator of a character will themselves be engaged in the manufacture or marketing of secondary products, and it will therefore be difficult for them to acquire trademark rights over a fictional character, as they will not themselves be dealing with the goods or services and be thus held liable for their quality as stated in Article 7 of the Trademark Law which sets forth the trademark user’s liability for the quality of goods to which trademarks were applied. And even if a merchandising agency or the creator of the character were involved in producing and selling at some levels, Article 40 sets upon the licensor the duty of supervising the quality of such goods, and the obligation to indicate “the name of the licensee and the origin of the goods”. So here again, trademarks are meant to work as a link between the product and its industrial origin, which ultimately provides useful information to the consumers.

Use of the Mark. The trend is more favorable here (Article 7) because the PRC’s Trademark Law allows a mark to be applied to an unlimited number of goods or services, independent of the true activity of the applicant and with no account taken of the non-use of such a registered mark. Most legislation will contain provisions relating to the effective use of a mark. It may sometimes be provided that an applicant or a holder should, by means of a statement or declaration, prove to the competent authority that the mark is being used (excluding token or ornamental use) at the time of the application (as a condition for registration), at regular intervals after registration and at the time of renewal. Furthermore, most countries provide that any person may request, before the court, that a given registered mark should be totally or partially invalidated and removed because of non-use.

The PRC's TM Law does provide that a use shall not cease for a period longer than three years, however unlike other legal texts (such as that of the Community Trademark Regulation) it does not contain any provision requiring that use to be 'effective' in relation to the goods and services registered under that TM, nor a requirement upon the user to submit proof – if the applicant so requests – of use in case of opposition to a later trademark application. In short, PRC trademark law may only confer a rather limited protection, on the face of it, for so registered fictional characters.

Copyright vs. Design Patents

Cartoon characters such as those of Walt Disney or literary characters like those of Beatrix Potter are timelessly popular, such that they keep being regarded as what they indeed are: story tale characters. Drawings or cartoons (two-dimensional works) of literary works may also be protected independently of copyright protection as design patents, provided they meet the substantive requirements. According to Article 23 of the PRC’S Patent Law, “Any design for which patent right may be granted must not be identical with and similar to any design which, before the date of filing, has been publicly disclosed in publications in the country or abroad or has been publicly used in the country, and must not be in conflict with any prior right of any other person.” In that respect, it should be emphasized that a work which is original is not necessarily new, since a graphic adaptation of an already existing literary character (whether or not it has fallen into the public domain) may qualify for copyright protection (for example, the literary characters Pinocchio or Cinderella adapted to cartoon form by the Walt Disney Company), but may fail to fulfill the novelty requirement. The same applies to the drawing of a common creature (for example, the cartoon character Bugs Bunny).

The Teletubbies (Tinky-Winky, Po, Dipsy, and Laa-Laa) are fictional characters whose copyright owner is Ragdoll Productions Ltd. – also a British company – from their creation in 1996. Unlike the situation with Peter Rabbit, Ragdoll Productions Ltd. is a legal entity that actually owns the copyright, which means that after 50 years from the first publication in 1996 those friendly characters will also enter the public domain. And again, these have also been subject to trademark registration in the European Union in 1999, and in the People’s Republic of China in 2000.

Once the design patent elapses, the industrial design will also fall in the public domain and may be used by anybody without authorization, unless the owner of the design can, for the same article, avail him/herself of a longer form of protection (copyright or registered mark).

Whereas in other countries copyright protection may be denied where a work is created with the intention of being exploited industrially and embodied in mass-produced articles, which is an inherent quality of works (drawings, dolls, puppets, robots, etc.) designed for merchandising, the PRC’s Copyright Law does not observe this circumstance, ultimately allowing an overlap between the notions of artistic works and industrial designs, where the two forms of protection are generally not available cumulatively at the same time.

Once an artistic work such as a fictional character is incorporated into any industrial or handicraft item including packaging, graphic symbols, etc, it becomes the outward appearance of that product and becomes and industrial design with limited protection. And if the copyrighted fictional character has been used for these purposes and has been made public as a result, the Chinese patent law in its Article 24 concedes a small grace period of 6 months to claim priority, and after that period has elapsed it will become estate of the art and will break the novelty of that design, which ultimately makes it impossible for the copyright owner to wait until the expiration of its copyright to then obtain a design patent.

CONCLUSION

All in all, the legislation on copyright, trademarks and industrial designs may be relevant in the context of the merchandising of fictional characters (as the Peter Rabbit case illustrates), in a desperate race to exclude competitors from using anything that may make goods look more attractive for consumers to purchase.

As discussed, design patents are likely the best option available to seek longer protection for a fictional character, and although trademark protection may be renewed without limit, its scope is 1) just as limited or narrow as that of the one conferred by design patents, and 2) even if respectively registered or granted, it may be left to a Judge to determine if the trademark is distinctive enough to what all consumers simply regard as a fictional character. However, IP rights do have their own different purpose, and shall be protected according to what the law says but not beyond it.
Established in 1992 as one of the first private law firms in China, Lehman, Lee & Xu employs a highly-experienced team of over 110 lawyers, patent and trademark agents representing both foreign and Chinese clients throughout China in a variety of enterprises. With branches in various Chinese cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Hong Kong, Lehman, Lee & Xu is considered a leader of the re-established Chinese legal profession. The firm has been recognized by the media and the Chinese Ministry of Justice as one of the best law firms in China. For more information, please visit the firm’s website at www.lehmanlaw.com.

China is the world's third-largest nation by area and the largest by population. China is bordered by the Mongolian Republic and Russia on the north, by Russia and North Korea on the north-east , by the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea on the east, by the South China Sea on the south, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, India, Bhutan, and Nepal on south-west, by Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan on the west ; and by Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan on the north-west. China covers 6,000,000 square miles and spanning 60 longitudinal degrees.

For centuries, China has played a leading role in civilization, excelling in arts and sciences. China, a land of beauty and fascination, attracts adventurous travelers all over the world.

Below is a brief introduction about China's geography, population and economy

Official Country Name:

The People's Republic of China

Government:
The National People's Congress

Geography:

China is the world's third-largest country, after Canada and US.

Population:
1.26 billion (July 2000)

Area:
9,600,000 sq. km

Coastline:
14,500 km

Capital City:
Beijing (12 million population)

Languages:
Official Language: Mandarin Chinese or Putonghua, based on the Beijing dialect.
Other Languages: Seven other major Chinese dialects, Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghaiese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka.

Religions:
69% Non-religious or atheist; 20% orthodox Chinese beliefs, mainly Confucianism and Daoism
9% Buddhism, 2% Other, including Muslim and Christian.

Largest Metropolitan Areas:
Shanghai 14,150,000
Beijing 12,510,000
Tianjin 9,420,000
(1995 estimates)

Climate:
Extremely diverse, tropical in the south to sub-arctic in the north.

Ethnic Groups:
Han Chinese: 92%

Zhuang, Uygur, Hui, Yi, Tibetan, Miao, Manchu, Mongol, Buyi, Korean, and other nationalities: 8%

Nature Resources:
A wide range of minerals are to be found in China, among them coal, iron, copper, aluminum, mercury and others. The size of Chinese mineral reserves is rated third largest in the world. China is also rich in oil and natural gas resources

Industries:
Services sector contributes 32% to the Chinese economy, industry contributes approximately 53% and the balance, 15% in agriculture and forestry

Main Export Products:
Machinery and equipment, clothing and toys

Main Export:
21% to the United States,17% to Hong Kong and approximately 14% to Japan

Main Import:
18% from Japan, 12% from Taiwan, 10% from South Korea. 8% from United States

Main Trading Partner:
United States, Japan and Taiwan

GDP - Per capita

Estimated at 5,000 dollars, low compared to the developed countries

Monthly Wage:

800 - 2,500 Yuan(between 30 - 97 dollars) as of April 2004. Average monthly salary in the financial sector as well as in business with foreign investments is very much higher.

Many small and medium sized companies that engage in OEM
manufacturing/outsourcing in China fail to take the steps necessary to
protect themselves. When problems arise, they can do little or nothing to
protect themselves because they have no legal basis for protection. The fact is that outsourcing disputes must be resolved in China, under the Chinese legal system. The Chinese legal system has improved greatly over the past ten years and taking
a few basic legal steps can greatly reduce your risk. The cost of such
protection is modest compared to the protection it will provide.

The following five basic steps will greatly reduce your problems with
Chinese manufacturers, while improving your chances of recovering should any
problems arise.

1. Create and properly register your intellectual property rights in
the United States. If you do not have a firm basis for your IP rights under
U.S. law, you will have nothing to protect in China. Before you go to
China, be sure your intellectual property is protected under U.S. law.
Protect your brand identity by creating and registering your trademark,
slogan and logo with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Register your
important copyrights with the U.S. Copyright Office. Carefully identify and
protect your trade secrets, proprietary information and know how.

2. Register your trademarks in China. Registration can protect your
future access to the Chinese market, prevent the export of counterfeit goods
from China, and prevent a competitor from registering your mark in China,
which would prohibit you from exporting your own product from China.

3. Use a written agreement to protect your know how and trade secrets
in China. Small and medium companies usually do not have an extensive
portfolio of patents. Their most valuable intangible assets typically are
their know how and trade secrets, which cannot be protected by formal
registration. Chinese law, however, permits companies to contractually
protect their know how and trade secrets by contract. Such agreements may also address issues such as non-competition and confidentiality. Without such a written
agreement, no such protection is available.

4. Product Quality and Payment Terms. The rule here is simple. Do not
make final payment to your Chinese manufacturer until you are confident you
will be getting an on time shipment of the correct items and quantities at
the quality standards you require. This usually means you must incur
inspection costs in China and provide for a clear procedure
for dealing with these problems as they arise. You must take the lead on
this. You cannot depend on the OEM manufacturer to do this for you.

5. Use comprehensive OEM Agreements with each manufacturer. Small and
medium sized businesses often enter into OEM manufacturing transactions with
a simple purchase order. This is a mistake. The purchase order will protect
the Chinese manufacturer, not you. Your protection depends on your securing
a written OEM manufacturing agreement with each Chinese manufacturer with
which you deal. The ideal OEM agreement will address all of the issues
discussed above while also addressing other basic legal issues such as
jurisdiction and dispute resolution. This agreement should be in both Chinese
and English, since the Chinese language version will control in China.

The story of the 12 animals zodiac in China

One day, Tian Di (The God Above) wanted to manage all animals on earth. He took out 12 chairs and told the cat to tell 11 other animals to go to the sky palace.

When the cat told the ox about it, the rat overheard the news. The rat was very angry and he ran as fast as he could to the palace. As a result he got there before the ox. Tian Di then let him sit on the first chair. The ox took the second seat. Then the tiger, the rabbit all came and settled on the chairs. From then onwards, the rat comes the first in the zodiac cycle. The cat was not in the cycle because he went to tell other animals. Ever since, the cat is not in the zodiac cycle.

The truth is that cats are not originated from China but just imported from overseas. That is another reason why cats are not included in the animals zodiac.

In fact, different countries consist of different animals. India has lions whilst Egypt has cats.

In the Chinese animal zodiac, different animals have different characteristics.

Rat - Though it has nature of stealing. It is smart and has good
Ox - It is hard-working and ask for little.
Tiger - It is brave, strong, and is the king of all animals.
Rabbit - It is cute and loved by children. It runs very fast.
Dragon - The only imaginary animal. Only kings can be referred to as dragon. After all these years, people have come up with this description of a dragon: deer horn, fish scales, snake body, chicken feet and phoenix tail. And all Chinese people are the offspring of dragon.
Snake - Also known as little dragon. Snakes are known to be devilish because of
its poisonous nature. However, snakes are very useful, particularly its gall bladder, which is a very healthy medicine in China.
Horse - The fastest running animal. Before people invented vehicles, horses
were the only transportation tool.
Ram - An animal symbolizes submissiveness and good luck.
Monkey - Clever, like humans. It is often used to describe smart and clever children.
Cock - Hens are very protective to their chicks.
Dog - Although dogs are highly respected in the west and loyal to their masters,
in China, they are rude and not respectful. Chinese consider them not a cute animal.
Pig - The last one in the cycle. It is slow and lazy though they are clever.

It is believed that people born in different animal years would carry their characteristics and this would affect the person's life. That is why the year of the dragon is highly favoured since people want their children to be as respectful as a dragon.

Everyone wants the latest handbags of Chanel, Vuitton, Hermes, Dior, Luella or Balenciaga as seen recently in fashion magazines but not everyone can afford to spend hundreds of dollars to buy these accessories. Therefore, some women turn to online stores to look for the 'perfect'replica.Many websites offer these handbags but a few are of quality. Now the question is : Whats a good replica? A good replica is not as cheap as $30, there is no secret to it.A quality 100% leather handbag will, whatever the brandname, never sell as low as $30, evenless a quality replica.Why? Number one reason, thats leather,not plastic.Number two, running replica business involves high cost at all levels, for the manufacturer, wholesaler, etc...because you cannot ship overseas carton boxes of fake Vuitton, Chanel, Hermes,Dior, or Luella without bribing a network of people such as a few custom officers, local authorities, police,etc before its reaching its customers on the american or european market...therefore, the price supports this 'extra' cost.Now, where the good replicas come from? Thailand, China, Vietnam, Korea? Thailand and Vietnam offer cheap replicas that's matching its retail price.China is the most active these days at trying to flood the market with its replicas but the quality is still far beyond the level of excellence the Korean fakes have reached and maintained for years now.These days there is a frenzy over 'chinese replicas' which is based on nothing but rumors than the old China is successful at everything it does.I invite everyone to test them as i have myself tried to contact these market's newcomers, they are basically using old techniques some have used in western world a few years back, they send you pictures stolen from various websites, take only minimum orders of 10 pieces that they promise to give excellent price for but if you want a 'sample' the pricing is outrageous.Some do have websites, ugly distort pictures on which you cant see a thing, no pricing, just a short sentence saying to contact them by email, no description of the product,etc...Then try to contact them and ask for questions, its unlikely that one will receive precise answers.Now try to order,3 weeks almost for a 'sample' order, thats a bit too much for entering serious business with one.And what do you receive for that price? Something anyone could get here on the local market, a cheap, cheap replica. Is this the new Eldorado? I dont believe so and prefer to stay true to Koreans who ,committed to sell quality items at reasonable price,fulfill deals by ensuring timely delivery.Koreans are still the best at making replicas and for contracting with at 'no surprise' cost.

China manufacturer of cooler bags,beach bags,sport bags,camera bags,pvc wallets,school bags,trolley bags,backpack,pp bags

cellsina communications, mobile phone accessories manufacturer and exporter from china ,mobile phone accessories, spare parts, lcd, data cable, repairing tools, flash and fancy accessories

TRUSTTEL.COM is a specialised manufacturer and exporter of mobile phone accessories based at Hong Kong and China. We provide a broad range of products and services related to mobile phone and mobile phone accessories.Our current activities include manufacture, export of cellular phone accessories for the GSM,CDMA.TDMA,AMPS systems,Our products includes mobile phone battery packs, mobile phone chargers, mobile phone housings/faceplate/panels, mobile phone holders,Mobile phone covers,mobile phone repair parts and other fancy products related to mobile phones.We also manufacture/export a wide range of fancy and colorful housings/FACE PLATES/PANELS in a variety of designs and models. We also handle cellular phone components such as L.C.Ds, LED, I.Cs, Speakers, Mics, Keypads, Lenses, Repairing tools, Tool Kits and other parts and components.As a RELIABLE and EFFICIENT OEM partner, we do manufacture all kinds of cellular accessories to your specifications and designs. Try us and you will see that we at TRUSTTEL.COM ,take UTMOST CARE to ensure QUALITY, FAST DELIVERY and overallefficiency in meeting your requirements

WEB:youngmancn.com/xiawei/ We are manufacturer and exporter high qulity product:flotion chemicals, Sodium ethyl xanthate(SEX),Sodium iso-propyl xanthate(SIPX),Pine oil ,etc..

China is a huge place, of that there is no doubt. With over 1.3 billion people it faces enormous pressures and challenges that only the people of Asia and the subcontinent can truly understand.

This was brought home to me again recently when talking to a Kazakh friend of mine in Shanghai about the Avarian “Bird” disease currently threatening China. All this very intelligent and educated man could offer as to the why’s and where’s was the intonation “too many people, too many people”

This ‘analysis” may sound simplistic to the scientists and medical experts who attempt to understand and contain the spread of this disease but, sometimes, simple analysis is best.

China has huge problems as a result of population pressure. People need to be fed, employed, clothed, warmed, transported and made to feel secure. As the P.R.C. officials have said on countless occasions, in part justification of it’s Human Rights record, is that the idea of widespread unrest and lawlessness in a country with the population the size of China’s is unthinkable.

China is starving for fuel, it is short of many resources, it is sinking in it’s own pollution, hygiene is poor and it’s environment and natural resources are being degraded at a rapid rate. The threat of Avarian disease, SARS or any number of untold other diseases is very, very real.

Add to this the challenge of having 56 ethnic groups within it’s boundaries and large representations of the major world religions, often than not, very different in ideology and outlook to each other.

The sum result is an unbelievable challenge for any government and, one that you can not help but think, would be beyond the capabilities of a totally democratic government in the Westminster style.

As commentators and analysts, especially those of us with a Human Rights bent, we can so easily fall into the trap of, for want of better words, “China Bashing”. That very comfortable zone where it is easy to provide criticism but rarely put forward solutions.

The P.R.C. say that we are witnessing the birth of a “New China”, a China that will take her place in the world as an equal and be able to hold her head high in the company of her peers.

Certainly her rhetoric is there and sometimes we must state our goals before they can be realised. There is a time delay between when we say “we are going to” and the time we can say “we have done”

I think we must accept that China does truly wish to evolve. Students of International Politics and followers of Machiavellian theories can and will offer arguments to the contrary, of that I am certain. As wise people we must listen to their arguments. It is certainly not unknown in history that nation states can say one thing and mean another, something Neville Chamberlain learnt to his eternal chagrin..

But if we work on the premise that this is a true and genuine intention on behalf of the P.R.C. then we must act differently. We must give the benefit of the doubt.

But like a New Years Resolution we sometimes need a little egging on or, even, not so gentle reminders as to our flagging resolve or lack of urgency.

Despite our being able to emphasise with China’s unique problems we must still maintain the pressure on China over human rights violations and remind her, as a friend would, of her resolutions and pronouncements.

Yes! China we understand your difficulties, we emphasise with the challenges you face and the difficulty of the job at hand. We realise that the Titanic can not be turned on a sixpence, that in many echelons below your Politburo there are people very set in their ways.

But China, you must sometimes give before you receive. You must be seen to be at least trying and unfortunately, in the area of Human Rights, you are still not seen to be.

We want to welcome you into our bosom but you can not expect to be received as an equal when you maintain your programmes of oppression, victimisation and worse against the likes of the Uygurs and the Tibetans.

China, how can you expect us to shake your hand as a friend when it continues to be sullied with the blood of your peoples?

Author is the publisher of http://uygurletter.blogspot.com

On December 15, the People's Republic of China commenced a series of press releases on "Uygur Terrorism" in which they "publicly" and for the "first time" identified Uygur organisations and individuals that they claim to be terrorists.

The Uygur are a Turkic/Muslim ethnic group numbering some 7 million who live mainly in the economically and strategically important north western border region known as Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

A Caucasian race and speaking the Turkic language the Uygur have long harbored sentiments of independence and there were several isolated incidences of violence perpetrated in the 1990s by individuals or small groups claiming to represent this cause. More realistically today the Uygur generally seek nothing more than greater autonomy and cultural integrity within the PRC

The Chinese have repeatedly claimed that there existed several well organised and active "separatist/ terrorist" organisations whose objective were for the Uygur to gain independence from China and the establishment of the state of East Turkestan.

They have attributed some 400 terrorist acts to these groups which they claim have resulted in 200 deaths and 400 injured to these groups since 1990.

On the basis of this "organised" and "ongoing" terrorist activity the PRC has very heavily cracked down on any form of dissent, rights of association, free speech and religious freedom. Amnesty International, among other groups and commentators, has claimed numerous incidence of unlawful detention, prison sentences and even executions in the name of the "War on Terrorism".

It is also claimed, by some who are knowledgeable in the "Uygur Question", that like some other states in Central Asia and elsewhere, China have used the events of "9/11" and the subsequent "War on Terrorism" to mask ongoing and premeditated attacks on this ethnic group. By bringing their policies concerning the Uygur under the banner of The "War" they have been successful in achieving their objectives without international scrutiny, and further, in fact, the likes of the US have turned a "blind eye" to these activities as a trade off for Chinese support.

Among the organisations listed in these series of press releases was the "East Turkestan Islamic Movement" a little known group who had been listed in 2002 as an internationally recognised terrorist organisation by the UN as a result of lobbying by China and supported by the United States.

The press releases claimed the leader of this so called terrorist group was one Hassan Mahsun an Uygur living in exile who, it was further claimed, had strong ties to Al Qaida and had masterminded, among other things, several bomb attacks within China. These claims had been refuted by Mahsun in several prior interviews.

These were the events of December 15 2003.

On December 23 2003 it was reported by the BBC that Mahsun was killed in October 2003 by Pakistani soldiers in a raid on a suspected Al Qaida hideout in South Waziristan, Pakistan. It was further reported that the Chinese Government were involved in making positive identification of the body through DNA testing.

On the same day the Chinese newspaper Xinhua ran a similar story. Later that day Xinhua edited out all links to the story claiming it had been withdrawn because of it's "sensitive nature". (Yahoo News)
How then does the PRC release fairly significant press statements identifying the virtual "Bin Laden" of Uygur terrorists groups when they supposedly actively participated in his bodies identification in October? Why was the Xinhua article cut?

It would seem that these events give strong credence to the arguments that the PRC is waging a calculated and pre-meditated campaign against the Uygur. At the very least it raises some very serious questions.

How could this happen? Perhaps because the press release was written well in advance and set for release at a particular opportune time?

Does the cutting of the Xinhua article prove that the PRC recognises it's fairly significant mistake?

Does the fact that this mistake was allowed to occur prove that the case for the existence of Uygur terrorism argued by the PRC is not taken seriously enough, even by them, to the point that the death of China's "Bin Laden" is of so little consequence?

These questions raise very serious doubts about the Chinese claims as to the existence of Uygur terrorist groups and in doing so suggests that the Chinese "War on Terorism" is in fact a war on the Uygur and their human rights.

It also casts serious doubts on the US's and other countries' foreign policy towards China ( and other countries for that matter) in respect of human rights violations in the name of the "War on Terrorism".

In pursuit of the objectives embodied in the "War on Terrorism" are we "throwing the baby out with the bath water"?

The Chinese Language and dialects
Each province, each city and even each village speaks their own dialect. There are hundreds of Chinese dialects in China so much so that each dialect speaker is not likely to understand another dialect speaker from another village or city. Fortunately, Mandarin, the official dialect, is understood by all dialect speakers.

Let's learn a few useful basic and common Mandarin words and phrases that will help you break barriers with your Chinese friends.

How are You? -Ni Hao Ma

Also commonly shorten to Ni Hao.

This is likely to be the first Mandarin phrase that you will ever learn. Useful as a greeting or a ice-breaker. Suitable for use with all ages and professions.

Thank You -Xie Xie.

Another polite term that is easy to remember and use.

Very Good -Hen Hao.

This is useful when giving praise for a job or task well done. Also useful as a reply to anyone who says "Ni Hao Ma?' to you.

Ni Hao Ma? -How are you?

Hen Hao (Very Good)

No Good -Bu Hao

This is useful when there is a need to comment on a shoddy or incomplete job or task. Can also be used as a reply to Ni Hao Ma? but may not be such a good reply.

Ni Hao Ma? -How are you?-

Bu Hao (No Good)

Very Expensive -Hen Gui.

When bargaining at the shops, this is the best term to use when driving a hard bargain.

Don't want or -No Bu Yao.

This is the best term to use for touts - street hawkers who approach you at every tourist stop to ask you to buy things. Bu Yao....will stop them in their track.

This is beautiful -Hen Piao Liang.

Use this phrase to praise something that is nice or beautiful. May also be used when meeting a pretty girl too!

Taxi -De Shi.

De Shi is the correct term but you should be understood even if you use the English word for Taxi. They sound alike anyway.

Good Bye or See You Again -Zai Jian.

Well, I guess this is another term that will be easily understood even if the English word is used.

Excuse Me -Jie Guo.

There is always a crowd in touristy areas. There are so many Chinese who wants to see the same monuments too. Rather than push your way through the crowd, using the term Jie Guo may just open the path ahead for you!

Receipt -Fa Piao.

Always ask for the receipt or Fa Piao at the shops or from a taxi. This may be useful if you need to complain about a fraud or shoddy product. Also useful if you leave behind your bag or camera in the taxi.

I don't want -Wo Bu Yao.

Useful when refusing a tout or when offered a drink too many at the Dinner table.

Please visit us at: http://www.chinese-culture.net for more such useful aticles.

Imagine yourself lying flat on your back, totally strapped down onto a cold, hard table, unable to move any part of your body. You can’t see anything around you because your eyes are covered. You find yourself imprisoned by the enemy and you have no where to go for help. The room is silent except for the slow, steady, drops of water that fall on your forehead.

The longer you lay there, the more uncomfortable you feel. Your body tenses up after each drop of water as you anticipate the next one coming. Your nerves feel frayed as you find yourself helpless and powerless to get out of this situation! You’re not sure how much more of this you can take before you lose all sense of sanity. This is exactly what it feels like to a parent whose child constantly argues or whines.

Parents unknowingly become ambushed by their argumentative and/or whining children. It begins when the parent says something like, “No, you can’t do that today” and the child refuses to accept the parent’s edict. The moment the child begins arguing, he’s arming himself with all the reasons he has not to listen to his parent. He is totally focused on getting his way. When a parent argues back to a child, he or she has forgotten who is in control.

Why? Successful parents know better than to get into an argument with their child. It shows the child the parent can be manipulated and swayed. When a parent and child face off and argue with one another, they create a battle ground of wills. The ambush for parents begins when the parent answers back to the arguing child. An invisible web then covers the parent, taking away some of his freedom. The more the parent argues, the stronger the web becomes, draining the parent’s energy and taking away his control.

The unfortunate part of this plight is that it leaves no winners. Arguing causes one’s blood pressure goes up as the heart beats faster. Muscles in the face and chest begin to tense. There’s shortness of breath as the body reacts to the rising emotional feelings. If the parent wins the argument, the child loses and feels angry at the parent, instead of looking at how he created this situation. When the child wins the argument, the parent loses his place of control and power in the relationship. This damages the sense of safety the child has. He needs to know his parent is stronger than he is so he’ll be taken care of and kept safe by his parent.

Every time an argument begins to take place, the parent has the emotional memory of past arguments and how unpleasant they were. He may move immediately into a defensive posture, preparing for an ambush. He’s determined not to go through the torture of arguing again. Or, he may immediately feel himself drained of energy. He’s unsure of himself, afraid of losing control. Either way, the lurking fear of being captured, and the torture that could await him whispers in his mind.

How can a parent avoid getting into this painful predicament?
Do not allow yourself to become ambushed by your child’s words. When the arguing starts, look your child in the eye and softly say, “I love you too much to argue” and then quickly walk away. As you do, see yourself fleeing toward freedom; no more bondage and torture. You have set yourself free and are once again in control of your children.

There are quite a few traditional utensils that have been used in cook

There are quite a few traditional utensils that have been used in cooking for thousands of years in China. Some of them are still seen in most of families, some can only be seen in rural areas, or may be disappearing in the modern world. But to cook authentic Chinese food that always tastes like grandma's, some of the utensils simply cannot be replaced by what you see in American stores.

Chinese Wok

Deep pan with round bottom used in several ways. Comes in iron, stainless and stainless with layer of copper on the bottom. Iron heats most evenly, but should be seasoned before using or food will stick.

To season: Fill pan with water. Add soap and soda and bring to boil. Pour off water, wipe dry. Place pan over strong heat. Add oil and rotate till pan is coated. Pour off excess oil. Place pan over weak fire and wipe with dry cloth.

To clean: After using pan, wash while still hot. Wipe and place over heat to dry completely.

Knife

Heavy and wide. All purpose - for paring, cutting, slicing, chopping and carving.

Iron Palette

Comes in square or round front. Rounded ones are easier to use with Chinese wok. Use for frying, sautéing and basting.

Iron Spoon

Use back side for mixing food with minimum breakage.

Steamer

Used for steaming buns, chicken, meat, fish. Place over Chinese wok filled with boiling water. Buy one size smaller than wok. There are new styles of steamers on the market made of different materials. But Chinese believe that the traditional steamer works the best.

Slotted Spoon

Used for deep frying and boiling to get rid of excess oil or water.

Wire Sieve

With handle. Used for boiling noodles, dumplings, etc.

Steamers for Pastries

Small in size - about 15cm (6") in diameter. Used in same method as large steamer. Serve hot pastries in steamers. Typical foods served are small meat buns (small steamer meat buns, or Xiao Long Bao Zi), steamed meat dumplings (Shao Mai), etc.

Moulds for cookies

Made from wood with various carved designs. No longer popular in the modern society since people tend to buy cookies off the shelf. Some may still use the moulds for major holidays, or just Chinese New Year.

Bamboo Brush

Used for washing hot wok. Guess only people in some rural areas still use this type of brush. More people use regular washing cloth found on market.

Rolling Pin

Used for preparing noodles, dumpling skins, Chinese pancakes, and more. With the busy daily life nowadays, most of time people choose to buy ready to cook fresh noodles and dumpling skins from the small vendors seen on the street to save us time. Choose ones made from sturdy wood.

Copyrighted: You may freely republish this article as long as author bio and active hyperlinks are kept intact.

Sauces and spices are the key in any cooking. No dishes would taste go

Sauces and spices are the key in any cooking. No dishes would taste good without them. The only exception is that some sea animals can be simply steamed or boiled before serve. Well, that is because they are salty already in their body. Imagine eating steamed river shrimp? I wouldn't bother!

I'd like to introduce some of the most popular sauces and spices that we use everyday. You may already know some of them, but I bet you haven't heard of others.

Sauces

Bean Curd Sauce (Dou Fu Ru):
Fermented bean curd, rich in proteins. May be kept for fairly long time. Comes in two types - red and white. Red is typically used to cook Braised Pork. White tastes spicy and is normally used as a side dish along with noodles, buns, or congee. Some like to serve with soy sauce and vinegar for meat dumplings, hot pot dishes, and others. Favored by north and west of China.

Oyster Sauce:
Oil from oyster. Heavily salted. Use sparingly for sautéed dishes. Popular in Hong Kong, Cantoon (Guang Dong, to be exact), and some areas in south of China while not used at all in north and west of China except for hotels and some restaurants.

Shrimp Sauce:
Oil from salted baby shrimp dried and fermented. Use sparingly for sautéed dishes. Used heavily for dishes from south of China.

Sesame Sauce (Zhi Ma Jiang):
Ground sesame seed with strong flavor. Used for cold dishes.

Hot Pepper & Bean Sauce:
Hot sauce made from combination of hot spices and beans. Red or brown in color. Use sparingly in sauteed dishes or cold dishes. In north, people often mix this sauce to stir fried minced meat and serve with noodles (make it Noodles with Meat Sauce).

Hot Pepper Oil:
Made from sesame oil and red pepper. Serve with meat dumplings, buns, etc.

Sesame Oil:
Flavor is too strong for use in frying and sautéing. Use only for enhancing flavor of cooked and cold dishes, noodles, hot pot sauce, soups, etc.

JiangXi Vinegar:
A special vinegar produced in JiangXi province. Light amber in color with a distinctive fragrance. Use for meat dumplings and cold dishes.

Spices

Star Fennel:
Shaped like eight cornered star, brown in color. Use for cooking with chicken, meat, offal and fish.

Anise Pepper:
Dried brown round spice. Added sparingly in chicken and meat can remove the unpleasant smell (fishy smell). Can also be used for making pickles or even some deserts.

Five Flavored Powder:
A mixture of anise pepper, star fennel, clove, cinnamon, and dried tangerine peel. Sparingly used in cooking fish and meat.

Pepper Salt:
Mixture of anise pepper powder with salt. Serve with fried chicken, meat, and fish.

(c)Copyrighted: You may freely republish this article as long as author bio and active hyperlinks are kept intact.

I have briefly introduced two most classic and expensive Chinese cooki

I have briefly introduced two most classic and expensive Chinese cooking ingredients (shark fins and bird's nest) in my previous article. Here I'll continue to introduce some other special ingredients that are more regularly used in our daily cooking. They are far more affordable. Not like shark fins and bird's nest, people can only dream about in China unless you have plenty of money and don't know where to spend.

Jellyfish

Jellyfish is preserved in salt and alum. Large, thin and translucent ones are especially good served as appetizer. It is produced in the South Seas and along seaboards of China, Korea and Japan. The South Seas product is considered to be of the best quality.

Method of Preparation

1. Soak jellyfish over night, change water and soak for one more day.
2. Roll the jellyfish up and shred
3. Dip in boiling water for a few seconds and quickly rinse in cold water and drain.
4. Season with vinegar, salt and sugar. Serve
   Note: There are many other ways to cook jellyfish

Preserved Eggs

Duck eggs thickly coated with a mixture of salt, lime and rice husks are preserved in a cool, dark place for about three months. The interior becomes brownish black in color due to fermentation. Remove lime crust and shell, rinse clean, cut lengthwise into six pieces and serve wit shredded ginger, vinegar and soy sauce as an appetizer.

Chinese business culture and etiquette
The Chinese business practice is vastly different from the Western method that most of us may be used to. Of course, with the Chinese economy opening up, China's joining of WTO and the Olympics in 2008, many Chinese business practice are now beginning to align with more conventional methods.

However, China will always have their own unique business culture and etiquette, given their unique history and background.

"I was recently involved in a business meeting that went sour and threatened to scuttle a good deal. What happened was that the Chinese party recieving the American purchaser was late in reaching his hotel. The American was furious as he had a tight schedule and that they were late and threatened to withdraw his purchase.

The Chinese party was late because they were given a vague address of a lake-side hotel. You see, what happened was that the American gave his hotel as Lakeside hotel. Unfortunately, there were numerous hotels along the lake but the Chinese were too shy to enquire which lakeside hotel earlier because they were afraid the American would 'lose face' for having given a vague address. Instead, they spent the morning hopping from one lakeside hotel to another looking for this American gentleman."

A simple cultural difference threatened to scuttle a perfectly good working relationship. To avoid similar cultural disasters, here are some tips on how you can conduct a more successful business in China.

The initial approach
Chinese business are mostly referrals; essentially a business relationship is struck based on another business associate recommendation. The best prices and deals often comes from a strong recommendation.

However, it is common today for cold calls and direct contacts, given the availability of the internet and the competitive nature of Chinese businesses. You may source from the internet, trade fairs, catalogues and brochures, advertisements and approach the Chinese companies directly through a call or email.

Alternatively, if you are seeking to invest in a factory in China, you can approach a investment committee or a business advisory directly. They will be able to advise you on your best location based on your industry, raw material and manpower needs. Please contact us directly if you have such a need and we'll be glad to advise accordingly.

Relationship
Chinese business relationship inevitably becomes a social relationship after a while. Unlike Western business relationship which remains professional and perhaps, aloof, even after a long time, Chinese business relationship becomes a social one.

The more you share your personal life, including family, hobbies, political views, aspirations, the closer you are in your business relationship. Sometimes, a lot of time is spent discussing matters outside of business, but then a lot of time, the other party is also making up his mind about your deal based on how much he sees your personal relationship with him.

Seniority
Seniority is very important to the Chinese especially if you are dealing with a State owned or government body. Instead of addressing the other party as Mr or Mrs so and so, it is always appropriate to address the other party by his designation ie Chairman So and So, Director So and So or Manager So and So.

When giving out namecards or brochures, make sure you start with the most senior person before moving down the line. When giving out a namecard or recieving one, ensure that you are stretching out with both hands with the card. Remember to face the card you are giving out in a manner such that the recieving party gets it facing him correctly.

Giving Face
Giving face (aka giving due respect) is a very important concept in China. You must give the appropriate respect according to rank and seniority. For example, if you are buying gifts for an initial contact, make sure you buy better gifts for the senior managers instead of buying similar gifts across the board.

Similarly, sitting positions in a meeting room or a dining table is accorded accordingly to rank, importance and seniority. It is good to seek advice before embarking on your first meeting with Chinese business contacts to avoid making the wrong move.

Gifts and Presents
Unlike earlier days when China was very poor, gifts, especially of Western origin was especially appreciated. Today, China produces and imports almost anything imaginable and gifts are no longer a novelty.

However, gifts are always appreciated and especially in the smaller cities or towns, will continue to play an important part in your business relationship. Do note that if you are indeed giving gifts, make sure the senior people get a better gift or at least gifts perceived to have a higher value than their junior staff.

Similarly, expect to recieve gifts from the Chinese, especially Chinese art products. It is polite not to refuse, especially if it is not of too high a monetary value.

Lunch/Dinner
There is no business talk in China without at least one trip to a restaurant. Sometimes, a trip is made to the restaurant even before any business discussion take place! Inevitably, the restaurant will always be a grand one and you are likely to be hosted in a private room.

There is an elaborate seating arrangement for a Chinese business meal. There are fixed seating positions for the host and the guest and then they are seated again according to seniority. This is a very important aspect of a formal dinner and it is important that you follow the rules accordingly. However, it seems that the Northern Chinese are very particular to this formal seating arrangement while the Southern Chinese has loosen the formalities somewhat.

You may like to find out more this interesting China Book at: http://www.chinese-culture.net/html/posted_to_china.html

Drinking with the Chinese
The Chinese are big drinkers especially in Northern and Western China. It does not matter if it is lunch or dinner; as long as a meal is being hosted, there will be alcohol.

Chinese wine is the favourite, followed by red wine and beer. Chinese wine is more like fuel than liquor, having a alcohol concentration as high as 60%! No matter how good a drinker you may think of yourself, never, ever challenge a Chinese into a drinking contest. They will win, hands down!

It is often seen as rude not to drink with the Chinese in a formal dinner. To maintain your sanity, either claim to be a non alcoholic or plead medical grounds as an excuse. This will let you off the hook with little or minimal drinks. Better yet, bring a partner who can drink on your behalf!

After Dinner Entertainment
Formal business dinner normally drags for quite sometime as there will be much social talk, some karoake, and drinking contests. Most of the time, everyone is too drunk to indulge in further entertainment after a dinner. In addition, if you are just new to this partnership, you are unlikely to be invited to further after dinner entertainment.

However, once you are familiar with them, you may be invited to a Karaoke, or a Night Club, or a Suana. Do note that if they are the host for the night, all bills will be picked up by them for the night, including all entertainment. It is impolite to fight for the bill or worst, split the bills.

Similarly, if you are the host for the night, you are expected to pick up all bills for the night.

Controversial Issues
There are some taboo areas in social conversations with the Chinese. Try to avoid these conversational topics as much as possible. I have seen many nasty arguements as a result of these topics:

1. You must not mention that Taiwan is an independent state or a country.
2. You must NEVER praise the Japanese or be seen to be good buddies with them
3. You can condemn Mao Tse Tung but avoid critising Deng Hsiao Ping
4. You must not praise Shanghai in front of natives of Beijing and similarly vice versa

Other than that, you are pretty safe to converse with the Chinese anything under the sun!

For more information about Chinese business culture and etiquette, check out our website at: http://www.chinese-culture.net. Or email us for further information.

The eight-treasure rice pudding is a well known traditional Chinese dessert, cooked with sticky rice and 8 different freshly dried fruits (typically called dates here in general) and nuts. This food has been through several thousand years and spreads the entire nation. The ingredients used in each place are largely identical but with minor differences. The eight-treasure rice pudding from south of Yangtse River is one of the most well-known varieties and has become a delicacy in Chinese traditional banquet.

Ingredients:
a). For step 1 & 2:

• 2 cups (320g, or 11 oz.) glutinous rice (sticky rice)


• 2 cups (400 cc) water


• 1 tablespoon lard (another key ingredient, do not replace it with other oil)


• 4 tablespoons sugar

• lotus seed


• candied cherries


• dried dates
  
  Small amount for each, or any amount you prefer

• 300g (10 oz.) red sieved bean (mashed bean)


• 3 tablespoons lard


• 1 cup (200cc) water


• 6 tablespoons sugar


• 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch

1. Wash and soak glutinous rice 5 ~ 6 hours. Drain. Add proper amount of water. Steam for 1 hour.


2. Add sugar and lard to rice while hot. Mix well.


3. Sieve bean, add lard and sugar. Mix well.


4. Chop dried fruits. Coat deep bowl with lard. Arrange fruits to be displayed attractively.


5. Place rice in bowl. Add bean filling in center. Close with remaining rice. Steam again for 15 minutes.


6. Place plate over bowl. Turn over (rice is now on the plate). Boil 6 tablespoons sugar with 1 cup water. Thicken with cornstarch diluted with water. Pour over pudding and serve hot.

Chi Kung and T'ai Chi are only two of the keys to self trust and to physical harmony. With the use of these techniques you can succeed with many accomplishments, without having to put yourself through great psychological or physical efforts, violent conflicts or aggression. You may be sure that, once you dominate the genuine laws of the universe, which you assimilate by these methods, it will be impossible for you to be dominated by someone else.

Chi Kung – the art of internal harmony

Chi Kung is a philosophical system at least 5000 old, which made survived through all those the centuries, to become very popular at the beginning of this millennium. This art of the vital energy is the most advanced and complex method of improving health and longevity, by offering a feeling of harmony with yourself and with the surrounding world. The four main principles of this technique are: the mind, the eyes, the movement and the breathing.

The mind represents the intention, the eyes are considered the focusing of intention, the movement is the action of intention and the breathing is the flood of intention. It obviously takes time and practice to understand their dynamics fully.

The benefits which result from practicing Chi Kung can be divided into five:

1. Curing illnesses, and a general improvement in health;

2. Gaining an increase in vitality, and the development of your internal force;

3. Prolonging youth;

4. Cultivation of the mind and intellectual capacities; and,

5. Spiritual progress.

According to Chinese medicine, various diseases can be the result of such human characteristics as anger, sadness, joy, harmony and optimism deficit. All these factors, coupled with poor diet and nourishment, cause Chiu – the vital energy – either to diminish, or to be present in only certain parts of your body. By practicing Chi Kung you can learn to be more conscious of what’s going on in your inner universe, and to build yourself a defensive system against the disequilibrium, which affects your vital force.

The harmony of breathing, and the agility obtained without efforts during the training sessions, confer a better concentration and a fast recovery from stress, tiredness, by inviting you to meditation.

T'ai Chi Chu'an – the wonder dance

You have probably seen on TV that in China, very early in the morning, hundreds of people, in large groups or alone, perform apparently weird movements out in the open. This exercise, with waving movements, is an ancestral inheritance. The eternity of the universe, and the rhythm of its permanent changes, have brought about the idea that the human being can become immortal, if only he adapts to and follows this rhythm. This technique represents a putting into practice of the subtle side of the human being (spiritual evolution, mental control etc) and the physical side (muscles, articulation, bones etc).

Whenever you feel intellectually or physically tired, T'ai Chi Chu'an gives you the possibility to gain back, in only a few minutes, your strength and your harmony.

There are also other Chinese arts whose efficiency has been proven over the centuries, so why not attend Chinese seminars, or search the internet, in order to get more information, whenever you have the chance? It is a move you may well benefit from, in body, mind and spirit.

Imagine having a great time playing with just a simple piece of elastic string! Chinese Jump Rope is a jumping game popular around the world!

Chinese Jump Rope found me as a child and once again, through my profession as a physical educator. The game is funny like that, popping up from generation to generation, verbally passed from one to another like a folk tale.

Chinese Jump Rope is a challenging game played by anyone anywhere.

The simple rules test the skill and coordination of all players. An elastic rope is the only equipment needed for play. The game is easily learned and always fun!

Chinese children first played Chinese Jump Rope in the 7th century. Rediscovered by English children in the 1960's, Chinese Jump Rope remains as popular as ever.

Chinese Jump Rope is no ordinary "rope skipping" game. "Enders" hold an elastic rope while a "jumper" jumps the rope in special ways. The challenge? To jump successfully!

RULES

A Jumper jumps until a jumping mistake or "miss" is made.

-A miss can be made if a jumper jumps "out" instead of "in".

-A miss is also made if a jumper touches the rope incorrectly while jumping the game.

After a miss, the jumper trades positions with an ender.

The jumper starts from the very beginning of the game on the next turn.

Every Chinese Jump Rope game begins with the rope held in basic position.

Enders:

1. Face each other and step inside the rope.

2. Place the rope around the ankles.

3. Step back until the rope is stretched.

Two parallel jumping lines, about 12 inches (30cm)apart, are stretched between the enders.

The jumper stands outside the rope, ready to play.

Simple words describe simple CJR jumping steps!

"IN"

Jump both feet inside the rope.

"ON"

Jump both feet on top of the rope. The left foot lands on the left rope; the right foot lands on the right foot.

"OUT"

Jump both feet from the middle to the outside of the rope. Feet land together on one side.

"SIDE OUT"

Jump over both ropes from one side. Both feet land together on the other side of the rope.

"STRADDLE OUT"

Jump a straddle! The left foot lands outside the left side of the rope. The right foot lands outside the right side of the rope.

"SIDE-BY-SIDE"

Jump quickly side-to-side. Both feet start "out" one side of the ropes.

-Jump side: The left foot lands outside the left rope. The right foot lands inside the rope.

-Jump side again quickly: The left foot lands inside the rope. The right foot lands outside the right rope.

Jumpers call the steps out loud while jumping. Calling helps the jumper remember the "pattern" of the jumps!

Practice "jumping steps" with these simple jumping games!

JUMP 1:
IN.. OUT.. SIDE-BY-SIDE.. ON.. IN.. OUT

JUMP 2:
IN.. STRADDLE OUT.. SIDE-BY-SIDE.. IN.. OUT.. SIDE OUT

JUMP 3:
SIDE OUT.. SIDE OUT.. ON.. SIDE OUT.. SIDE OUT.. ON .. SIDE OUT

JUMP 4:
SIDE-BY-SIDE.. IN.. STRADDLE OUT.. IN.. ON.. SIDE OUT

No enders around to hold the rope? Draw two parallel chalk lines on a play surface (sidewalk, concrete, pavement).

Happy jumping!

With China covering the immense land within its boundaries, it is no surprise that there are many regional variations in Chinese cuisine. Traditionally, Chinese cooking is divided into five styles of regional cuisines. It is headed by the 3 great schools of Peking to the north, Szechuan to the west, and Chekiang-Kiangsu to the east. Fukien and Canton, of lesser importance cover the southern region.

Peking: the northern cuisine

The northern China presents a great contrast to the rest of the country. The North China Plain, edged by mountains to the north, stretches away in the west to the borders of Inner Mongolia, and is crossed by the infamous Yellow River . Due to its location, the climate is harsh for much of the year. The spring is dry and dusty, the summer is hot and wet, and the fall is calm, dry, and sunny, while the winter is long and freezing cold. It is dramatically subject to drought from the failure of the late spring rains and to flood when the Yellow River, for centuries unstable in its bed, floods over into the low-lying countryside. Thus, the lives and diets of the people living in this region are dictated by these seasons.

Wheat is the staple food, as opposed to rice in the rest of China, due to the harsh climate making it unsuitable to grow rice. Wheat flour is used to make dumplings, breads, steamed buns, noodles and large Chinese biscuits/pancakes. Meat is much more of a luxury up here, mostly eaten during festival times. Mutton and lamb are popular, most likely due to the influence of the neighboring Mongolians. Most northern family meals are dominated by vegetable dishes for economical reasons. Chinese cabbage is the most popular vegetable, as it is most suited to be stored over the winter. Dishes in general are much more plain, solid and nourishing. Soy sauce is used very generously. The use of leeks, onions, garlic, salted and pickled vegetables such as turnips, white radish and cabbages are important items in a rather monotonous diet.

Peking, which lies to the northern corner of the region, has been the capital of China since the 15th century. It is the land of fried bean curd (tofu) and water chestnuts. With it being the capital, and the city of the emperor's residence, it is the only area in the region where the availability and the variety of food is abundant. The Imperial chefs were compensated handsomely, and along with the large, wealthy market in the capital, the infusion of gourmet chefs from all over China brought about a great concentration of culinary expertise in Peking . This tradition is what characterizes Peking cuisine today, which is lighter and more elegant than that of the outlying regions. The greatest delicacy of the region is, of course, the elaborate, world-renowned dish Peking duck. In Peking, ducks are specially bred for this dish and force fed to just the right degree of plumpness and tenderness in preparation for this dish.

In the part 2 of this 4 part series, we will cover Szechuan: the western cuisine.

I always knew my Oriental wife was Jewish; after all, she grew up eating Chinese food!

I grew up in a Jewish neighbourhood of Montreal. My mother is Sephardic Italian and my father is a Holocaust survivor from Poland. I speak Italian with my mother and Yiddish with my father and siblings. My wife, Belinda Cheung, was born and raised in Hong Kong and came to Canada when she was 17.

I married Belinda in 1999. Our marriage has been working wonderfully well. Despite our cultural differences, our worldviews and approaches to life are remarkably identical. We are busy raising our two young children, and our lives are meaningful and fulfilling.

Picture frames reflecting both Chinese and Jewish influences adorn our home. We are keen on learning about each other's culture. We make a point to learn each other's languages through tapes and books. Although we are both fully fluent in English, my wife chooses to speak Cantonese to our children, and I speak Yiddish. Between us, we converse in English. Our children identify with their Yiddish and Chinese names, in addition to their English names. Our elder son, Asher (age 3), seems to handle the different languages well. We make an effort to be consistent in our use of languages with our children. We expose them to both Chinese and Jewish games, as well as Chinese, Yiddish, Hebrew and English books, songs and videos.

With an Italian mother and a Chinese wife, I am likely one of the most well-fed guys on earth! On Sabbath, my wife often makes "Chinese cholent," which I thoroughly enjoy. She shops for Chinese mushrooms, lotus seeds, ginseng and various kinds of Chinese fruits and vegetables in Chinatown. I take pleasure in preparing Italian dishes, and we both like Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine. One time, my mother-in-law assisted with cooking, and we all had an authentic Chinese meal on Friday night. It was a delightful evening and a pleasant cultural shock to my parents. Using chopsticks is still a challenge for me, but it only makes life more interesting!

I am fascinated with Chinese history, language and culture. Belinda's roots are almost as important to me as my own. I am constantly looking for ways to infuse more Chinese culture into our lives. Even my favourite ties display ancient Chinese scripts and I often wear them on Sabbath. The Chinese and the Jews have a lot in common in their ethical teachings.

We keep a kosher diet and celebrate all Jewish holidays, including the holy Sabbath. We are grateful that my parents, my Chinese in-laws, as well as our secular relatives and friends, are respectful of our Jewish observances. My brother-in-law, who is Protestant, had joined us on several occasions and experienced Sabbath and Sukkot (Festival of Booths), and even had a taste of matzah on Passover. We give lai-si (red packets containing money, decorated with characters and drawings symbolizing luck and wealth) to our children on Chinese New Year.We may catch a dragon boat race during the Dragon Boat Festival, or play with Chinese lanterns around the August Moon Festival. When we are sick, we seek medical treatment and advice from both Chinese and Western doctors. Last year I had the opportunity to meet many of my wife's relatives and childhood friends in Hong Kong, as well as to visit her schools and converse with her former teachers. Belinda also enjoyed meeting my aunts and cousins in Rome. These experiences are very special and memorable to us.

While we cherish both backgrounds, when we have to choose between them Jewish holidays and observances take precedence over Chinese holidays and customs. Belinda finds Judaism meaningful and she has learned to love it more than Chinese traditions. Judaism is central to us, and it helps imbue our lives with meaning and direction..

How did we get to this arrangement? From the moment we began dating, we enthusiastically explored each other's cultures through visiting many ethnic establishments and participating in various cultural activities. Our goal was to broaden our horizons and to take the best of both worlds. However, as my parents were vehemently opposed to my dating Belinda because my religion prohibits intermarriage, we delved deeper into Judaism while also examining other religions. We read voraciously on different spiritualities. We attended Chinese churches, Buddhist and Taoist temples; took part in Jews for Jesus, Reform, Conservative and Orthodox Jewish synagogues and events; visited a Sikh Gurdwara, a Muslim mosque; and toured Israel for a month. It was a long but worthwhile journey. Through it all, we inspired each other in our spiritual growth, and helped shape each other's outlook on life. Belinda eventually converted to Judaism after more than four years of exploring and learning. She genuinely loves Judaism. An important reason that my wife and I have adjusted to each other so well is that we had developed a common vision for ourselves before we got married.

We are now connected to a Torah-observant community where people are accepting of us and our Asian-looking Jewish children. We were forewarned by the rabbinical court which presided over my wife's conversion that there would always be some Jews who, out of ignorance of Judaism, look down at converts and their children as being "not really" Jewish. Thank God, we have not experienced this kind of debasement.

We hope that as our children grow up, they will question, investigate and renew their commitment to our Jewish heritage, and also respect and honor their Chinese roots. That they will carry their Jewishness into their own relationships and raise their children with healthy and life-affirming values and practices.

This article originally appeared on www.InterfaithFamily.com, a member of the Jewz.com Media Network.

Note: You may freely reprint this article as long as the author b

Note: You may freely reprint this article as long as the author bio and active links are intact. A email notification of how you use it would be greatly appreciated.

The "Liang Xiang" chestnuts are well known. Here "Liang Xiang" refers to the old "Liang Xiang" county, is equivalent to part of the mountain area of "Fangshan" district of Beijing, and is not the "Liang Xiang" village county. "Liang Xiang" chestnuts really are "Fangshan Chinese chestnuts".

There are many ways to eat chestnuts, but the most popular one is the sugar roasted chestnuts.

As soon as chestnuts are harvested in autunm, you'll see cauldrons are set up at every corner of the street. Mix chestnuts with sand, sprinkle the plain sugar syrup, fry till the sand becomes pitch-black. The chestnuts will then look shinning and bright as if a layer of oil has been applied to the shells. The burning smell flutters all over. People like me who are craving for chestnuts would come to buy by following the smell wihtout sellers' calling out. People used to use shovel to fry, now the process is electrically operated.

The history of Beijing sugar roasted chestnuts is quite long.

The old "Zhitang" man copies others quotes from Lu You's "Old School Notes" in "Roasted Chestnuts", talking about a chestnut roasting story: The most well-known and best-selling chestnuts in the Northern Song Dynasty Kaifeng were roasted by Li, HeEr. Others were trying everything possible to imitate, but no one did at the end. During the Southern Song Dynasty Shaoxing years, Song's embassador was sent to Jin (an old country in China) and arrived the now Beijing. Suddenly two people, who called themselves "Li, HeEr", sent in 20 bags of sugar roasted chestnuts, then left with tears.

This chestnut frying expert wandered about destitute in Beijing after Kaifeng was breached by Jin people, expressing his nostalgia with several packages roasted chestnuts. Perhaps Beijing sugar roasted chestnuts perhaps got handed down because of this, the same with Hangzhou's Song sister-in-law fish soup, all were the Northern Song Dynasty's old custom.

The standard sugar roasted chestnuts require the shell to be supple and crisp. The outer shell, the internal membrane, and the nut should be separated effortlessly when you open it. The pleasure of eating roasted chestnuts would simply vanish if it has to go through the hassle ripping the outer shell, and then more effort to tear off the internal membrane. The nuts should not be crisp, soft, or worst of all, tough (gen). It supposed to feel moisture in driness, sandy, floury, and the smell should be strong and sweet.

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Each Chinese New Year begins on the day of first new moon. In the western year 2005, the new moon began on February 9. It was the Chinese year 4702. In actuality, most Chinese began using the western, or solar, calendar in the early twentieth century, except on important holidays. Many of the calendars in China show both the solar dates of the western calendar and the lunar dates of the Chinese calendar. Chinese astrology is based on the twelve cycles of the moon.

The Chinese zodiac consists of twelve animals, rather than the solar signs used in the west. In the Chinese calendar each period lasts for a full cycle of the moon, from new to full. There are twelve complete lunar cycles in a Chinese zodiac year, but one animal symbolizes the entire year. According to their calendar, the Chinese complete a cycle every twelve years. So if you were born in the year of the rat, you would celebrate your zodiac birthday every twelve years, and your Chinese zodiac sign would be the rat. In the west your astrological sign appears once each year.

The calendar and its animals were created from an ancient legend. It tells us that the animals were all fighting about who was going to be in the prime (first) position on the Chinese calendar. The gods devised a test in which the animals would compete for their position by swimming across a river. Another version says that the Buddha requested visits by the animals before he left earth. He named the moon cycles after the animals in order of appearance. So the Chinese zodiac symbol is a circle divided into twelve equal sections; think of it as if you were marking off slices of a pie. There is a picture of the animal representing that Chinese zodiac sign in each section. The calendar’s use dates clear back to 2600 BC.

The animals used in Chinese astrology are rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep (goat), monkey, rooster, dog, and boar (pig). Persons born during their cycle are said to take on their animal traits:

• Rat- Perfectionist, charming, aggressive, secretive, party-loving, quick-witted, stubborn, good at politics and business, can be mean


• Ox- Quiet, quick to anger, excellent memories, hard-working, family loyalty, creative, skilful hands, responsible, self-confident


• Tiger- Leaders, courageous, territorial, possessive, fighters, generous and selfish, magnetic, passionate, works solo, dynamic


• Rabbit- Sweet-natured, conservative, artistic, tasteful, sentimental, emotional, shy, faithful to partners, romantic, avoid fighting


• Dragon- Regal, leader, centre of attention, powerful, lucky, aggressive, dynamic, big ego, snobbish, tyrannical


• Snake- Charming, popular, lies easily, possessive, hates rejection, deep thinker, well-mannered, lazy, romantic, insecure


• Horse- Crowd lover, rebellious, energetic, selfish, self-centered, good with money, cunning, lacks self-confidence


• Sheep or goat- Artistic, creative, lazy, disorganized, charming, well-mannered, dreamy, pessimistic, romantic, worrier, not good in business


• Monkey- Charming, witty, clever, emotional, unscrupulous, love food but not gluttons, deceptive, funny, lucky


• Rooster- Straight-forward, honest, flashy dresser, loyal, honest, dreamer, psychic, busy, loves a bargain, observers


• Dog- Traditional, loyal, sincere, intelligent, private, judgmental, serious, anxious, likes solitude, champions causes


• Pig or boar- Loving, caring, chivalrous, sincere, honourable, easy to take advantage of, belief in goodness, love food, romantic, jealous

Acupuncture Weight Loss Treatments

I remember the first time I took Chinese herbs. One of my patients told me “You look really tired – Here take these herbs” and handed me a bagful of different colored packages. It hurt to have it put so bluntly, but it was true, I was building a business, working long hours and feeling a bit drained, so I listened and took them home to use that night. One was a peach green tea that tasted like the Snapple I had been drinking earlier that day, one was an “interesting tasting” dark green liquid which I took with an OJ chaser and the third was a powder that I mixed up with OJ, water and soy milk to make a citrus smoothie. Not bad I thought, for Chinese herbs… And then something amazing happened. I felt full! Little did I know at that time I had been given the key to my natural weight loss that I still maintain 15 years later.

I loved it! I had never felt full before in my life. I had been struggling with being thin since childhood. I had learned when to stop eating in order to not gain weight; I knew all kinds of tricks like drinking water before a meal and getting up and walking away from the table. I looked at each new “diet trend” and I had eliminated all those “bad carbohydrates” from my diet and lived at the gym – and I ended up thin and tired all the time. I even tried dexatrim (I may be dating myself – does any body else out there remember that?) and ended up a yo-yo dieter. It was like I was in a constant battle with my body and my weight.

In this process of trying everything I had never before felt this feeling of being satisfied. I loved it! So I used the herbs for a few weeks and then I proceeded to talk myself out of taking the herbs – too expensive, etc… and promptly got tired and sick, went back on them – stopped and got sick and tired again, repeated it a third time and then I got the message that these herbs were doing something really good for my body.

Then to my surprise, six months later I dropped 20 pounds without changing anything else in my life. I even began to eat more without gaining weight like I used to. I had a lifetime of experience struggling with my weight and I was amazed at how these “little packages of herbs” were changing my life. I would never have expected that these nutritional herbs would help me lose weight. I was so intrigued that I ended up going to Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine School to learn more. That was my door into the world of Chinese Medicine and acupuncture weight loss and I’ve never looked back.

Weight Loss is quite a difficult complex problem for some of us, and not even an issue for others. Just recently “Language has been removed from the Medicare Coverage Issues Manual stating that obesity is not an illness…. The medical science will now determine whether we provide coverage for the treatments that reduce complications and improve quality of life for the millions of Medicare beneficiaries with obesity.(1)” Being overweight is now officially a disease. “And as a first step, we expect to convene our Medicare Coverage Advisory Committee in the fall to evaluate the evidence on the various surgical procedures used in treating obesity.(2)” There has to be other alternatives besides surgery.

Acupuncture for Weight Loss hit the press in 2003 when Reuters, CNN and others reported of successful acupuncture weight loss clinics in China. Chinese Medicine theory, traditionally hold that overweight people have imbalanced digestive systems. By stimulating the digestive system through acupuncture and herbs, it becomes more balanced and efficient, thus nutrition is more bio-available and the person feels fuller. This is what happened to me when my metabolism came into a better balance. Other theories are that acupuncture mainly helps reduce appetite and improve metabolism.(3)

A slow increase in Obesity in China had lead to this new specialty – acupuncture weight loss. A professor at a Traditional Chinese Medicine College in China states that treatments for weight reduction have been practiced, studied and refined over the past 5 years(4). While an exact comparison between the US and China is difficult, in China the numbers may be close to 10-13% overweight adults, as compared to 64% for the US, but with their lifestyles and economic changes this number is beginning to rise (5) . In Beijing, the capital, students eagerly enjoy down their Kentucky Fried Chicken, McDonalds, Coca-Cola, Pepsi and pop tarts. These foods have slowly replaced the previous hot spots with traditional Chinese snacks found in places like Grandma’s Dumpling House (6) . The obesity rate among primary and middle school students has risen to 18 %, from 10% in 1991, the state Xinhua news agency said recently, citing a survey from the Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention.(7)

So what kind of acupuncture weight loss treatments do they offer in these clinics in China? Acupuncture, on the body and/or the ear, herbal supplements and exercise that’s not overly taxing (8). These are the primary treatment modalities that are used, but Acupuncture is the pillar of their weight loss strategy. How successful are they in losing weight? Currently there are no published research studies in peer – reviewed journals, only success stories emanating from the clinics. One source states “On this modest program – patients are said to lose between 22 and 33 pounds per month(9).” Huge weight losses of up to 242 pounds are boasted. In China, they say that 4 of 5 patients lose weight.(10)

I was fortunate to have been trained by a colleague that studied in China learning these acupuncture weight loss treatments. We are now proud and excited to offer the Chinese nutritional herbal program that I used as well as these acupuncture treatments and other supporting treatments for weight loss at our Oriental Medicine spa-clinic in Los Angeles. I continue to further my study and am exploring working with researchers at a major university to evaluate the efficacy of these protocols. Imagine finding solid evidence that there is a treatment for obesity that has relatively few side effects. It is exciting to see where this can go.

The unique acupuncture weight loss program we are offering here in Los Angeles at the Oriental Med Spa is a synergy based on the treatment protocol currently used in China(11), Chinese Dietary therapy including nutrient packed supplements and nutrition for weight loss taught to physicians (12). It is a gradual reduction method and includes Oriental Medicine Diagnosis, a series of eight Acupuncture for Weight Loss Treatments, Auricular acupuncture (ear seeds) and herbal pharmaceutical grade Chinese nutrition supplements. Acupuncture and nutritional herbs are used primarily to strengthen the digestive system so it becomes more efficient. The food you eat is better assimilated and you feel full more quickly with less cravings. We hear “I noticed that my cravings were much less” on a regular basis from patients.

Breathing exercises are also a vital part of our program. For additional support we also provide Chinese Nutrition diet analysis, Eating plans, Lifestyle Changes Support, RejuvaQi Qi Gong Exercises, Slim & Toned IR BodyWrap and AromaWraps for weight loss. Treatments range from active to pampering. Each program is tailored and individualized for the patient’s unique situation. In China they say that 4 of 5 patients lose weight. Only time will tell here in the West (13).

Searches of medical literature show that all of the following are important, lifestyle choices such as daily exercise, smart diet choices, dealing with your “inner eating demons”. Others are important but haven’t gotten quite as much press – proper breathing, body balance & flexibility, and constitution. Let’s face it we all come in as a unique individual with our own DNA, personality profile and favorite foods. First is the decision to lose weight, next is the right support.

This is where I believe Chinese Medicine and acupuncture for weight loss are powerful supporting tools, to help us find our own individual paths to healthy living. It is a slow gradual reduction method. The program can stand alone or be a supportive treatment for other weight loss or weight management programs. It takes time as the body rebalances. It worked well for me, it has worked for others and if you are seriously looking for support for your weight loss, contact us to learn more about our programs or come in for a treatment. We’d love to share it with you.

FOOTNOTES:

1 CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) Press office, Press release 6/10/04, http://cms.hhs.gov/ncdr/searchdisplay.asp?id=57.
2 Ibid.
3 FlorCruz, Jaime, Tackling Asias Growing Waistline, http://www.cnn.com/2003/HEALTH/11/02/china.obesity
4 Christian MK Weight Loss Reduction in China, Acupuncture Today, Sept 2004, http://www.acupuncturetoday.comarchives2004/sep/09christian.html.
5 http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php.display=rednews/2004/02/04/build/health/80-chinesewaistline.inc
6 Christian MK Weight Loss Reduction in China, Acupuncture Today, Sept 2004, http://www.acupuncturetoday.comarchives2004/sep/09christian.html
7http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php.display=rednews/2004/02/04/build/health/80-chinesewaistline.inc
8 Ibid.
9 Ibid.
10 Christian MK Weight Loss Reduction in China, Acupuncture Today, Sept 2004, http://www.acupuncturetoday.comarchives2004/sep/09christian.html
11 Ibid.
12 Second Annual Integrative Medicine Symposium: Translating Science into Clinical Practice, UCLA Collaborative Centers for Integrative Medicine Practical Multidisciplinary Teaching of Weight Management
13 Christian MK Weight Loss Reduction in China, Acupuncture Today, Sept 2004,

“The expectations of life depend upon diligence; the mechanic that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools.”
- Confucius

Chinese people are well-renowned for their industriousness and extraordinary minds for business. Cases of our Chinese brothers failing in their ventures are very rare. They have effective principles that have withstood history and tragedy. Chinese traders thrive even in the harshest business climate. They have survived wars, depressions, and competition from companies with gigantic resources.

For sure, their success is more than just Feng Shui. And if ever it was, it is highly doubtful that such geomancy is applicable for online enterprises, the latter being our primary concern for this discussion.

So what is their secret? Why are the Chinese so successful at business at a consistent and remarkable level? How could we apply their business principle to our online endeavors?

The Concept of “Guanxi”

Central in every Chinese business structure is the idea of relationships, or “Guanxi.” Chinese people value honor and trust. They deal with persons who are trustworthy, and they strive to be just as dependable to win the respect of others. If you do a favor for a Chinese businessman, for example, he would do his best to be ready at all times so that he may be able to repay you when the need arises. If you’re dealing with the Chinese and you deliver what was agreed upon on or before the time you have pegged, they will regard you as reliable and would consider doing business with you again.

“Guanxi” is the heart of their organized business. They strive to be good at what they do so that they could build relationships that would aid them in the long run. A Chinese business with well established “Guanxi” is susceptible to fewer risks and could easily get the best deal at any given time. Also, such Chinese enterprise is assured to have support if ever it encounters some trying times.

With customers, “Guanxi” is more about finding quality ones rather than settling for quantity. The Chinese rely in the goodwill they generate with their clients, and they believe that their reputation would eventually spread through word-of-mouth. People tend to believe those they know, hence the Chinese would rather pin their marketing strategies through their work rather than spending for costly advertising campaigns.

Long Term Relationships are better than Short Term Profit

Chinese people are very good with math. They could calculate ROI without using a calculator. They know their expenditures without the need of accounting software. It is no surprise then that the Chinese came up with an equation that is more profitable in the long run.

Chinese businessmen are known for their generosity in giving discounts. They make sure that their clients would feel that they are being given the best deal. This may result in minimal profit for their businesses, but the Chinese are looking at the bigger picture. A satisfied customer will always come back, thus assuring continuous income. In the long run, this would equate to a higher profit margin than a one time deal involving a larger markup price.

In doing online business, we could learn much from the Chinese’s patience to delay gratification. Remember that people would view us based on how we conduct our trade. If they see that we offer quality products delivered with efficacy and expediency, they would most definitely consider us again. If we manage to reach out to them in a more personal level, the more that they will never forget us. In so doing, we would have assured ourselves of loyal patrons for our undertaking.

Frugality is a Virtue

Spend only what you could afford.

This is a doctrine prevalent in the Chinese culture, and is best manifested in their business affairs. Borrowing money is considered taboo in their society. They would rather start with menial jobs that no one else would dare touch than asking a loan from other parties. They will not consider expenses which they cannot afford. Instead, they look for ways around the necessity.

In Closing

Online businesses have much to discover from their offline Chinese counterparts. If the Chinese were able to successfully establish their trade through the traditional methods we’ve discussed in this article, there is no reason why we wouldn’t be able to duplicate their success on the web.

Additionally, Chinese businessmen would not be disheartened when they do lose money, for as long as the experience have taught them valuable lessons that they could utilize later on. Perhaps it would be wise for us to take heed. Knowledge is power, and in this competitive world of online marketing, we need all the weapons we could get.

There are so many people on the Internet looking for Chinese Alphabet; we received a lot of inquiries asking about the Chinese alphabet, questions like "Can you publish the Chinese alphabet online?" or "Where can I find the Chinese alphabet?" etc.

You can stop your search now because there is no such thing as Chinese alphabet.

The English word "alphabet" comes from the first two letters of the Greek alphabet (alpha and beta) because it was the Greeks who adopted this writing system from the Middle East and spread it to the rest of Europe.

Every alphabet system consists of a rather small number ( 20 - 50 ) of letters that represent sound values used in spoken language.

Each of the letters of the alphabet represents a sound that generally has no particular meaning. Using the letters of the alphabet, one can write down the words of spoken language.

There are no letters in Chinese and therefore, there is no alphabet in Chinese writing.

The earlier form of characters developed from the graphic representation of certain objects, for example, the shape of a moon was used to write a moon.

As time went on, it became much more complex or even possible at all to represent words in graphic. The majority of the symbols today do not have a direct link between shape and meaning. What stays in common is that they all represent a concept and not a sound.

Chinese characters represent concepts, ideas or objects. Although there are some relationship between the structures of each symbol and its pronunciation, the symbols can't be broken down into smaller components to construct a new word.

* Make sure you set your browser encoding correctly to read Chinese words in this article. Chinese Simplified GB2312 is recommended. Please find detail instruction from this page: http://www.learn-chinese-language-online.com/read-chinese-online.html

Talking about Chinese Pinyin rules, let's start by looking at the following different scenarios:

1. Tone Mark Placement

The tone mark is placed over the vowel if there is only one vowel, e.g. wo, or on the main vowel of a syllable where they are two or three vowels, e.g. hao.

1.1 Syllable with one vowel letter, tone mark is always placed over the vowel letter. For examples:

笔 bǐ ( pen ) , 山 shān ( mountain )

车 chē ( car ), 信 xìn ( letter )

1.2 Syllables with two or three vowel letters: If the first vowel letter is a medial , e.g. "i", "u", or " ü ", the tone mark is placed over the vowel letter after the medial.

For example:

学 xué ( study ) , 贵 guì ( expensive)

小 xiao ( small ) , 略 lüè ( strategy)

1.3 If the first vowel letter is not a medial, the tone mark is always placed on the first vowel letter.

For example:

靠 kào ( rely ) , 要 yào ( ask )

好 hǎo ( good ) , 北 běi ( north )

2. Syllables With an Initial

Write down the initial and then the final with no space between them.

For example:

客kè ( guest ) , 桌 zhuō ( desk ) 忙 máng ( busy ) , 飞 fēi ( fly )

Exceptions:

If and only if "uo" follows "b", "p", "m", or "f", "u" is dropped, resulting in "bo", "po", "mo", or "fo". If and only if "ü" follows "j", "q", "x", ü is changed to "u", resulting in "ju", "qu" and "xu"

3. Syllables Without an Initial

3.1 Syllables starting with "a", "o" or "e", just write down the final.

For example:

安 ān ( safe ), 鸥 ōu ( seagull ) 恩 en 恩 ( favor ), 昂 áng ( raise )

3.2 Syllables starting with "i", replace "i" with "y". For example:

严 yán ( strict ), 也 yě ( too )

Exceptions:

For the single vowel "i", and the nasals "in" and "ing", "y" is added before "i", resulting in "yi", "yin", and "ying";

Spell "you" for "iu", 有 yǒu ( have )

3.3 Syllables starting with "u", replace "u" with "w".

For example:

完 wán ( finish ), 外 wài ( outside )

王 wáng ( king ), 网 wǎng ( net )

Exceptions:

For the single vowel "u", "w" is added before "u", resulting in "wu";

Spell "wen" for "un";

Spell "wei" for "ui".

3.4 Syllables starting with "ü", replace "ü" with "yu".

For example:

雨 yǔ ( rain ), 孕 yùn ( pregnant )

园yuán ( circle ), 约 yuē ( appointment )

4. R-ending

The "er" (儿) sound can follow finals to form retroflection, add "r" at the end of the syllable in this case.

For example:

小孩儿 xiǎo hái er ( little kids )

雨点儿 yǔ diǎn er ( rain drops )

树枝儿 shù zhī er ( tree branch )

Again, it is good to know these rules to understand how to spell a character from Pinyin, but don't be intimidated by these Pinyin rules.

The more you practice, the more you will feel comfortable when speaking Chinese. You will eventually learn these rules without even realizing they exist, like most Chinese people do.

Chinese Pinyin is the romanization of the Chinese "written sound". Romanization approximates Mandarin pronunciation with Western spellings and includes a tone mark to signify the pitch of a word.

Just like alphabet A - Z to English, Pinyin provides a phonetic alphabet for Chinese and is taught from Grade 1 in Chinese elementary schools. It is a fundamental tool used for learning the spelling of Chinese characters throughout Chinese language study.

Pinyin is used by most modern Chinese dictionaries to denote pronunciation of characters. It is also an efficient input method in Chinese computer software, which is natively supported by Microsoft Windows OS.

After mastering Pinyin, you can easily read Chinese books with Pinyin marked, learn Chinese characters by looking in the dictionary, or input Chinese characters into your computer, it will take your Chinese study to a higher level.

25 out of 26 English alphabet letters are used in Pinyin. Letter 'v' is not used, while letter ' ü ' is added to represent the vowel sound of 'yu'.

Pinyin includes consonants and vowel letters.

1. Consonant letters

There are 20 consonant letters use in Mandarin (three consonants are represented by combinations of two letters - 'zh', 'ch' and 'sh'), they are:

b, p, m, f, d, t, n, l, g, k, h, j, q, x, z, c, s, zh, ch, sh, r, y, w

2. Vowel letters

There are 6 vowel letters used in Mandarin:

a, o, e, i, u, ü

3. Syllables

Syllables are composed by consonants, vowels and tone.

The consonant that begins a syllable is initial (listen to the pronunciation in mp3 format online at http://www.learn-chinese-language-online.com/chinese-pinyin-initials.html) , they can be:

b, p, m, f, d, t, n, l, g, k, h, j, q, x, z, c, s, zh, ch, sh, r, y, w

The rest parts after the initial are finals. Final ( listen to the pronunciation in mp3 format online at http://www.learn-chinese-language-online.com/chinese-pinyin-finals.html ) can be a single vowel, a combination of vowels, or combination of vowels and nasals 'n' or 'ng':

There are 6 simple finals which are single vowels, they are : a, o, e, i, u, ü .

The others are compound finals, they are:

ai, ao, ou, ei, ia, ie, iao, iou, ua, uo, uai, uei, üe,

an, ang, ong, en, eng, in, ing, ian, iang, iong, uen, ueng, uan, uang, ün, üan

The combination of 21 initials and 33 finals in Mandarin romanization (there are five more finals, but they share the same symbols as other finals) form about 420 different sounds.

A word consists of initial + final + tone. In some cases, the initial can be omitted.

Although most of the sounds are generally close to how they are used and pronounced in English, some don't follow English letters exactly and are pronounced differently.

Pay extra attention to the differences and listen closely to each Chinese sound, it takes practices to pronounce correctly.

To read Chinese Online is becoming easire these days.

If you use the latest Internet Explorer (V4.0 or later) or Netscape Navigator (Version 4 or later), you don't have to install any special program to read Chinese characters because both of these browsers can support Chinese natively. The same is true with other browsers, e.g. Firefox or Mozilla.

If you use previous versions of Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator, you should consider upgrading your browser version. You can also download and install Chinese Font or download Microsoft's free language packs and input methods for Simplified and Traditional Chinese.

Installing the Chinese language packs will automatically set up Internet Explorer to recognize Chinese.

With Netscape, you need do a little configuration:

From Netscape's main menu, select "Edit" -> "Preferences". In the new window, select "Appearance" and "Fonts". First select "Simplified Chinese" for the encoding, and choose "MS Song" or "MS Hei". Select "MingLiU" for "Traditional Chinese" encoding.

Most of the time, you browser should automatically detect pages with Chinese content and display them properly. But in case your browser does not do that, you need manually adjust the setting to enable your browser to view Chinese characters by changing character encoding.

In Internet Explorer menu, click View to select encoding. If you don't know what the page encoding is, you may have to experiment with the encoding options.

The most common character encodings are GB (for simplified), Big5( for traditional), and UTF-8 (for both - also known as unicode).

On Netscape, you can change from "View" and then "Character Set" on the main menu as stated above.

To check if your computer is configured properly, try to read this page: http://www.learn-chinese-language-online.com/chinese-grammar.html . If you can read the Chinese characters on this page, congratulation!

Let's trace the number of Chinese characters from Han Dynasty 汉朝 (206 B.C. to 220 A.D.)

说文解字 (Shuwenjiezhi) - The first complete dictionary that listed all Chinese character was published in Han Dynasty 汉朝 at around 100 A.D. It was regarded as the the origin of Chinese characters. It included 9,353 characters.

康熙字典(Kangxi) - the well known classic of Chinese dictionary was published in 1716 of Qing Dynasty 清朝. The Kangxi dictionary included about 46,964 characters compiled in 42 booklets. Most of the characters were unused and rare variant accumulated over the centuries. Those characters were regrouped under 214 radicals still in use today in many dictionaries to classified characters in traditional form.

The first official simplified form characters were published in 1956 by the People's Republic of China. Many additions and modifications to the original list were adopted since. The list included 6,500 simplified characters.

Nowadays the simplified form characters are used in China and Singapore, the traditional form characters are still used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and most of the overseas Chinese communities.

In 1952, literacy for peasants was defined as knowledge of 1,500 characters and literacy for labour workers as knowledge of 2,000 characters.

A well educated person can probably recognize more than 6,000 characters.

Since Chinese words are generally composed of two or three characters, a few thousand characters can be used to understand hundreds and thousands of words.

The Chinese computerized fonts for words processor include 6,500 characters of the simplified form and 13,500 of the traditional form.

Traditional Chinese Medicine, over 2000 years old, is an ancient form of medicine. Consisting of acupuncture, moxibustion (moxibustion - using material made up of "moxa-wool," in a form of a cone or stick; moxibustion is used to treat and prevent disease by applying heat to pints or certain locations of the human body), herbal medicine, acupressure, cupping, therapeutic exercise and nutrition, traditional Chinese medicine is notated by its principle of internal balance and harmony, or "chi," (life force) regulation through energy channels.

In essence, traditional Chinese Medicine is widely known for its acupunture techniques and herbology. Founded on the Yin and Yang principle, the five elements and Zang Fu, Traditional Chinese medicine is an evolutional treatment in modern Western civilization. Traditional Chinese medicine also uses Qi Gong and Tai Qi Chuan in its methodology. Incorporating supplemental elements in a nutritious diet such as vitamins, minerals, herbs and other supplements are fundamental treatments in traditional Chinese medicine as well.

Overall, traditional Chinese medicine can be utilized to treat allergies, arthritis pain, weight control, quitting smoking, back injury pain, musculosceletal pain, fatique, stress, TMJ and PMS. Other illnesses and conditions that can be helped with traditional Chinese medicine are digestive problems, menstrual problems, and urinary problems.

If you are interested in obtaining more information about traditional Chinese medicine and its benefits, feel free to peruse our business member directory for accredited, traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and schools today!

Traditional Chinese Medicine
© All Rights Reserved
by C. Bailey-Lloyd/LadyCamelot in conjunction with Holistic Junction -- Your source of information for Traditional Chinese Medicine Schools and Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners

Chinese Medicine, over 2000 years old, is an ancient form of medicine. Consisting of acupuncture, moxibustion (moxibustion - using material made up of "moxa-wool," in a form of a cone or stick; moxibustion is used to treat and prevent disease by applying heat to pints or certain locations of the human body), herbal medicine, acupressure, cupping, therapeutic exercise and nutrition, traditional Chinese medicine is notated by its principle of internal balance and harmony, or "chi," (life force) regulation through energy channels.

In essence, Chinese medicine is widely known for its acupunture techniques and herbology. Founded on the Yin and Yang principle, the five elements and Zang Fu, Chinese medicine is an evolutional treatment in modern Western civilization. Chinese medicine also uses Qi Gong and Tai Qi Chuan in its methodology. Incorporating supplemental elements in a nutritious diet such as vitamins, minerals, herbs and other supplements are fundamental treatments in Chinese medicine as well.

Overall, Chinese medicine can be utilized to treat allergies, arthritis pain, weight control, quitting smoking, back injury pain, musculosceletal pain, fatique, stress, TMJ and PMS. Other illnesses and conditions that can be helped with Chinese medicine are digestive problems, menstrual problems, and urinary problems. If you are interested in obtaining more information about Chinese medicine and its benefits, feel free to peruse our business member directory for accredited, Chinese medicine practitioners or schools today!

© Chinese Medicine
by C. Bailey-Lloyd/LadyCamelot in conjunction with Holistic Junction

Reason 1 - Over 1.2 billion people speak the Chinese Language. It is spoken by one out of every five people on earth, more than any other language in the world.

Reason 2 - The Chinese civilization is over 6000 years. Learning the language is the key to explore and appreciate the cumulative knowledge and experience of one the world's oldest and exquisite cultures.

Reason 3 - China is becoming a dominant player in the international economic and financial system of this century. With China joining the WTO, it has created huge demands for a greater understanding and trading with the world's fastest growing nation.

Reason 4 - The United States government has designated Americas relations with China as one of the most important foreign policy issues. Ever-broadening U.S. - China relations in various business fields has increased the importance of Chinese presence in American communities.

Reason 5 - Chinese is one of the four "critical languages" for Americans. Understanding and proficient in the Chinese language are of critical importance to the United States in economic advantages and opportunities.

Reason 6 - Chinese communities have played important roles, including science, business, education, arts and various services in local communities of all countries around the world. Being able to communicate with and better understand these community members is a benefit in our multicultural society.

Reason 7 - Learning Chinese not only satisfies our desire to grasp a foreign language but it can also be the greatest asset to career advancement. There are increasing opportunities for government and business careers as well as for scientific, scholarly and cultural exchanges.

There's no doubt learning any foreign language requires effort, time and commitment. This holds true even more, especially when there's a big difference between one's native tongue and learning a new language.

On the other side, knowing the tips and techniques of learning a new language can make all the difference on how effective and successful you can achieve.

Based on personal learning experiences, along with others(either online or offline), here are some of the learning Chinese language tips and techniques on becoming successful in mastering the Chinese language.

By using one, or a combination of these tips and techniques, will maximize your effectiveness, minimize your time, and at the same time, make your learning fun and enjoyable.

Step I - Where to start?

Start from learning the Chinese pronunciation.

Learning Chinese Pinyin should be the first step of learning Chinese language. Pinyin contains all the Chinese phonetic alphabets where they are used in the pronunciation of Chinese characters. To distinguish the different tones, pay close attention to the four types by reading the Pinyin letters, initials, finals, and all possible combinations.

The objective of this phase is for you to be able to read any Chinese character with marked in Pinyin and also write a given pronunciation in Pinyin format. Be warned: learn the correct pronunciation from the start, do not build bad habits!

Step II - Listen, practice and memorize simple Chinese vocabulary and sentences

Tips:

Take a local community Chinese class, do the practice drills with your study partner. The more you speak, the easier it will be for you to learn.

Get a good dictionary and make sure it has the phonetic spellings of the words.

Find a native Chinese speaker to converse with, many Chinese students would like to practice their English as an exchange to teach you Chinese.

Visit a Chinese restaurant or Chinese community center where Chinese is spoken natively.

Read out loud, listen to and repeat after tape or online radio, watch Chinese movies and TV programs. Listen carefully to the new sounds. Repeat them as accurately as possible, try to forget the sounds of your native language.

Sing Chinese songs.

Borrow cassette tapes from the local library, review and listen to the tapes frequently until you're able to speak the words and sentences all by yourself.

Review older vocabulary every so often to refresh your memory. Step III - Write Chinese Understand Chinese writing strokes and rules

Read our Writing Chinese section ( http://www.learn-chinese-language-online.com/writing-chinese.html ) to understand Chinese writing strokes and rules. This will provide a good solid foundation on how Chinese characters are formed.

Tips:

Only way to learn Chinese characters is to memorize them, practice writing a character on paper until you remember it. Start from easy ones, which also include all the strokes, for example, 一(one), 十(ten), 中(middle), 山(mountain), 上(above), 火(fire), 河(river), 入(enter).

Rather than writing one word many times before doing the next one, write each word once or twice then go through the whole list again until you've done the required number of repetitions. This will reinforce the new words more firmly in your memory.

Read Chinese newspapers, booklets and books found at your local library or Chinese market

Watch movies or TV programs with Chinese subtitles, it is a great way to learn Chinese speaking and writing at the same time in a simulated real-life scenario.

Use post-it notepaper to write down the characters and stick them on the objects you are about to learn.

Write vocabulary words using index or flash cards on one side with the definition on the other side.

Use your imagination by linking the shape of the new word by first glancing to something you are familiar with. Play vocabulary by creating a 3-column vocabulary sheet with characters, pinyin, and English definitions. Fold the paper with only one or two columns showing and then take practice written tests.

After a while, you will notice that many characters have elements in common, either related to meaning or pronunciation. Note the common elements and use them to help you remember new characters.

Take advantage of free learning Chinese resources online. If you can memorize about 1,000 - 2,000 characters, you will feel comfortable with reading and writing modern Chinese.

Step IV: Grammar?

Learn the basic grammar, but try not to worry and be constrained by the rules. After all, languages are spoken as a way to express meaning.

The basic grammar elements are almost identical with different languages; however, the sequence may be different. Pay particular attention to the differences and practice on them.

The most important points on learning new foreign languages:

Don't be afraid to make mistakes. Being self-conscious can be an obstacle in learning a language. Remember, most people are willing to helping you rather than laughing at you.

Don't be discouraged by the difficulties at first attempt. Practice, practice, and practice! you will be amazed by your own progress!

Be persistent. Allocate a set time on studying and follow the schedule. Studying a little every day is more effective than studying for a long period at once.

Over the years, Chinese were evolved and developed in the following different ways:

Pictographs

The original written format were found on the markings scratched onto tortoise shells and animal bones, the so-called "oracle bones". These ancient writings were pictures or Pictographs.

Many people tend to think that Chinese characters are all pictographs. Actually, pictographic characters are only one kind of Chinese character, there are only about 600 pictograph characters.

Pictographic Chinese characters are pictures of concrete objects, they are the basic units for forming other Chinese characters.

These are a few examples showing the pictographic characters:

山 Mountain ; 羊 sheep ; 月 moon

Ideographs

As time went on and people needed to express more complex ideas or concepts, pictographs were extended or combined to form ideographs. Ideographs are graphical representations of abstract ideas.

For example:

a sun 日 and a moon 月 together means 'bright' 明

a woman 女 and with a child 子 beside means 'good' 好

The single character ? stands for a tree, two trees together ? refers to a group of trees-grove the character made up of three trees ? means a place full of trees - a forest Phonetic-Semantic Compounds

Over 90% of current Chinese characters are semantic-phonetic compounds.

There are many objects, abstract and ideas that are difficult to express through Pictographs or Ideographs.

For example, 鸟 is the general term for birds, but there are thousands of types of birds in the world, and it is impossible to differentiate each of them by way of pictography or ideography. But this is easily achieved in phonetic-semantic compounds by adding different phonetics to the radical 鸟, e.g. 鸽 ( pigeon ), 鹊 ( crane ), 鸡 ( chicken ) or 鹅 ( goose ).

A phonetic compound consists of a semantic radical and a phonetic radical, the semantic radical indicates its semantic field and the phonetic radical its pronunciation.

The meaning component of the semantic-phonetic compound Chinese character is also called the 'radical'. For example, ' 足 ' is a popular Chinese radical that means 'foot'. The meanings of those characters that contain this radical are related to 'foot' in a certain way.

The phonetic component indicates at least part of the sound. Characters that contain the same phonetic component tend to have similar sounds.

For example, for the character ' 跳' ( jump ), the right part ' 兆' indicates the sound. They share the same vowel.

Phonetic Loans

The phonetic loan is another way of using existing characters. It is an internal borrowing on the basis of pronunciation: a character is used in a new meaning which is expressed by a similar sound in the spoken form. In this way an existing character has acquired a new meaning, but no new character is created.

For example, the character自in the Oracle-Bone Inscriptions was originally pictograph and referred to the nose, but it is now used in the sense of "self" as a result of phonetic loan. The character 来 in the Oracle-Bone Inscriptions was also a pictograph, referring to the wheat, but is now used in the sense of "come" as a phonetic loan.

The Chinese Year Of The Dragon..

If the dragon is your Chinese year sign or the Chinese sign of your child, you'll be glad to know that dragons are often good humoured and excellent company. They tend to see the larger picture and have a dislike of detail. Born leaders and original thinkers, Dragons can be very successful, although they have a tendency to plough on regardless and are reluctant to admit mistakes.
People born under the sign of the Dragon love action and excitement and find it difficult to relax. They will expend a lot of effort on a project if they think it worthwhile.

Dragons love to be the centre of attraction and are susceptible to flattery. Beneath the confident exterior the Dragon is sentimental and trusting, and can become depressed when things go wrong.

People born under this sign are frank, quick thinking and adventurous, but are often misunderstood. They should guard against upsetting others with their directness. Dragons don't understand how to dress up their opinions and can upset others unintentionally. Tact is definitely not their strong point.

There are twelve Chinese year signs in the Chinese Zodiac. Unlike in our western astrology, in Chinese astrology each sign lasts for a year. Legend has it that as Buddha was about to depart the earth he summoned all the animals to say goodbye. Only twelve turned up so, to show his appreciation of their loyalty, he vowed that from then on each year would bear the name of one of the animals.

Chinese astrology is based on the Lunar Calendar. This means the Chinese New Year does not fall on the same day each year and can vary by as much as 3 weeks. So for babies born in late January/early February it is necessary to consult the charts to determine the correct sign.

Chinese Years:
February 9, 2005 - January 28, 2006: Rooster

January 22, 2004 - February 8, 2005: Monkey

February 1, 2003 - January 21, 2004: Goat

February 12, 2002 - January 31, 2003: Horse

January 24, 2001 - February 11, 2002: Snake

February 5, 2000 - January 23, 2001: Dragon

February 6, 1999 - February 4, 2000: Rabbit

January 28, 1998 - February 5, 1999: Tiger

February 8, 1997 - January 27, 1998: Ox

February 19,1996 - February 7, 1997: Rat

January 31, 1995 - February 18, 1996: Pig

February 10, 1994 - January 30, 1995: Dog

January 23, 1993 - February 9, 1994: Rooster

February 4, 1992 - January 22, 1993: Monkey

February 15, 1991 - February 3,1992: Goat

January 27, 1990 - February 14, 1991: Horse

February 6, 1989 - January 26, 1990: Snake

February 17, 1988 - February 5, 1989: Dragon

January 29, 1987 - February 16, 1988: Rabbit

February 9, 1986 - January 28, 1987: Tiger

February 20, 1985 - February 8, 1986: Ox

February 2, 1984 - February 19,1985: Rat

February 13, 1983 - February 1, 1984: Pig

February 25, 1982 - February 12, 1983: Dog

February 5, 1981 - January 24, 1982: Rooster

February 16, 1980 - February 4, 1981: Monkey

January 28, 1979 - February 15, 1980: Goat

February 7, 1978 - January 27, 1979: Horse

February 18, 1977 - February 6, 1978: Snake

January 31, 1976 - February 17, 1977: Dragon

February 11, 1975 - January 30, 1976: Rabbit

January 23, 1974 - February 10, 1975: Tiger

February 3, 1973 - January 22, 1974: Ox

February 15, 1972 - February 2, 1973: Rat

January 27, 1971 - February 14, 1972: Pig

February 6, 1970 - January 26, 1971: Dog

February 17, 1969 - February 5, 1970: Rooster

January 30, 1968 - February 16, 1969: Monkey

February 9, 1967 - January 29, 1968: Goat

January 21, 1966 - February 8, 1967: Horse

February 2, 1965 - January 20, 1966: Snake

The Chinese Year Of The Monkey..

People born under the Chinese sign of the Monkey are great fun to be around. Monkeys are bouncy people, always young at heart, born entertainers, loving pranks and riddles. Happiest when they have an audience, they love social gatherings that are light-hearted. Others forgive their tendency to show off because they are such fun to have around.
People born under this sign are intelligent and quick thinkers. However, this can lead to impatience with others and boredom.

Monkeys attract many friends because they are amusing and witty. However, they are not particularly loyal or reliable. They are so busy several interests at once that they often ignore others. They don't intend to be hurtful, it's just that their enthusiasm gets the better of them.
Monkeys are best suited to flexible, fast moving careers that can meet their need for change. Few Monkeys stay in the same career for life.

There are twelve Chinese year signs in the Chinese Zodiac. Unlike in our western astrology, in Chinese astrology each sign lasts for a year. Legend has it that as Buddha was about to depart the earth he summoned all the animals to say goodbye. Only twelve turned up so, to show his appreciation of their loyalty, he vowed that from then on each year would bear the name of one of the animals.

Chinese astrology is based on the Lunar Calendar. This means the Chinese New Year does not fall on the same day each year and can vary by as much as 3 weeks. So for babies born in late January/early February it is necessary to consult the charts to determine the correct sign.

Chinese Years:
February 9, 2005 - January 28, 2006: Rooster

January 22, 2004 - February 8, 2005: Monkey

February 1, 2003 - January 21, 2004: Goat

February 12, 2002 - January 31, 2003: Horse

January 24, 2001 - February 11, 2002: Snake

February 5, 2000 - January 23, 2001: Dragon

February 6, 1999 - February 4, 2000: Rabbit

January 28, 1998 - February 5, 1999: Tiger

February 8, 1997 - January 27, 1998: Ox

February 19,1996 - February 7, 1997: Rat

January 31, 1995 - February 18, 1996: Pig

February 10, 1994 - January 30, 1995: Dog

January 23, 1993 - February 9, 1994: Rooster

February 4, 1992 - January 22, 1993: Monkey

February 15, 1991 - February 3,1992: Goat

January 27, 1990 - February 14, 1991: Horse

February 6, 1989 - January 26, 1990: Snake

February 17, 1988 - February 5, 1989: Dragon

January 29, 1987 - February 16, 1988: Rabbit

February 9, 1986 - January 28, 1987: Tiger

February 20, 1985 - February 8, 1986: Ox

February 2, 1984 - February 19,1985: Rat

February 13, 1983 - February 1, 1984: Pig

February 25, 1982 - February 12, 1983: Dog

February 5, 1981 - January 24, 1982: Rooster

February 16, 1980 - February 4, 1981: Monkey

January 28, 1979 - February 15, 1980: Goat

February 7, 1978 - January 27, 1979: Horse

February 18, 1977 - February 6, 1978: Snake

January 31, 1976 - February 17, 1977: Dragon

February 11, 1975 - January 30, 1976: Rabbit

January 23, 1974 - February 10, 1975: Tiger

February 3, 1973 - January 22, 1974: Ox

February 15, 1972 - February 2, 1973: Rat

January 27, 1971 - February 14, 1972: Pig

February 6, 1970 - January 26, 1971: Dog

February 17, 1969 - February 5, 1970: Rooster

January 30, 1968 - February 16, 1969: Monkey

February 9, 1967 - January 29, 1968: Goat

January 21, 1966 - February 8, 1967: Horse

February 2, 1965 - January 20, 1966: Snake

The Chinese Year Of The Pig..

If you were born during the Chinese sign of the Pig, you will make a great pal. Pigs are everything you would want in a friend: kind hearted and easy going, they forgive easily and don't bear grudges. They prefer to be generous and have sunny natures, preferring to be calm and cheerful.

People born under this sign work hard to secure their own comfort. Although not very ambitious, they can be successful because they prefer to do a job well. They accept advice so tasks are usually accomplished without difficulty.

Pigs enjoy their food and have healthy appetites.

This is a lucky sign and good things often happen to the happy pig.

There are twelve Chinese year signs in the Chinese Zodiac. Unlike in our western astrology, in Chinese astrology each sign lasts for a year. Legend has it that as Buddha was about to depart the earth he summoned all the animals to say goodbye. Only twelve turned up so, to show his appreciation of their loyalty, he vowed that from then on each year would bear the name of one of the animals.

Chinese astrology is based on the Lunar Calendar. This means the Chinese New Year does not fall on the same day each year and can vary by as much as 3 weeks. So for babies born in late January/early February it is necessary to consult the charts to determine the correct sign.

Chinese Years:
February 9, 2005 - January 28, 2006: Rooster

January 22, 2004 - February 8, 2005: Monkey

February 1, 2003 - January 21, 2004: Goat

February 12, 2002 - January 31, 2003: Horse

January 24, 2001 - February 11, 2002: Snake

February 5, 2000 - January 23, 2001: Dragon

February 6, 1999 - February 4, 2000: Rabbit

January 28, 1998 - February 5, 1999: Tiger

February 8, 1997 - January 27, 1998: Ox

February 19,1996 - February 7, 1997: Rat

January 31, 1995 - February 18, 1996: Pig

February 10, 1994 - January 30, 1995: Dog

January 23, 1993 - February 9, 1994: Rooster

February 4, 1992 - January 22, 1993: Monkey

February 15, 1991 - February 3,1992: Goat

January 27, 1990 - February 14, 1991: Horse

February 6, 1989 - January 26, 1990: Snake

February 17, 1988 - February 5, 1989: Dragon

January 29, 1987 - February 16, 1988: Rabbit

February 9, 1986 - January 28, 1987: Tiger

February 20, 1985 - February 8, 1986: Ox

February 2, 1984 - February 19,1985: Rat

February 13, 1983 - February 1, 1984: Pig

February 25, 1982 - February 12, 1983: Dog

February 5, 1981 - January 24, 1982: Rooster

February 16, 1980 - February 4, 1981: Monkey

January 28, 1979 - February 15, 1980: Goat

February 7, 1978 - January 27, 1979: Horse

February 18, 1977 - February 6, 1978: Snake

January 31, 1976 - February 17, 1977: Dragon

February 11, 1975 - January 30, 1976: Rabbit

January 23, 1974 - February 10, 1975: Tiger

February 3, 1973 - January 22, 1974: Ox

February 15, 1972 - February 2, 1973: Rat

January 27, 1971 - February 14, 1972: Pig

February 6, 1970 - January 26, 1971: Dog

February 17, 1969 - February 5, 1970: Rooster

January 30, 1968 - February 16, 1969: Monkey

February 9, 1967 - January 29, 1968: Goat

January 21, 1966 - February 8, 1967: Horse

February 2, 1965 - January 20, 1966: Snake

The Chinese Year Of The Goat..

Goats are gentle people, kind hearted and caring about the well-being of others. They are possibly the nicest personalities in the Chinese zodiac. If they accidentally cause others unhappiness they will be distraught.
Often quiet and shy, Goats usually get their own way by using their charm. People born under this sign are good with people, their compassion making them great comforters - they have all the requirements for a successful and rewarding career in nursing.

Goats are very lucky. Even when things don't go their way they often turn out to be blessings in disguise.

Goat people's biggest failing is their unreliability which can drive others mad. They should try to instil some discipline into their activities. They also need to guard against obstinacy.
If you have problems a friendly, compassionate Goat will certainly make you feel better.

There are twelve Chinese year signs in the Chinese Zodiac. Unlike in our western astrology, in Chinese astrology each sign lasts for a year. Legend has it that as Buddha was about to depart the earth he summoned all the animals to say goodbye. Only twelve turned up so, to show his appreciation of their loyalty, he vowed that from then on each year would bear the name of one of the animals.

Chinese astrology is based on the Lunar Calendar. This means the Chinese New Year does not fall on the same day each year and can vary by as much as 3 weeks. So for babies born in late January/early February it is necessary to consult the charts to determine the correct sign.

Chinese Years:
February 9, 2005 - January 28, 2006: Rooster

January 22, 2004 - February 8, 2005: Monkey

February 1, 2003 - January 21, 2004: Goat

February 12, 2002 - January 31, 2003: Horse

January 24, 2001 - February 11, 2002: Snake

February 5, 2000 - January 23, 2001: Dragon

February 6, 1999 - February 4, 2000: Rabbit

January 28, 1998 - February 5, 1999: Tiger

February 8, 1997 - January 27, 1998: Ox

February 19,1996 - February 7, 1997: Rat

January 31, 1995 - February 18, 1996: Pig

February 10, 1994 - January 30, 1995: Dog

January 23, 1993 - February 9, 1994: Rooster

February 4, 1992 - January 22, 1993: Monkey

February 15, 1991 - February 3,1992: Goat

January 27, 1990 - February 14, 1991: Horse

February 6, 1989 - January 26, 1990: Snake

February 17, 1988 - February 5, 1989: Dragon

January 29, 1987 - February 16, 1988: Rabbit

February 9, 1986 - January 28, 1987: Tiger

February 20, 1985 - February 8, 1986: Ox

February 2, 1984 - February 19,1985: Rat

February 13, 1983 - February 1, 1984: Pig

February 25, 1982 - February 12, 1983: Dog

February 5, 1981 - January 24, 1982: Rooster

February 16, 1980 - February 4, 1981: Monkey

January 28, 1979 - February 15, 1980: Goat

February 7, 1978 - January 27, 1979: Horse

February 18, 1977 - February 6, 1978: Snake

January 31, 1976 - February 17, 1977: Dragon

February 11, 1975 - January 30, 1976: Rabbit

January 23, 1974 - February 10, 1975: Tiger

February 3, 1973 - January 22, 1974: Ox

February 15, 1972 - February 2, 1973: Rat

January 27, 1971 - February 14, 1972: Pig

February 6, 1970 - January 26, 1971: Dog

February 17, 1969 - February 5, 1970: Rooster

January 30, 1968 - February 16, 1969: Monkey

February 9, 1967 - January 29, 1968: Goat

January 21, 1966 - February 8, 1967: Horse

February 2, 1965 - January 20, 1966: Snake

Chinese Year Of The Dog..

If you or your child was born under the Chinese year sign for the Dog your friends will be glad you were! Meeting people for the first time can be difficult for Dogs who tend to be cautious about trusting people. They take care to sum up other people but their instincts are usually correct.
Once a Dog has befriended you he will be a friend for ever. Dogs do not expect others to be perfect and will forgive a great deal rather than break a friendship.

Honest, sincere and loyal, Dogs have a tendency to underestimate themselves and are notorious worriers.

People born under this sign have strong humanitarian instincts and will work tirelessly to champion a cause they believe in. They have a strong instinct to help others and will rush to help any victim.

There are twelve Chinese year signs in the Chinese Zodiac. Unlike in our western astrology, in Chinese astrology each sign lasts for a year. Legend has it that as Buddha was about to depart the earth he summoned all the animals to say goodbye. Only twelve turned up so, to show his appreciation of their loyalty, he vowed that from then on each year would bear the name of one of the animals.

Chinese astrology is based on the Lunar Calendar. This means the Chinese New Year does not fall on the same day each year and can vary by as much as 3 weeks. So for babies born in late January/early February it is necessary to consult the charts to determine the correct sign.

Chinese Years:
February 9, 2005 - January 28, 2006: Rooster

January 22, 2004 - February 8, 2005: Monkey

February 1, 2003 - January 21, 2004: Goat

February 12, 2002 - January 31, 2003: Horse

January 24, 2001 - February 11, 2002: Snake

February 5, 2000 - January 23, 2001: Dragon

February 6, 1999 - February 4, 2000: Rabbit

January 28, 1998 - February 5, 1999: Tiger

February 8, 1997 - January 27, 1998: Ox

February 19,1996 - February 7, 1997: Rat

January 31, 1995 - February 18, 1996: Pig

February 10, 1994 - January 30, 1995: Dog

January 23, 1993 - February 9, 1994: Rooster

February 4, 1992 - January 22, 1993: Monkey

February 15, 1991 - February 3,1992: Goat

January 27, 1990 - February 14, 1991: Horse

February 6, 1989 - January 26, 1990: Snake

February 17, 1988 - February 5, 1989: Dragon

January 29, 1987 - February 16, 1988: Rabbit

February 9, 1986 - January 28, 1987: Tiger

February 20, 1985 - February 8, 1986: Ox

February 2, 1984 - February 19,1985: Rat

February 13, 1983 - February 1, 1984: Pig

February 25, 1982 - February 12, 1983: Dog

February 5, 1981 - January 24, 1982: Rooster

February 16, 1980 - February 4, 1981: Monkey

January 28, 1979 - February 15, 1980: Goat

February 7, 1978 - January 27, 1979: Horse

February 18, 1977 - February 6, 1978: Snake

January 31, 1976 - February 17, 1977: Dragon

February 11, 1975 - January 30, 1976: Rabbit

January 23, 1974 - February 10, 1975: Tiger

February 3, 1973 - January 22, 1974: Ox

February 15, 1972 - February 2, 1973: Rat

January 27, 1971 - February 14, 1972: Pig

February 6, 1970 - January 26, 1971: Dog

February 17, 1969 - February 5, 1970: Rooster

January 30, 1968 - February 16, 1969: Monkey

February 9, 1967 - January 29, 1968: Goat

January 21, 1966 - February 8, 1967: Horse

February 2, 1965 - January 20, 1966: Snake

The Chinese Year Of The Horse..

If you were born under the Chinese year sign of the Horse, you're great fun! Horses are usually strong, handsome people with bags of energy, natural athletes often drawn to outdoor sporty activities. Not suited to paperwork, people born under this sign dislike dealing with detail and need plenty of exercise to keep alert.
Horses need to be the centre of attention and need to be liked. However, they can be stubborn and want complete freedom to do as they wish regardless of other's feelings.

Instinctive and intuitive, Horses care little for other people's opinions.
People born under this sign like to dress up and they organise great parties. Never dull, likeable and great fun, if you're going on holiday and want to take a friend, choose a Horse!

There are twelve Chinese year signs in the Chinese Zodiac. Unlike in our western astrology, in Chinese astrology each sign lasts for a year. Legend has it that as Buddha was about to depart the earth he summoned all the animals to say goodbye. Only twelve turned up so, to show his appreciation of their loyalty, he vowed that from then on each year would bear the name of one of the animals.

Chinese astrology is based on the Lunar Calendar. This means the Chinese New Year does not fall on the same day each year and can vary by as much as 3 weeks. So for babies born in late January/early February it is necessary to consult the charts to determine the correct sign.

Chinese Years:
February 9, 2005 - January 28, 2006: Rooster

January 22, 2004 - February 8, 2005: Monkey

February 1, 2003 - January 21, 2004: Goat

February 12, 2002 - January 31, 2003: Horse

January 24, 2001 - February 11, 2002: Snake

February 5, 2000 - January 23, 2001: Dragon

February 6, 1999 - February 4, 2000: Rabbit

January 28, 1998 - February 5, 1999: Tiger

February 8, 1997 - January 27, 1998: Ox

February 19,1996 - February 7, 1997: Rat

January 31, 1995 - February 18, 1996: Pig

February 10, 1994 - January 30, 1995: Dog

January 23, 1993 - February 9, 1994: Rooster

February 4, 1992 - January 22, 1993: Monkey

February 15, 1991 - February 3,1992: Goat

January 27, 1990 - February 14, 1991: Horse

February 6, 1989 - January 26, 1990: Snake

February 17, 1988 - February 5, 1989: Dragon

January 29, 1987 - February 16, 1988: Rabbit

February 9, 1986 - January 28, 1987: Tiger

February 20, 1985 - February 8, 1986: Ox

February 2, 1984 - February 19,1985: Rat

February 13, 1983 - February 1, 1984: Pig

February 25, 1982 - February 12, 1983: Dog

February 5, 1981 - January 24, 1982: Rooster

February 16, 1980 - February 4, 1981: Monkey

January 28, 1979 - February 15, 1980: Goat

February 7, 1978 - January 27, 1979: Horse

February 18, 1977 - February 6, 1978: Snake

January 31, 1976 - February 17, 1977: Dragon

February 11, 1975 - January 30, 1976: Rabbit

January 23, 1974 - February 10, 1975: Tiger

February 3, 1973 - January 22, 1974: Ox

February 15, 1972 - February 2, 1973: Rat

January 27, 1971 - February 14, 1972: Pig

February 6, 1970 - January 26, 1971: Dog

February 17, 1969 - February 5, 1970: Rooster

January 30, 1968 - February 16, 1969: Monkey

February 9, 1967 - January 29, 1968: Goat

January 21, 1966 - February 8, 1967: Horse

February 2, 1965 - January 20, 1966: Snake

The Chinese Year Of The Rat..

People born under the Chinese sign of the Rat are lucky! Rats are intelligent and great with people, surrounding themselves with many friends. The Rat's natural charisma ensures they are the centre of attention at social gatherings. They keep their friends too as they are very loyal.

Rat people enjoy the good things in life, fine clothes, wines and gourmet food. However, they can have a mean streak, they don't waste money and have an eye for bargains. They are astute in financial matters and will have money tucked away for emergencies.
People born under this sign are fortunate. They are talented, ambitious and often successful in business. However, they need to avoid taking on too much at one time as they can run out of energy before completing a project.

Rats can keep secrets as long as they are their own. They do have a tendency to gossip and can readily give away other people's secrets. But Rats are so charismatic that nobody is angry with them for long.
 
There are twelve Chinese year signs in the Chinese Zodiac. Unlike in our western astrology, in Chinese astrology each sign lasts for a year. Legend has it that as Buddha was about to depart the earth he summoned all the animals to say goodbye. Only twelve turned up so, to show his appreciation of their loyalty, he vowed that from then on each year would bear the name of one of the animals.

Chinese astrology is based on the Lunar Calendar. This means the Chinese New Year does not fall on the same day each year and can vary by as much as 3 weeks. So for babies born in late January/early February it is necessary to consult the charts to determine the correct sign.

Chinese Years:
February 9, 2005 - January 28, 2006: Rooster

January 22, 2004 - February 8, 2005: Monkey

February 1, 2003 - January 21, 2004: Goat

February 12, 2002 - January 31, 2003: Horse

January 24, 2001 - February 11, 2002: Snake

February 5, 2000 - January 23, 2001: Dragon

February 6, 1999 - February 4, 2000: Rabbit

January 28, 1998 - February 5, 1999: Tiger

February 8, 1997 - January 27, 1998: Ox

February 19,1996 - February 7, 1997: Rat

January 31, 1995 - February 18, 1996: Pig

February 10, 1994 - January 30, 1995: Dog

January 23, 1993 - February 9, 1994: Rooster

February 4, 1992 - January 22, 1993: Monkey

February 15, 1991 - February 3,1992: Goat

January 27, 1990 - February 14, 1991: Horse

February 6, 1989 - January 26, 1990: Snake

February 17, 1988 - February 5, 1989: Dragon

January 29, 1987 - February 16, 1988: Rabbit

February 9, 1986 - January 28, 1987: Tiger

February 20, 1985 - February 8, 1986: Ox

February 2, 1984 - February 19,1985: Rat

February 13, 1983 - February 1, 1984: Pig

February 25, 1982 - February 12, 1983: Dog

February 5, 1981 - January 24, 1982: Rooster

February 16, 1980 - February 4, 1981: Monkey

January 28, 1979 - February 15, 1980: Goat

February 7, 1978 - January 27, 1979: Horse

February 18, 1977 - February 6, 1978: Snake

January 31, 1976 - February 17, 1977: Dragon

February 11, 1975 - January 30, 1976: Rabbit

January 23, 1974 - February 10, 1975: Tiger

February 3, 1973 - January 22, 1974: Ox

February 15, 1972 - February 2, 1973: Rat

January 27, 1971 - February 14, 1972: Pig

February 6, 1970 - January 26, 1971: Dog

February 17, 1969 - February 5, 1970: Rooster

January 30, 1968 - February 16, 1969: Monkey

February 9, 1967 - January 29, 1968: Goat

January 21, 1966 - February 8, 1967: Horse

February 2, 1965 - January 20, 1966: Snake

The Chinese Year Of The Rabbit..

If you are born under the Chinese sign of the Rabbit, you will make a great diplomat! Rabbits are clean and neat, quiet and often softly spoken. They dislike conflict and will go to great lengths to avoid discord. Rabbits thrive in tranquil, harmonious settings and become unhappy in noisy, argumentative company.

People born under this sign develop good diplomatic skills and they are good at calming heated emotions. So much so that they are often thrown into the kind of unsettled situations they so dislike precisely because they have the skills to make the peace.
Rabbits are not particularly ambitious. They prefer a comfortable settled life, but will readily accept responsibility. They can be cunning but usually only in extreme situations.
Rabbit people are known for their good taste and their homes will look immaculate and well maintained.

There are twelve Chinese year signs in the Chinese Zodiac. Unlike in our western astrology, in Chinese astrology each sign lasts for a year. Legend has it that as Buddha was about to depart the earth he summoned all the animals to say goodbye. Only twelve turned up so, to show his appreciation of their loyalty, he vowed that from then on each year would bear the name of one of the animals.

Chinese astrology is based on the Lunar Calendar. This means the Chinese New Year does not fall on the same day each year and can vary by as much as 3 weeks. So for babies born in late January/early February it is necessary to consult the charts to determine the correct sign.

Chinese Years:
February 9, 2005 - January 28, 2006: Rooster

January 22, 2004 - February 8, 2005: Monkey

February 1, 2003 - January 21, 2004: Goat

February 12, 2002 - January 31, 2003: Horse

January 24, 2001 - February 11, 2002: Snake

February 5, 2000 - January 23, 2001: Dragon

February 6, 1999 - February 4, 2000: Rabbit

January 28, 1998 - February 5, 1999: Tiger

February 8, 1997 - January 27, 1998: Ox

February 19,1996 - February 7, 1997: Rat

January 31, 1995 - February 18, 1996: Pig

February 10, 1994 - January 30, 1995: Dog

January 23, 1993 - February 9, 1994: Rooster

February 4, 1992 - January 22, 1993: Monkey

February 15, 1991 - February 3,1992: Goat

January 27, 1990 - February 14, 1991: Horse

February 6, 1989 - January 26, 1990: Snake

February 17, 1988 - February 5, 1989: Dragon

January 29, 1987 - February 16, 1988: Rabbit

February 9, 1986 - January 28, 1987: Tiger

February 20, 1985 - February 8, 1986: Ox

February 2, 1984 - February 19,1985: Rat

February 13, 1983 - February 1, 1984: Pig

February 25, 1982 - February 12, 1983: Dog

February 5, 1981 - January 24, 1982: Rooster

February 16, 1980 - February 4, 1981: Monkey

January 28, 1979 - February 15, 1980: Goat

February 7, 1978 - January 27, 1979: Horse

February 18, 1977 - February 6, 1978: Snake

January 31, 1976 - February 17, 1977: Dragon

February 11, 1975 - January 30, 1976: Rabbit

January 23, 1974 - February 10, 1975: Tiger

February 3, 1973 - January 22, 1974: Ox

February 15, 1972 - February 2, 1973: Rat

January 27, 1971 - February 14, 1972: Pig

February 6, 1970 - January 26, 1971: Dog

February 17, 1969 - February 5, 1970: Rooster

January 30, 1968 - February 16, 1969: Monkey

February 9, 1967 - January 29, 1968: Goat

January 21, 1966 - February 8, 1967: Horse

February 2, 1965 - January 20, 1966: Snake

The Chinese Year Of The Tiger..

If you were born under the Chinese sign of the Tiger, it doesn't pay to argue with you! Tigers are usually larger than life, warm-hearted extroverts. They can't help being noticed and are often very good-looking. However, they can be quick tempered, laughing and joking one moment and angry the next, turning on anyone who annoys them.

Tigers are fearless and will pursue a perceived wrong no matter what. They have a restless spirit and hate to be confined. Tigers need to be free to roam.

Those born under this sign are idealistic but can be rebellious. Strong and tough, they will endure considerable physical hardship. Tigers are individuals who care little for material goods.

There are twelve Chinese year signs in the Chinese Zodiac. Unlike in our western astrology, in Chinese astrology each sign lasts for a year. Legend has it that as Buddha was about to depart the earth he summoned all the animals to say goodbye. Only twelve turned up so, to show his appreciation of their loyalty, he vowed that from then on each year would bear the name of one of the animals.

Chinese astrology is based on the Lunar Calendar. This means the Chinese New Year does not fall on the same day each year and can vary by as much as 3 weeks. So for babies born in late January/early February it is necessary to consult the charts to determine the correct sign.

Chinese Years:
February 9, 2005 - January 28, 2006: Rooster

January 22, 2004 - February 8, 2005: Monkey

February 1, 2003 - January 21, 2004: Goat

February 12, 2002 - January 31, 2003: Horse

January 24, 2001 - February 11, 2002: Snake

February 5, 2000 - January 23, 2001: Dragon

February 6, 1999 - February 4, 2000: Rabbit

January 28, 1998 - February 5, 1999: Tiger

February 8, 1997 - January 27, 1998: Ox

February 19,1996 - February 7, 1997: Rat

January 31, 1995 - February 18, 1996: Pig

February 10, 1994 - January 30, 1995: Dog

January 23, 1993 - February 9, 1994: Rooster

February 4, 1992 - January 22, 1993: Monkey

February 15, 1991 - February 3,1992: Goat

January 27, 1990 - February 14, 1991: Horse

February 6, 1989 - January 26, 1990: Snake

February 17, 1988 - February 5, 1989: Dragon

January 29, 1987 - February 16, 1988: Rabbit

February 9, 1986 - January 28, 1987: Tiger

February 20, 1985 - February 8, 1986: Ox

February 2, 1984 - February 19,1985: Rat

February 13, 1983 - February 1, 1984: Pig

February 25, 1982 - February 12, 1983: Dog

February 5, 1981 - January 24, 1982: Rooster

February 16, 1980 - February 4, 1981: Monkey

January 28, 1979 - February 15, 1980: Goat

February 7, 1978 - January 27, 1979: Horse

February 18, 1977 - February 6, 1978: Snake

January 31, 1976 - February 17, 1977: Dragon

February 11, 1975 - January 30, 1976: Rabbit

January 23, 1974 - February 10, 1975: Tiger

February 3, 1973 - January 22, 1974: Ox

February 15, 1972 - February 2, 1973: Rat

January 27, 1971 - February 14, 1972: Pig

February 6, 1970 - January 26, 1971: Dog

February 17, 1969 - February 5, 1970: Rooster

January 30, 1968 - February 16, 1969: Monkey

February 9, 1967 - January 29, 1968: Goat

January 21, 1966 - February 8, 1967: Horse

February 2, 1965 - January 20, 1966: Snake

The Chinese Year Of The Snake..

If you were born under the Chinese sign of the Snake, you are a classy one! Snakes are wise and subtle, achieving through wit, cunning and stealth. Usually slow moving, they can strike with lightening speed, taking others by surprise.

People born under this sign are graceful and elegant. They are also cultured and intelligent, loving good books, music and the theatre. Snakes dress well and will never wear fake jewellery or cheap substitutes.

Snakes are economical and efficient, using just enough energy to get the job done. Even when resting their minds are constantly working. Snakes should not be underestimated, if they put their mind to it Snakes can achieve great things.

Don't cross a Snake, they will hold a grudge for years and wait for the perfect moment to strike back.
Snakes don't display much emotion and do well in business, often accumulating considerable wealth. They can be devious if this is to their benefit.

There are twelve Chinese year signs in the Chinese Zodiac. Unlike in our western astrology, in Chinese astrology each sign lasts for a year. Legend has it that as Buddha was about to depart the earth he summoned all the animals to say goodbye. Only twelve turned up so, to show his appreciation of their loyalty, he vowed that from then on each year would bear the name of one of the animals.

Chinese astrology is based on the Lunar Calendar. This means the Chinese New Year does not fall on the same day each year and can vary by as much as 3 weeks. So for babies born in late January/early February it is necessary to consult the charts to determine the correct sign.

Chinese Years:
February 9, 2005 - January 28, 2006: Rooster

January 22, 2004 - February 8, 2005: Monkey

February 1, 2003 - January 21, 2004: Goat

February 12, 2002 - January 31, 2003: Horse

January 24, 2001 - February 11, 2002: Snake

February 5, 2000 - January 23, 2001: Dragon

February 6, 1999 - February 4, 2000: Rabbit

January 28, 1998 - February 5, 1999: Tiger

February 8, 1997 - January 27, 1998: Ox

February 19,1996 - February 7, 1997: Rat

January 31, 1995 - February 18, 1996: Pig

February 10, 1994 - January 30, 1995: Dog

January 23, 1993 - February 9, 1994: Rooster

February 4, 1992 - January 22, 1993: Monkey

February 15, 1991 - February 3,1992: Goat

January 27, 1990 - February 14, 1991: Horse

February 6, 1989 - January 26, 1990: Snake

February 17, 1988 - February 5, 1989: Dragon

January 29, 1987 - February 16, 1988: Rabbit

February 9, 1986 - January 28, 1987: Tiger

February 20, 1985 - February 8, 1986: Ox

February 2, 1984 - February 19,1985: Rat

February 13, 1983 - February 1, 1984: Pig

February 25, 1982 - February 12, 1983: Dog

February 5, 1981 - January 24, 1982: Rooster

February 16, 1980 - February 4, 1981: Monkey

January 28, 1979 - February 15, 1980: Goat

February 7, 1978 - January 27, 1979: Horse

February 18, 1977 - February 6, 1978: Snake

January 31, 1976 - February 17, 1977: Dragon

February 11, 1975 - January 30, 1976: Rabbit

January 23, 1974 - February 10, 1975: Tiger

February 3, 1973 - January 22, 1974: Ox

February 15, 1972 - February 2, 1973: Rat

January 27, 1971 - February 14, 1972: Pig

February 6, 1970 - January 26, 1971: Dog

February 17, 1969 - February 5, 1970: Rooster

January 30, 1968 - February 16, 1969: Monkey

February 9, 1967 - January 29, 1968: Goat

January 21, 1966 - February 8, 1967: Horse

February 2, 1965 - January 20, 1966: Snake

The Chinese Year Of The Ox..

If you were born under the Chinese sign of the Ox, you would make a great friend!. Ox people are as honest as the day is long. They are instinctively trusted by others and rightly so. Straight forward and down-to-earth, the Ox says what he thinks and does what he says, disliking any form of deceit.

People born under this sign have strong emotional feelings but find it difficult to express these verbally. They don't rush into friendships, but once a friendship is established they are intensely loyal.

Ox people have an even temperament but if they do lose their temper, look out!

People born under this sign can be stubborn and they are reluctant to admit they are wrong. Their loyalty can work in reverse - they can be a friend for life but once they become an enemy, that too will be for life.
Ox people can be late developers, often finding success later in life.
There are twelve Chinese year signs in the Chinese Zodiac. Unlike in our western astrology, in Chinese astrology each sign lasts for a year. Legend has it that as Buddha was about to depart the earth he summoned all the animals to say goodbye. Only twelve turned up so, to show his appreciation of their loyalty, he vowed that from then on each year would bear the name of one of the animals.

Chinese astrology is based on the Lunar Calendar. This means the Chinese New Year does not fall on the same day each year and can vary by as much as 3 weeks. So for babies born in late January/early February it is necessary to consult the charts to determine the correct sign.

Chinese Years:
February 9, 2005 - January 28, 2006: Rooster

January 22, 2004 - February 8, 2005: Monkey

February 1, 2003 - January 21, 2004: Goat

February 12, 2002 - January 31, 2003: Horse

January 24, 2001 - February 11, 2002: Snake

February 5, 2000 - January 23, 2001: Dragon

February 6, 1999 - February 4, 2000: Rabbit

January 28, 1998 - February 5, 1999: Tiger

February 8, 1997 - January 27, 1998: Ox

February 19,1996 - February 7, 1997: Rat

January 31, 1995 - February 18, 1996: Pig

February 10, 1994 - January 30, 1995: Dog

January 23, 1993 - February 9, 1994: Rooster

February 4, 1992 - January 22, 1993: Monkey

February 15, 1991 - February 3,1992: Goat

January 27, 1990 - February 14, 1991: Horse

February 6, 1989 - January 26, 1990: Snake

February 17, 1988 - February 5, 1989: Dragon

January 29, 1987 - February 16, 1988: Rabbit

February 9, 1986 - January 28, 1987: Tiger

February 20, 1985 - February 8, 1986: Ox

February 2, 1984 - February 19,1985: Rat

February 13, 1983 - February 1, 1984: Pig

February 25, 1982 - February 12, 1983: Dog

February 5, 1981 - January 24, 1982: Rooster

February 16, 1980 - February 4, 1981: Monkey

January 28, 1979 - February 15, 1980: Goat

February 7, 1978 - January 27, 1979: Horse

February 18, 1977 - February 6, 1978: Snake

January 31, 1976 - February 17, 1977: Dragon

February 11, 1975 - January 30, 1976: Rabbit

January 23, 1974 - February 10, 1975: Tiger

February 3, 1973 - January 22, 1974: Ox

February 15, 1972 - February 2, 1973: Rat

January 27, 1971 - February 14, 1972: Pig

February 6, 1970 - January 26, 1971: Dog

February 17, 1969 - February 5, 1970: Rooster

January 30, 1968 - February 16, 1969: Monkey

February 9, 1967 - January 29, 1968: Goat

January 21, 1966 - February 8, 1967: Horse

February 2, 1965 - January 20, 1966: Snake

The Year of the Green Wooden Rooster is upon us. At the stroke of midnight on the 9th of February 2005, the Chinese New Year will be celebrated. Since the year of the Rooster is about to commence, wouldn’t it be nice to have some health resolutions for a healthy Chinese New Year?

When you have a never-ending to-do list in today’s fast-paced world, you are becoming busier than ever. Therefore, many other things are dropped down on your priority list. Usually, one of the first ones to drop in the list is health. This should never be the case.

There are a lot of creative ways to help keep you in peak condition. Below are some suggested health resolutions to help you get started:

1.Exercise. Exercise offers so many important benefits that it should always be a part of one’s weekly routine. The benefits of regular exercise include a reduced risk of heart disease, stroke, bowel cancer, breast cancer, osteoporosis, and obesity. In addition to feeling better, regular exercise can help ease stress, anxiety and mild depression.

2.Have a healthy diet. Eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily. A healthy diet helps prevent or reduce the severity of diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and can also help reduce the risk of some cancers.

3.Put together a good health care team. This includes a dentist, a nutritionist & a medical doctor to help you keep in shape from head to toe.

4.Get enough sleep. At least six up to eight hours a night will do.

5.Quit smoking and drink alcoholic beverages moderately.

6.Drink at least eight glasses of water everyday. Ever feel sluggish? Based on researches, lack of water is the number one trigger of daytime fatigue.

7.Take time everyday to do something you enjoy. Read, paint/draw, dance, cook, talk to a friend, etc.

8.Feed your soul. People may be healthy physically but the spiritual health should never be forgotten.

As the saying goes, “prevention is better than cure and health is wealth.” Whether it is Chinese New Year or not, taking good care of your health is an all-year round obligation that should not be taken for granted. Kung Hei Fat Choi!

The Chinese Year of the Rooster

The Chinese Year of the Rooster starts on February 9 and lasts until January 28 2006. There's a table below telling you the dates of other Chinese astrology signs.

There are twelve Chinese year signs in the Chinese Zodiac. Unlike in our western astrology, in Chinese astrology each sign lasts for a year. Legend has it that as Buddha was about to depart the earth he summoned all the animals to say goodbye. Only twelve turned up so, to show his appreciation of their loyalty, he vowed that from then on each year would bear the name of one of the animals.

Chinese astrology is based on the Lunar Calendar. This means the Chinese New Year does not fall on the same day each year and can vary by as much as 3 weeks. So for babies born in late January/early February it is necessary to consult the charts to determine the correct sign.

The Chinese Year Of The Rooster.
If you or your child was born in the Chinese year sign of the rooster you have far to go. Roosters are full of confidence, fearless and brave. They will take on an adversary far superior to themselves if they believe they are in the right.

If they can control their impulsive streak they are usually successful in business. Intelligent and ambitious, Roosters work hard and like to be in control, often successfully running their own businesses.

People born under this sign are extroverts and enjoy the company of others. They do not like to be criticised and their self-esteem can crumble if they are ridiculed. Roosters hate to be bored and can be deliberately provocative if life is too dull.

Other signs either love or hate Roosters. Fortunately for the Rooster, most people love them.

Chinese Years:
February 9, 2005 - January 28, 2006: Rooster

January 22, 2004 - February 8, 2005: Monkey

February 1, 2003 - January 21, 2004: Goat

February 12, 2002 - January 31, 2003: Horse

January 24, 2001 - February 11, 2002: Snake

February 5, 2000 - January 23, 2001: Dragon

February 6, 1999 - February 4, 2000: Rabbit

January 28, 1998 - February 5, 1999: Tiger

February 8, 1997 - January 27, 1998: Ox

February 19,1996 - February 7, 1997: Rat

January 31, 1995 - February 18, 1996: Pig

February 10, 1994 - January 30, 1995: Dog

January 23, 1993 - February 9, 1994: Rooster

February 4, 1992 - January 22, 1993: Monkey

February 15, 1991 - February 3,1992: Goat

January 27, 1990 - February 14, 1991: Horse

February 6, 1989 - January 26, 1990: Snake

February 17, 1988 - February 5, 1989: Dragon

January 29, 1987 - February 16, 1988: Rabbit

February 9, 1986 - January 28, 1987: Tiger

February 20, 1985 - February 8, 1986: Ox

February 2, 1984 - February 19,1985: Rat

February 13, 1983 - February 1, 1984: Pig

February 25, 1982 - February 12, 1983: Dog

February 5, 1981 - January 24, 1982: Rooster

February 16, 1980 - February 4, 1981: Monkey

January 28, 1979 - February 15, 1980: Goat

February 7, 1978 - January 27, 1979: Horse

February 18, 1977 - February 6, 1978: Snake

January 31, 1976 - February 17, 1977: Dragon

February 11, 1975 - January 30, 1976: Rabbit

January 23, 1974 - February 10, 1975: Tiger

February 3, 1973 - January 22, 1974: Ox

February 15, 1972 - February 2, 1973: Rat

January 27, 1971 - February 14, 1972: Pig

February 6, 1970 - January 26, 1971: Dog

February 17, 1969 - February 5, 1970: Rooster

January 30, 1968 - February 16, 1969: Monkey

February 9, 1967 - January 29, 1968: Goat

January 21, 1966 - February 8, 1967: Horse

February 2, 1965 - January 20, 1966: Snake

The character traits of other Chinese signs can be found at our site.

Chinese Marriage

In ancient China, a man could have as many concubines as possible after the first wife. It was possible that the youngest concubine would be a teenager while the husband could be an ancient old man. Poor families sold their young daughters to rich families just because they could get some money from the rich family and also get rid of a useless female in the family.

Since 1950, the Chinese government has promulgated a law which stated that one man can only get married with one woman. It offends the law for anyone who has more than one wife.

In the past, parents arranged marriages were very common. Usually young people would have their spouse decided by their parents. Sometimes young people could only have the first look of their spouse at their wedding. It was also common that sometimes an arranged marriage could be organized even before the child was born as long as parents from both families agreed.

In modern days, things have changed quite a lot. Free love prevails and lovers can choose to get married with whoever they love. Of course, in order to show their respect to their parents, formal agreement has still to be obtained prior to any proper marriage procedure.

Even more modern, matchmakers businesses are all thriving just because sometimes people find it a bit hard to find their true love.

Before getting married
Before getting married, young people have to pay a formal visit to each other's parents. When visiting the girl's parents, the boy has to bring with him the betrothal gifts in order to show sincerity. When the gifts are received, then both the boy and the girl are engaged. When the girl visits the boy's parents, the parents have to prepare a formal gift for the future daughter-in-law.

In China, usually the newly wedded couple will move to live with the boy's family. Sometimes it is not surprising to see that they will live with the girl's family. However, in these modern days, young couples would prefer to live alone without the parents if they can afford to pay for a new flat or house.

One of the wedding procedure is that the bride has to prepare a dowry to be brought to the bridegroom's family on the wedding day. A dowry is things bought by the bride's family, which includes blackest, clothes, accessories, daily necessities and etc.

What comes next is to choose a good day to hold the wedding. It is very important in the Chinese culture. A wedding, being such an important day in a person's life, has to be held on a day which symbolizes goodness. People will choose the best day based on the Chinese Lunar calendar, or on any festival days.

The wedding ceremony
A formal Chinese wedding requires the bridegroom to pick up the bride at the bride's home after respectfully greeted the parents-in-law to be. The couple-to-be will then go to the bridegroom's home, where the bride will greet her parents-in-law to be, or to the banquet location. If they choose to go to the bridegroom's home, the young couple will have to greet the parents-in-law to be with a cup of tea each and the parents will return the daughter-in-law to be with a red packet of money inside. Similar to the western culture, the bride and bridegroom will be accompanied by bridesmaids and best men and they are usually still non-married.

One very important procedure is the banquet. All relatives and friends will be invited and they will wish the new couple with all the best. At the banquet, the newly wed has to drink half glass of wine for a pair of glasses linked by a ribbon. After that the newly wed has to cross-hand and drink the other half of the wine. It is believed that after this ceremony the newly wed will love each other more dearly.

In some parts of China, the fish served in the banquet should not be eaten totally. The head, tail and the whole skeleton of the fish should be left untouched so as to symbolize a good start and end of a marriage.

After the banquet, friends of the new couple will usually continue the night by deliberately disturbing the new couple with a few games. Games will include different quests for some difficult performances or questions. Unfortunately to the newly wed that these games usually last till very late in the night!

However in the modern days, many young people try to skip most of these rituals or ceremonies. They do that either because they think that new generations should not be confined by these old traditions, or some do so just because of economical reasons of trying not to spend as much money as possible.

Chinese Pregnancy

Traditionally in China, when once people got married, they would immediately get ready for having a baby. That is why symbolic things such as dolls or lotus seeds would be put on the beds of the newly weds on their wedding day so as to bring in the meaning of having a baby as soon as possible.

When once a married woman becomes pregnant, things for the baby will start to be prepared. Prams, cot, baby clothes, etc will be readily prepared to welcome the arrival of the new born.

From now on, the health of the mother is of utmost importance. Therefore, the mother should reduce her workload, eat healthily, and employ prenatal education. Prenatal education has come into being for over 2000 years in China. It was believed that a good pregnant mother should eat only meat which was cut only in square cubes, sit only on properly built chairs, walk unswingingly, talk softly, etc. By doing so, the foetus would be able to learn the most valued virtues. Although in present days the above mentioned practice is no longer common, pregnant women in China still behave very carefully so as not to do anything which affects the foetus. Still now most people believe that the structure of the house or flat should not be changed while a woman in the house is pregnant since it will cause the foetus no good but harm.

The first month after giving birth
The first month after giving birth is very important for a mother. She needs the most rest and the best nutrition. Otherwise, her body will not be able to recover and can easily get ill. In this month, she can't go outdoors, can't be exposed to wind, can't wash with cold water, can't drink cold water, can't read books etc. However, if a mother really has to wash herself, she should do so by using water boiled with dried ginger skin. In some places in China, a mother must not wash her hair because otherwise she will get a chronic headache.

Compared to the west, western women can leave home after a week of giving birth and can go to work after two weeks. It is unimaginable in China.

In China, after giving birth, a woman should eat plenty of fish soup and pig knuckle soup. The pig knuckle soup is boiled for a long time with ingredients such as a lot ginger, eggs, pig knuckles in plenty of sweet black vinegar. It is believed that this soup can compensate for the loss of calcium and other nutrients needed by the body. It is a tradition to give out and share such soup to friends and relatives but one can only do so twelve days after the baby is born. Chicken is also ideal for meals after giving birth. In order to help a mother to recover from giving birth, it is recommended that she should eat rice cooked with ginger daily since it can enhance all bodily circulation. Apart from the above, it is also a tradition that after the baby has been born for one lunar month, eggs dyed red should be given to friends and relatives. However, anything salty should be avoided since it will hinder the production of breast milk of a mother.

It is only after the baby has weaned then the mother can start considering controlling her body weight.

Some practices may seem quite unimaginable. However, they are still practiced in most places in China. Even in Hong Kong, women would follow the above traditions as long as family expectations are involved.

Chinese Dining Etiquette

At Chinese meal times, Chinese people use a round or square table. Person of the most importance would usually take the seat the farthest away from the door whilst the youngest or the person of the least importance would take the seat closest to the door.

However, if you are the host, usually you would take the seat which is closest to the walkway since it allows the most convenient movement by the host.

Unlike the western style, Chinese people do not use forks and knives. We use a pair of chopsticks and spoons. Unlike Japanese chopsticks, Chinese chopsticks have both ends of the same size whilst Japanese ones have one end sharper than the other.

There are several things to remember when you use chopsticks.

- Don't dig in the food on a plate but just get the piece which you want to get
- Don't pick one piece then drop it back in the plate and change to another piece
- Don't let your chopsticks be covered with food juice or residue
- Don't use chopsticks to beat any utensils to make any noise
- Don't wave your chopsticks
- Don't use chopsticks like forks
- Don't use chopsticks as toothpicks
- Don't lick or suck your chopsticks
- Don't put chopsticks vertically in rice in a bowl since it resembles the incense sticks for the dead

Particularly after SARS, it is more common these days that people use a pair of
common chopsticks for fetching the food on the plates. Don't forget to swap your own chopsticks with the ones provided when getting the food because of hygiene reasons.

In a Chinese meal, an even number of dishes should be ordered. Odd numbers of dishes would be appropriate only for occasions such as the meal after a funeral.

The best dish should be put in front of the most important person in order to show your respect. Chicken head or duck head on a plate should not point at guests. The big bowl of soup should be placed in the middle.

If you are the guest, remember not to leave too much food behind because it would mean that you don't like the food. Also, when you eat fish, it would be better if you just take out the skeletons after finishing one side of the meat than to turn the whole fish upside down because it resembles a boat being turned upside down.

Rice in China is the same important as potatoes in the west. Some people need to eat 2 or more bowls of rice at each meal. Especially the older generation, they can't have a meal without rice. However, modern Chinese tend to replace rice with congee (a kind of porridge like food made of rice boiled with a lot of water), noodles or even go without any. So if you are not a big rice eater, you still have a lot others to choose from.

With Chinese restaurants being so popular everywhere in the world, I think it is time you should get a grip of how to use chopsticks.

Gifts in Chinese Culture

Chinese people have their own culture when it comes to giving friends or relatives presents.

When it is a new-born baby, usually jade or silver bracelet or necklace would be good, particularly ones which can make the clinging sound so it will make some noise when the baby moves. Alternatively, some children's clothes, shoes or gloves would be good too. When it is an older child, some toys or stationary would be good.

When it comes to some old people, something practical should be considered. A walking-stick, some valuable food such as bird's nests or Chinese mushrooms would be highly welcome.

For those who go to visit their prospective parents-in-law, something more valuable would be an option, such as some good wine or something meaningful.

If it is a family, a vase, some dining sets or pictures would be ideal.

It is not easy to think of something special for every occasion. So very often if it is not of any special visits, some fruits such as apples or oranges would be good enough.

It is important to know that giving someone gifts should not be a one-way business. Courtesy requires reciprocity. The person who receives the gift should find a chance in the future to return the same favour by returning a gift of similar value the next time you meet. You can do so simply by either paying a visit with a similar value gift or by inviting the friend out for a meal with you paying the meal. Don't do it right on the next day because it may appear awkward.

There are also some taboos to avoid in Chinese culture. Though modern Chinese don't seem to mind them so much, it is still necessary to know what would be suitable in an occasion.

Books would not be welcome in places like Hong Kong or Macau because the pronunciation of 'book' in Cantonese resembles the sound of 'loss'. Especially for those people who are frequent players in race course or Mark six, they would definitely not welcome this idea.

Umbrellas would not be welcome in most places in China because the pronunciation of 'umbrella' resembles separation. Of course nobody would like the idea of separation, particularly concerning your loved ones.

Clocks would not be welcome, particularly on someone's birthday because the pronunciation of 'clock' resembles termination, which means death. No wonder people don't like receiving clocks as birthday gifts.

If you want to give your friends some fruits, remember to buy an even number of them because odd numbers would bring bad luck. So buy 10 apples instead of 9.

Foreigners may find it awkward when your friend says 'You don't need to buy anything when you come here.', or 'Keep it to yourself. I have a lot of these'. He may not mean it. What you need to do is to insist on him receiving the gift since Chinese people do not tend to receive the gift immediately.

Don't mind it if he doesn't open your present immediately too. Chinese people would think opening the present in front of you would be impolite and so they would tend to put it aside and only open it after you have left.

These ideas can only be served as guidelines. Knowing that you come from a foreign culture and being more broad-minded to foreign ideas, Chinese people are nowadays more tolerant to things which are not in line with their culture. So, don't worry too much when you visit a Chinese friend or family. Maybe your exotic idea would bring them a lot of surprises!!

Chinese Plants

Chinese people value trees and flowers as much as westerners do.

Plum flowers are fragrant and beautiful. They were once the national flower. On the RMB50 cents coins you can see plum flowers on the side.

Chrysanthemum flowers symbolizes a strong life. It is good to give old people chrysanthemum flowers because it means strong life. However, only red ones would be good because white and light yellow ones are used only at funerals. Lovers do not give chrysanthemum to their loved ones.

Narcissus, lotus flowers and orchid are flowers which represent high virtues and elegance.

Orchid blossoms in spring and it brings an air of high class respectfulness.

Narcissus blossoms in winter. White flowers of five ledals and yellow stamen grow in pure water. It represents a sense of purity.

Lotus flowers grow in pond water. Its roots are edible. Its flowers blossom in summer and are either red or white. The seeds are also edible and are often used as medicine. Almost every part of a lotus plant is useful though it grows in muddy pond water. That is also why it is compared to people who manage to achieve successfully in life though come from a less prestige background.

Azalae flowers represents elegance and wealth. You can find azalea on RMB1 coins.
Peach flowers blossom in spring. It represents beautiful girls. In Chinese tradition at Chinese New Year, people who want to find love will usually buy a whole plant and put it home because this will bring them luck in finding love in the coming year.

Pomegranate gives very beautiful flowers. Its fruit is sour but contains a lot of seeds inside. In Chinese tradition, people put this fruit on the bed of the newly weds so as to help the newly weds to make many babies.

Maple trees in China represents old people who don't admit that they are old because these trees blossoms in autumn which is near the end of a year.

Lilac in China represents modesty, which is one of the virtues that Chinese people value
Other than the above, there are some flowers which have medicinal values. Plum flowers can cure heat, cough and diarrhea; chrysanthemum can cure cold; orchid can cure lung disease and coughs; lotus flowers can cure sunstroke, insomnia and blood vomiting; azalea can regulate female menstruation; narcissus and Chinese rose can remove bruises; laurel can remove bruises and dissolve phlegm.

What about giving presents?
When birthdays or opening a business, red Chinese rose or pomegranate flowers would be good because this represents prosperous future.

For old people, plum flowers or tuberose would be appropriate.

For patients, orchid, you can buy China pink bamboo.

For moving houses, you can buy asparagus fern.

For wedding, you can buy lily because in China it represents hundred years of love. Lily is also good for friends which means unity.

However there are also plants which carry derogative meanings.

Poplar flowers can be easily blown broken. It represents a woman who is not faithful.

Broad-leave epiphyllum flowers are pretty but they open just for one night. It can be easily understood that they represent shortness.

Duckweed floats on the surface of water. It has no roots and floats anywhere. Since the Chinese nation values family and its unity, things which do not have roots would be pitiful.

Thistles and thorns bring people pain. They represent difficulties.

Do you know more about what to bring to your Chinese friend next time? Maybe now you can be more confident when asking your Chinese lover out for a date.;-)

Chinese relatives

It may be interesting to know that, unlike western system, in China, we have different appellation for different relatives in a family. This is obviously good practice in order to tell who we are referring to in a conversation though some people may think otherwise!

Father's side

Mother's side


Father's father
zufù
Mother's father
wài zufù

Father's mother
zumu
Mother's mother
wài zumu

Father's elder brother
bófù
Mother's elder brother
jiùfù

Father's younger brother
xu xu(uncle)
Mother's younger brother
same as above

Father's elder brother's wife
bómu
Mother's elder brother's wife
jiùmu

Father's younger brother's wife
shunshen
Mother's younger brother's wife
same as above

Father's elder and younger sister
gugu
Mother's elder and younger sister
yímu

Father's sister's husband
gufù
Mother's sister's husband
yífù

Father's brother's son
tángge(elder)

tángdì(younger)
Mother's brother's son
biaoge(elder)

biadì (younger)


I am sure this table can be endless knowing that one can have as big a family as possible. However, simply from the above, one can imagine how complicated it works when calling someone in your family in China. That is why it is not surprising that very often one doesn't know how to call someone when they meet in a Chinese New Year family gathering. What you need to know is that you always see this person every time you meet with your family and you can eat together at the same table.

Very often these days as well that sometimes my mother refers to someone about something in the family and she expects me to know who she is talking about. Well, the case is that I can hardly recall what this person looks like.....

In China, with the One-Child policy started over 2 decades ago, I think this system may not be as commonly used as before.

Chinese Tea

Chinese tea - water quality
The quality of tea is controlled by the quality of the water. It was said in ancient China that water is the mother of tea.
There are three categories of water: best is water from a hill, average is water from the river, bottom is water from a well. The best water from a hill is on a hilltop; the best water from a river is in the middle of a river; the best water from a well is from a well which is frequently used.
It is not easy to get water from a hill. So water from a tap is the most common. There are two ways to make the best use of tap water when making tea. 1. Leave the tap water in a bucket for 24 hours in order to let out the chlorine inside. 2. Boil the water then open the lid for 5 minutes in order to let out the chlorine inside.
Distilled water is a kind of artificial soft water. It is the most hygiene but it would not be the ideal water for making tea.

Best water temperature for making tea:
1. Low temperature (70 - 80c)
Good for making young shoot green tea such as Long Jing (Dragon Well) or yellow tea (Silver Needle).
2. Medium temperature (80 - 90c)
Good for making white tea (Silver Needle White Fur), red tea or Oolong.
3. High temperature (90 - 100c)
Good for making tea such as Tie Guan Yin (Iron Guan Yin), Pu'er, Shui Xian (Water Fairy).
Low temperature water tends to be more suitable for young tea leaves while high temperature water tends to be more suitable for ripe tea leaves.

Chinese tea - tea leaves
Chinese tea used to be categorized by its place of origin or place where it went to. Only till recently that Chinese tea is categorized based on its way of manufacture.

6 types of tea:
Green, yellow, black, white, light green and red.

Green tea
Green tea has the longest history and it can be dated over 3000 years ago. People picked the young shoots of leaves and dried it in the sun without fermentation.

Examples of green tea:
Long Jing
Fur Tip
Green Spring Snail

Yellow tea
Yellow tea is to ferment the tea leaves before they are totally dry. A degree of 10% to 20% fermentation would be expected.

Examples of yellow tea:
Silver Needle
Yellow Soup
Big Leaf Green

Black tea
Black tea is to ferment tea leaves to a degree of 100%. It is a kind of commonly consumed tea in Mongolia.

Examples of black tea:
Pu'er
Cake tea
Brick tea

White tea
White tea is a kind of day dry tea which is lightly fermented to a degree of 20% - 30%. Tea leaves are usually young ones covered with white fur.

Examples of white tea:
Longevity Eyebrow
White Peony
Silver Needle White Fur

Green tea
Light green tea is a kind of tea lightly fermented to a degree of 30% - 60%. Tea leaves are green in the middle and red on the fringe. This type of tea gives a taste of fruit or flowers.

Examples of Light green tea:
Water Fairy
SONG Species Long Bush
Iron Guan Yin

Red tea
Red tea is a kind of tea fermented to a degree of 80% - 90%. Western countries usually call it Black Tea. It usually gives a taste of roses.

Examples of red tea:
Red Tea

Tea sets

Tea pot - Zisha tea pot is known as the best tea pot for making tea with. Colours vary from dark purple, red to light yellow. Zisha tea pots have very tiny holes suitable for brewing tea. Also, it prevents any chemical changes from taking place.

Tea spoon - The best tea spoon would be made of bamboo. It is also used for removing any tea leaves from blocking the tea mouth.

Tea boat - It is used for laying tea pot and tea cups. The first rinse of water would be poured into the tea boat. This water can also be used for rinsing tea cups.

Tea cloth - It is used for wiping the water outside the tea pot.

Tea cups - The right size of tea cups would be used for their appropriate corresponding size of tea pots.

Healing aspects of Chinese tea
Chinese tea is known to have good healing power. It not only boosts health but also allows longevity. However, we should avoid tea which has been left cool for a long time or overnight.

Take Oolong as an example, it can reduce the fat in blood. It has been known for a long time that tea can reduce the fat in human body. Or take Pu'er or white tea as an example, it would be ideal for people to maintain a slim body. Apart from the effects above, all the three teas can reduce the possibility of developing cancer.

The traditional sailing ships are one of the main prosperity Chinese symbols. Actually, these objects are the most known symbols after dragons in the Chinese culture. Just like dragons, they can be seen in most Chinese buildings and houses as traditional objects as well as prosperity amulets. They not only symbolize prosperity but also are very auspicious for goal achievements and happiness in general, and can help us attracting such benefits into our homes.

One of the most usual ways these sailing ships are represented is carrying gold coins and gold ingots. Actually, the tradition says they should contain as many richness and wealth symbols as possible, since sailing ships carrying such items symbolize the ship transporting richness into the house or towards the place where they are. Besides, the way by which the sails hold the air and the wind has great symbolism as well. The sails holding the wind symbolize problems being stopped from entering the house, and this way the sailing ship helps those around it keeping problems away from them.

There are specific indications on how and where the sailing ships should be placed. Sailing ships should be inside the house and next to the main door. If it is in your working space, it should also be inside it and right next to the door. Besides, it is important that it is facing inside symbolizing that it carries prosperity into your space. If it is pointing outside, it might produce the opposite effect and send prosperity away.

If the door is at the northwest or west of the building, the sailing ship you choose should be made of metal in order to create harmony for that area. On the other hand, if the door is at the east or southeast, your sailing ship should be made of wood; and if the door is at the northeast or southwest you should place a crystal ship next to it. By following these indications, you would not only be attracting prosperity into the wished space, but also applying feng shui principles and creating balance between the main elements.

INFERTILITY AND TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE PART II

In Part I, we considered the proper treatment methods of Traditional Chinese Medicine and The Four Examinations,which date back over three thousand years.

In this section, we will look at the mechanisms of action of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

It was shown in a study done at Harvard that stress reduces the hypothalamic-anterior pituitary-ovarian axis function, thus being a factor to be considered in the infertility work-up. Acupuncture releases endorphins which mitigate ones response to stressful stimuli thus enhancing the possibility for conception.

"Historically, infertility, particularly "functional" infertility, was attributed to abnormal psychological functioning on the part of one or both members of the couple. Preliminary works in the 1940s and 1950s considered "psychogenic infertility" as the major cause of failure to conceive in as many as 50% of cases. As recently as the late 1960s, it was commonly believed that reproductive failure was the result of psychological and emotional factors. Psychogenic infertility was supposed to occur because of unconscious anxiety about sexual feelings, ambivalence toward motherhood, unresolved oedipal conflict, or conflicts of gender identity. Fortunately, advances in reproductive endocrinology and medical technology as well as in psychological research have de-emphasized the significance of psychopathology as the basis of infertility, and modern research shows that there is little evidence to support a role for personality factors or conflicts as a cause of infertility. This perspective unburdens the couple by relieving them of the additional guilt of thinking that it is their mental stress that may be responsible for their infertility.

Biologically, since the hypothalamus regulates both stress responses as well as the sex hormones, it's easy to see how stress could cause infertility in some women. Excessive stress may even lead to complete suppression of the menstrual cycle, and this is often seen in female marathon runners, who develop "runner's amenorrhea". In less severe cases, it could cause anovulation or irregular menstrual cycles. When activated by stress, the pituitary gland also produces increased amounts of prolactin, and elevated levels of prolactin could cause irregular ovulation. Since the female reproductive tract contains catecholamine receptors catecholamines produced in response to stress may potentially affect fertility, for example, by interfering with the transport of gametes through the Fallopian tube or by altering uterine blood flow. However, more complex mechanisms may be at play, and researchers still don't completely understand how stress interacts with the reproductive system. This is a story, which is still unfolding, and during the last 20 years, the new field of psychoneuroimmunology has emerged, which focuses on how your mind can affect your body.

Research has shown that the brain produces special molecules called neuropeptides, in response to emotions, and these peptides can interact with every cell of the body, including those of the immune system. In this view, the mind and the body are not only connected, but also inseparable, so that it is hardly surprising that stress can have a negative influence on fertility.

Stress can reduce sperm counts as well. Thus, testicular biopsies obtained from prisoners awaiting execution, who were obviously under extreme stress, revealed complete spermatogenetic arrest in all cases. Researchers have also showed significantly lower semen volume and sperm concentration in a group of chronically stressed marmoset monkey, and these changes were attributed to lower concentrations of LH and testosterone (which were reduced in the stressed group). However, how relevant these research findings are in clinical practice is still to be determined."

The stress factors that acupuncture addresses stems from both psycho-emotional factors as well as physical etiologies. For example, extremely painful pre-menstruum or mid cycle pain can be debilitating. This type of physical stress, no doubt produces emotional stress as a result of missed work, manifest pain and other life-style factors resulting from such extreme pain; all can mitigate the function of the reproductive system.

Aceto corticotropic hormone is released as a response to acupuncture needle stimuli. ACTH has an antiinflammatory mechanism which may for example, help with tubal factor based infertility as a response to pelvic inflammatory disease.

The insertion of acupuncture needles has been shown to effectively increase blood circulation. Acupuncture is very effective in treating, for example, Reynaud's Syndrome. Enhanced microcirculatory patency to the uterine lining does, undoubtedly contribute to a healthier and more growth oriented endometrium, especially when utilizing electrical stimulation on inserted acupuncture needles on points known as zigongxue which reside superior to the ovaries. The points zigongxue are located 3 inches inferior to the umbilicus and three inches bilateral to the anterior midline.

"They reviewed existing evidence regarding the role of acupuncture in the treatment of infertility, and identified a number of studies indicating that acupuncture can be beneficial as an adjunct to other infertility treatments, including IVF. Only one randomized controlled study examined the independent effect of acupuncture on IVF outcomes, but this indicated a positive effect.

The reviewed authors also highlight evidence that shows the effects of acupuncture may be mediated through neuropeptides that influence gonadotropin secretion, which could in turn affect the menstrual cycle. The technique can also reduce stress, which is known to adversely affect fertility, and has been implicated in the regulation of uterine blood flow."

"Using acupuncture during assisted reproduction may improve pregnancy rates, say researchers. However, they acknowledge that the mechanism behind this effect is unclear, and the team plans to carry out further studies to confirm, and further investigate, their findings.

Noting that acupuncture has been shown to affect the autonomic nervous system, Dr. Wolfgang Paulus (Christian-Lauritzen-Institut, Ulm, Germany) and colleagues postulated that the therapy could increase endometrial receptivity via control of related muscles and glands.

The researchers randomly assigned 160 women receiving assisted reproductive therapy to undergo IVF with or without acupuncture, before and after embryo transfer. In acupuncture subjects, the needles were placed at points believed to influence reproductive factors, for example by improving blood flow to the uterus.

Paulus et al report that the acupuncture group had a higher rate of pregnancy compared with those not given acupuncture (43 percent versus 26 percent). They conclude, therefore, that acupuncture could be "a useful tool" for improving pregnancy rates during certain infertility treatments."

In Part III we will look at the combined elements of Eastern and Western medicine along with herbal medication in the treatment of infertility.