 The Spring Festival is the most important festival in China.
 People eat different food.
 The rice glue balls, which are eaten on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, or the Lantern Festival, are the last items for the spring festival.
 On the lantern festival, it is said that every household eats glutinous rice dumplings.
 People in the north and south call it differently and make it in different ways.
In north, people make it by roll.
 The fillings are made with grounded sesame, peanuts or bean paste, mixed with sugar.
 The fillings are then dipped with water and rolled in the glutinous rice flour until it is big enough.
 Most people are busy now.
 So they normally buy it instead of making it themselves.
 Street hawkers make it.
 But the rice glue balls sold by some famous long-standing stores, are warmly welcome.
 Comparatively, people in the south would like to make it by themselves.
 They first mix glutinous rice flour with water.
 Then they make the fillings with grounded chestnut, peanut, sesame, jujube paste or bean paste.
 Then they start to make it.
 In south China, the rice glue balls made by Ningbo in east China and the Lai Tang Yuan made in Chengdu in southwest, are very famous.
The rice glue balls, cooked by boiling, tastes sweet and soft.
 People who like sweetness would find it delicious.
 People eat glutinous rice dumplings as a wish for reunion.
 Taiwan Lantern Festival 2018 : 2~11 March 2018 2018 Taiwan Lantern Festival will be held at Chiayi County (near National Palace Museum south branch and HSR Chiayi Station).
The 2018 Taiwan Lantern Festival is going to present itself via water, on the land, and in the air.
 Bringing together tourism, technology, culture and art, the festival is expected to manifest Chiayi County’s renewed traditions and creativity as a ground-breaking “smart” event.
 The “water” lantern zone features water and light shows which are in par with international standards on the globally famous sea of clouds, sunrise, forest railways and cherry blossoms of Alishan, in addition to a presentation of the water landscape and architecture of the Southern Branch, National Palace Museum located right in Chiayi.
The shows will take place at fixed hours every evening during the festival period, as accompanied by dance performances by professional troupes.
 The “land” lantern zone delves into Chiayi history, highlighting traditional craft art and the works by local artists.
 New ideas are instilled into this otherwise traditional lantern display in an artistic way.
 The “air” lantern zone shows high-tech lanterns made with new technology, materials and techniques.
 These lanterns look truly different.
 Chiayi is planning to build an innovative lantern festival.
 Added with technological, artistic and cultural elements, each of the displays is unique and worth some discussions.
 Please look forward to this one-and-only event!
 This is always the biggest and the most crowded.
 The nearby Yanshui township in Tainan also hosts Yuejin Lantern Festival, this one tend to collect contemporary art style work.
 You can also witness the infamous "beehive fireworks" if you go on the right day.
 The information 2018 is yet to come.
Pingxi is famous for its sky lantern.
 Again the date for 2018 is yet to be announced.
 Yeliu near Taipei also supposedly has a good festival, with firewalking and carrying a palanquin into the sea.
 Large cities such as Taipei and Kaohsiung also host their own festival each year.
 Click here to join Taiwan Holiday's 2018 Taiwan Lantern Festival group tour that will amaze you!
 The Lantern Festival is celebrated annually on the 15th day of the first lunar month to mark the grand finale of the Chinese New Year celebrations.
 It is also the very first full moon day of the New Year, symbolizing the coming of the spring.
 People usually celebrate this festival by enjoying family dinner together, eating Yuanxiao (glutinous rice dumpling), carrying paper lanterns, and solving the riddles on the lanterns.
 The festival is celebrated with fanfare events in Taiwan, including the internationally famed Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival in New Taipei City, Bombing Lord Han Dan in Taitung, and Yanshui Beehive Rockets Festival in Tainan, to welcome the New Year in a spirit of peace, prosperity and joy.
Bombing Lord Han Dan is a special ceremony in Taitung, which a chosen man performs in the role of Master Han Dan-a god of wealth, and gets thrown by firecrackers.
 During the event, the chosen man wears nothing but a pair of red short pants, holds one bamboo fan to protect his face, stands on a sedan chair, and being carried around by four devotees.
 Firecrackers are to be thrown at the chosen one as it is believed that Lord Han Dan cannot bear the cold weather.
 The firecrackers are to keep him warm as well as to pray for wealth and prosperities.
 Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival is held every year during the Lantern Festival in Pingxi of New Taipei City.
 Sky Lanterns, also known as Kongming Lantern are flying paper lanterns traditionally found in some Asian cultures.
 It was invented by Kongming during three kingdoms period by Zhu Ke-Liang (aka Kongming) in order to pass military information.
 They are constructed from oiled rice paper on a bamboo made frame, and contain a small candle or fuel cell composed of a waxy flammable material.
 After lit, the flame heats the air inside the lantern, same concept of a hot air balloon which raises the lantern into the sky.
 People nowadays usually write their wishes on the sky lanterns because it is believed as the lantern fly into the sky; it is a way to pass on your wishes to gods above.
Yanshui Beehive Rocket Festival is a distinctive religious event scheduled on the day of the Lantern Festival in Yanshui, Tainan.
 On the day of the Lantern Festival, people would visit Yanshui in Tainan City to follow the sedan chair of the divinity and the release of thousands of firecrackers.
 Participants are required to wear a helmet, mask, towel, as well as dressed in long pants and long sleeves shirt for safety.
Other than the three major Lantern Festival celebrations of Taiwan listed above, the annual Taiwan Lantern Festival takes place at different Taiwan City every year.
 The splendid Taiwan Lantern Festival is filled with thousands traditional, cartoon and thematically designed lanterns of various shapes, sizes, and colors.
 The theme of Taiwan Lantern Festival varies each year according to the Chinese zodiac sign of 12 animals (rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep (or goat), monkey, rooster, dog, and pig.)
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- While the official Lantern Festival (元宵節, Yuan Xiao Jie) falls on February 11—the first full moon and 15th day of the lunar year, marking the end of New Year celebrations—Taiwan has celebrations throughout February at different locations to allow tourists and residents an opportunity to experience the holiday festivities in different towns.
 The Lantern Festival dates back to at least the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 25), though the origin is traced to multiple legends.
 While carrying colorful lanterns on the evening of the festival is the main event, it's also a tradition to eat tangyuan (湯圓)—sweet or savory glutinous rice balls.
While the Lantern Festival can be celebrated anywhere in Taiwan, there are a few larger celebrations for tourists and residents to experience.
 When people talk about Lantern Festival in Taiwan, the first place that comes to mind is Pingxi (平溪), which will host its event from February 11 to 19 this year.
 There will be a second Sky Lantern Festival on October 4 to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival.
 On February 11th starting at 10 am, free lantern releasing tickets will be handed out.
 Lanterns will be released at 6 and 7 pm on the February 11.
Pingxi, just west of Taipei, is renowned for its sky lanterns (天燈), with more than 100,000 sky lanterns launched during the festival in 2013.
 The town was selected among National Geographic magazine’s “Best Winter Trips 2016.
” In previous years it has been recommended by CNN and Fodor’s.
 Legends claim that the sky lantern, so named because it rises in the air due to a small flame placed inside, was invented by Zhuge Liang during the Three Kingdoms period (AD 220-265).
 While it was originally used for military purposes, it grew in popularity.
 The sky lantern became a part of Lantern Festival celebrations in Taiwan in the early 19th century.
 Today, people write wishes for the new year on the large lanterns before releasing them.
The festival has received criticism as the sky lanterns return to earth and residents are left to clean up the debris in the rivers and fields.
 However, the town has cleanup crews on hand during the festival to assist with retrieving the lanterns.
The lanterns are available year-round for visitors who prefer to avoid the crowd during the festival, but cleanup crews are not on hand the rest of the year.
The Lantern Festival was first held in the capital city in 1990 as the national lantern festival until 2001.
 This year's Taipei Lantern Festival has selected the theme "West Side Story, Taipei Glory" and will take place from February 4 to 17.
 The festival will kick off around Beimen on Sec.  1 Zhonghua Rd.  with a lighting ceremony at 6 pm.
 The celebration will feature traditional lantern displays and a high-tech showcase of projection and illumination technology on historical sites and buildings.
 The Japanese band World Order will perform on February 4 and 5 at the Main Display Area at Ximending.
The lantern zones will span several areas around Beimen and along Zhonghua Road, and include a main display area, light sculpture area, landscape creativity area, Universiade interactive area, blessing lantern area, freestyle creativity area, student creativity area and a friendly exchange area featuring lanterns sponsored by private businesses and foreign representative offices and nations.
In its 27th year, the Yunlin Lantern Festival will be held from February 11 to 19, with the entrance to the event at the Yunlin High Speed Rail Station.
 It will be the largest festival in the municipality's history, covering 50 hectares.
 This year's celebration is also host to the Taiwan Lantern Festival, which the Tourism Bureau began in 1990 in Taipei and has rotated through counties since 2001.
This year's slogan for the event is "Auspicious Rooster Soars Among the Clouds.
" The festival theme "Lantern Festival blended into the City" will feature 19 light-themed and decorated areas to connect the Lantern Festival with Yunlin County.
 These areas will lead visitors through Yunlin (Huashan) Gukeng Coffee Park, the winter corridor with blooming red cotton trees and the wetland fishing village, among others.
According to organizers, "it is a series of activities that showcase the LOHAS spirit, hometown nostalgia, traditional arts and crafts, and prayer for happiness and safety in the new year.
 Started in 2001, Kaohsiung's Lantern Festival festivities are held along Love River.
 This year's festival began on January 30 and will last until February 12.
 The main celebration will be held on February 11.
 It features daily fireworks displays, light and dancing fountain shows, as well as musical performances.
 The fireworks displays will be at 7 and 9 pm, while the light and dancing fountain shows will be staged from 7 to 10 pm with each show lasting 30 minutes.
Though Taitung foregoes the lanterns, it still hosts the Bombing of Master Handan (炸寒單), which began in 1954 as part of its Lantern Festival celebrations.
 In Taiwanese folklore the Handan is a god of wealth and war.
 He is also afraid of the cold, so the firecrackers are set off around a man playing the part of the god, which is paraded around town by volunteers, in an effort to warm him.
 The volunteers carrying the "Handan" wear only a red headscarf, an amulet and red shorts (and safety goggles).
The celebration had been banned for years due its connection to organized crime in the area, but it is now officially recognized by the government.
The city expects this year's festival to draw its largest crowd, with a target of about 600,000 attendees, at Yuejin Port in Yanshui District (鹽水).
 The celebration will include dance performances, concerts, art and light installations, and movie screenings throughout the area.
 And there will be the famous "beehive" fireworks at Yanshui Wu Miao Temple.
The event will run all month, with the larger performances and celebrations on Feb. 11
 This year's celebration will feature 50 art installations, including an illuminated artificial bamboo forest maze titled Yuemijin (月迷津) by Taiwanese artist Yu Wen-fu.
The festival will be held at Taichung Park and Taichung City Seaport Art Center from Feb. 5 to 19, with the theme "Blooming Phoenix.
" Lanterns will be lit each night between 6 and 10 pm and the celebration will include interactive lantern displays as well as plenty of local cuisine.
Penghu retains many traditions in its Lantern Festival celebrations, instead of attracting visitors with contemporary art installations and light shows like other destinations in Taiwan.
 Residents of Penghu will partake in the qigui (乞龜) practice—praying to turtles (平安龜) at temples as they symbolize longevity and good luck.
Festivities will run throughout the month and will include a rice noodle feast on Feb. 27.
 Hualien began celebrating on Jan. 21 and will continue until Feb. 19.
 Festivities will be held along Zhongshan Rd. by Dongdamen Night Market with additional celebrations at Liyu Lake (鯉魚潭) in Shoufeng Township, which will feature a giant red-faced duck.
The main light show in Hualien will be held every half hour between 6:30 and 9:30 pm along with a water and light show every half hour from 6:45 to 9:45.
 In Shoufeng, performances will be held every half hour from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6:30 to 9 p.m.
While Ciyou Temple, dedicated to the Taoist goddess Mazu/Matsu (天上聖母), the sea goddess, is generally more popular for the first day of the Lunar New Year, it also hosts its own Lantern Festival celebration on Feb. 11.
The Lantern Festival celebration begins at 4 pm and will include musical performances.
In the recent article “5 things to know about Chinese consumers” it was pointed out that “Chinese consumers love to buy gifts.
” This is because Chinese culture is filled with festivals and gift-giving occasions, which means Chinese consumers often enjoy shopping for others more then they do for themselves.
 Here are 8 Chinese holidays retailers need to know about, and a few ideas on how to provide Chinese consumers with what they’re looking for.
Most retailers in China are already well aware of the importance of the Chinese New Year, and plan promotions around it.
 Here are the main activities that take during Chinese New Year and how retailers leverage them.
 Cleaning – During CNY people clean their houses, thoroughly.
 The tradition is actually based around avoiding cleaning on new years day, which some believe could have the negative effect of “sweeping away good fortune.
” This is the perfect opportunity for retailers to over cleaning products, supplies, instructions or marketing campaigns around focused around cleaning as a theme.
 Imagine Nike promoting a shoe designed specifically for “home-cleaning”.
Red Envelopes – I won’t explain these since you’re mostly likely familiar with the act of giving money as a gift in a red envelope during CNY and other occasions, and the red envelope has already become an common marketing image for retailers in China.
 Here are some of the most popular ways retailers use red envelopes in marketing: Red envelope gift certificates, giving out or selling premium red envelopes that customers can use during gift giving, and red envelope sweepstakes that give consumers a change to win cash or prizes.
 The lantern festival is one of my favorite Chinese festivals because seeing a sky filled with glowing lanterns is simply stunning.
 Here are the main activities that take place during Lantern Festival and how retailers can leverage them.
 Lighting lanterns – This is the main event.
 Friends, families and couples will buy large paper lanterns, write some prayers, messages, or wishes on them, light them and watch them float up and away in the sky.
 Some retailers during this time will incorporate a lantern theme into their marketing, but it’s not as prevalent as you might think.
Here are a few of my own ideas: What if retailers organized branded lantern launching parties, and gave away branded lanterns?
 Large brands could sponsor lantern shaped hot air balloons to float over the city, or offer special pens, markers, and stickers that could be used to decorate lanterns.
 What about a lantern game app?
Rice Dumplings ( yuanxiao ) – These are small, sweet, rice dumplings filled with rose petals, sesame, bean paste, or fruits that will be given as gifts and eaten during the lantern festival.
 How can retailers leverage yuanxiao?
 I’m not sure… perhaps they can get creative.
 Novelty clothing for cute little rice dumplings?
Tomb sweeping day is all about paying respect to the dead, and honoring your ancestors, to this end Tomb Sweeping Day is more of a solemn day of remembrance then a big party, and retailers should be sensitive to this.
Tomb Sweeping – Tombs of relatives are cleaned and maintained.
 Many times relatives will bring presents such as the deceased persons favorite food or drink.
 Fake money is burned as an offering to the dead.
 As cremation becomes more popular the customs are changing, with less actual cleaning taking place.
 Since this is a day of respect for the dead, retailers should be sensitive to this and plan accordingly.
Kite Flying – This custom is enjoyed by both the young and old, and is believed to bring good luck, in addition to being fun.
 Retailers have an opportunity here to use kites in their marketing themes as a playful but respectful way to show support of tomb sweeping day.
 This is one of the most important festivals in Chinese tradition, and involves the following activities:
Racing dragon boats – Boats shapes and decorated to look like dragons are raced against each other manned by teams of rowers.
 Retailers should look for ways to promote team spirit, and sports-like competition during this holiday.
 Why not sponsor a local dragon boat team, or create branded “dragon boat” team uniforms for employees?
Eating Zongzi – Zongzi are steamed rice balls wrapped in leaves.
 There are lots of different kinds of Zongzi these days ranging from salty to sweet, and although they are most popular during dragon boat festival, they are actually available year round and make a great snack or meal.
 Retailers, at least here in Taiwan, are all over Zongzi.
 Starbucks famously offers sweet Zongzi during dragon boat festival, and markets these extensively.
 Also known as Mid-Autumn Festival, Moon Festival is linked to the legends of Chang E, the mythical Moon Goddess of Immortality.
 It’s a family occasion, and is all about eating lots of good foods, especially sweets and cakes.
 Here are a few of the most popular activities during Moon Festival: 
 Giving, and eating moon-cakes – Moon-cakes are round or rectangular pastries that usually contain a rich thick filling made from red bean or lotus seed paste, or even duck egg yolks.
 Giving moon cakes to friends and relatives, clients and contacts is so popular during this time that it’s a billion dollar industry in China, and has resulted in the demand for high-end “luxury” mooncakes.
Courtship – Love is in the moon during the moon festival, and many young people in China use this occasion to celebrate marriages, pray for romance, or create a little romance on their own.
 Retailers in China can use this as an opportunity to show their support for love and romance either in their marketing campaigns or in their product mix.
 On Mid-autumn Festival, the custom of “?月 (sh?ngyu?) admiring the full moon” began with people in ancient China, and is still maintained.
 In the Zhou Dynasty, on the night of the Mid-autumn Festival, people would offer sacrifices to the moon with “月?(yu?b?ng) moon cake” and fruit that was in season such as watermelon, apples and so on.
 During the Song Dynasty, the wealthy people would admire the full moon in their pavilions with their families.
 After the Ming and Qing Dynasties, moon cake became a necessary part of admiring the full moon.
 Now we know that moon cakes were first used as a sacrifice.
 Gradually, people combined moon cakes with “?月 (sh?ngyu?) admiring the moon” to mean family “?? (tu?nyu?n) reunion.”
 What’s especially important in moon cakes is the “?儿 (xi?nr) filling.
” The traditional fillings are sweetened bean paste, sesame, sugar etc.
 Now the concept of moon cake fillings has been updated to better reflect modern times.
 The fillings can be fruits, meat and so on.
 It is for sure that you will find a style that you love to eat.
 There are also different designs on the moon cake.
 These designs are generally related to the topic of reunion.
 So on Mid-autumn Festival, people also give moon cakes to their relatives and friends with best wishes.
 Both traditional Chinese and Western ideology is reflected in Taiwanese culture and several major events and festivals are celebrated from each.
 Chinese New Year (Lunar New Year), the Dragon Boat Festival and the Mid-Autumn Festival are the three main traditional Chinese festivals celebrated in Taiwan.
 However, the Western New Year and Christmas festivities have become more popular in recent decades.
This is the most important festival in traditional Chinese culture.
 The festivities last for a month and include several days' public holiday.
 It is celebrated on the first day of the new lunar cycle and marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring.
 Families gather together on New Year's Eve to thank their ancestors and the gods for their blessing and protection in the past year.
 Parents give their children money in a hongbao, which is a small red envelope.
 Food is an important part of the festival, and families often prepare a reunion dinner with dumplings, longevity noodles and fish.
 Fireworks are very popular and can be seen and heard across the country, especially on Chuxi or New Year's Eve.
 One of the biggest events of the Lunar New Year Festival is the traditional animated dragon and lion dance parade.
 Due to the number of people travelling home to be with family at this time, roads are extremely congested and airports, train stations and bus terminals are all very busy.
 Reservations for tickets need to be made well in advance.
The Lantern Festival (Shang Yuan Festival) takes place on the fifteenth day of the Lunar New Year (the first full moon of the Chinese New Year celebrations) and it officially marks the end of the Lunar New Year celebrations.
 On the night of the festival decorative lanterns depicting traditional stories and themes are carried by children though the streets.
 The Taipei City Government holds an annual Lantern Festival each year with events, displays and competitions taking place throughout the city over a ten-day period.
 The centrepiece of the festival is the giant lantern representing the Chinese astrological animal for the New Year, and the spectacle attracts millions of visitors each year.
The small township of Pingxi in the northeast of Taipei County plays host to the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival.
 It attracts thousands of visitors who congregate to release lanterns, with their wishes for the following year written on them, into the sky.
This festival traditionally takes place on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, and has its origins in the story of the ancient poet Qu Yuan.
 The most important features are Dragon Boat racing (in a traditional boat rowed by a team) and the eating of zongzi, a sticky dumpling wrapped in bamboo leaves.
Also known as the Moon Festival, this takes place on the on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese lunar calendar and celebrates the moon in its biggest and brightest phase.
 Mooncakes (small round cakes traditionally made of red bean and egg) are eaten at this time, and signify unity and a cycle completed.
 Barbecues have become a popular way to celebrate this festival and families gather to eat, talk, and sit up late into the night watching the moon.
 Lanterns are hung around the house and sky lanterns are released.
 Also known as "Double Tenth Day" as it is held on 10 October, this festival commemorates the start of the Wuchang Uprising in 1911 that led to the overthrow of the Qing dynasty.
 Celebrations in Taipei include a military parade in front of the Presidential Office Building, public performances and firework displays.
The Western New Year, celebrated on 1 January, is becoming more popular and is playing an increasingly important role in Taiwan.
 The main event in Taipei is the live concert in front of the Taipei City Government building and the fireworks at the Taipei 101 building on New Year's Eve.
 Christmas is not a public holiday in Taiwan, although it is celebrated.
 Hundreds of thousands of people gather in front of Taipei City Hall for the annual countdown and fireworks display on Christmas Eve, and other celebrations are held throughout the city.
The sky lantern is also called Kongming lantern, which is used for praying for safety, love, and career now.
 Tourists can write your wishes on the lantern and However, it was used for informing others that this village is safe before.
 We will release the sky lantern on the train track, which is very nostalgic.
 After releasing sky lantern in Pingxi, you can also get to the Shifen Old Street to buy the cold marble soft drink in summer.
 And if tourists want to see the sky full of lanterns and you can go to Pingxi on Lantern Festival.
 Held in May/June each year, around the summer solstice, is the Duanwu (Dragon Boat) Festival, held in many cities on water.
 It’s been running for 2000 years and there’s nothing quite like it.
 Grab some of the traditional celebratory Zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) and watch the race of colourful dragon-shaped boats.
Many countries celebrate Halloween whereas the ghost festival celebration in China is called “中元? (Zh?ngyu?nji?)” – The Hungry Ghost festival.
 万圣? (W?nsh?ngji?) Western Halloween celebrations throw costume parties where people participate in cosplay.
 The streets are filled with spectacular live performances, intricately staged displays with realistic corpses and ghosts, and screenings of horror films.
 Teaching Chinese culture and tradition is an essential part of teaching Mandarin Chinese.
 Not only are the words and phrases important, but learning about the lives of Chinese people adds a motivation to integrate and inspire my students to continue to pursue the language.
On Mid-autumn Festival, the custom of “?月 (sh?ngyu?) admiring the full moon” began with people in ancient China, and is still maintained.
 In the Zhou Dynasty, on the night of the Mid-autumn Festival, people would offer sacrifices to .
In China, people have a similar celebration of a heroic figure from ancient times on the Dragon Boat Festival.
 The festival is held on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar with a full moon at night, corresponding to mid September to early October of the Gregorian calendar Mooncakes, a rich pastry typically filled .
On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, or around June in our Calendar, the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival takes place.
There are many legends as to the origin of this festival.
 One states that it probably got started as a celebration for the planting of the rice crop and to pray for a good rainfall since it was believed that Dragons controlled the rain and rivers.
People would put offerings in the river so that the dragons would bring rain for their crops.
Another legend tells the story of Qu Yuan, an old man that drowns himself by jumping from a boat, because he could not stand to see his country being destroyed by the poor leaders.
When the village people went to look for him, it was too late.
 They threw offerings of rice into the water to calm the man's spirit.
One day, Qu Yuan's spirit returned and told them the rice meant for him, was being devoured by the river dragon.
 He asked that they wrap the rice in leaves, in shapes like small pyramids.
 Today, during the Dragon Boat Festival season, people eat these rice dumplings, known as zongzi in memory of the old man.
 Nowadays, what characterizes the festivities is the Dragon Boat Races.
 These are very noisy and exciting events with hundreds of teams competing against each other in this great tradition.
Chinese Dragon Boats are long, narrow boats with a dragon's head at one end and a tail at the rear.
Teams of rowers paddle together in unison as they race to the finish line!
 A leader sits in the front by the head, facing the paddlers, and sets the pace by pounding a large drum.
 You can decorate easily with traditional or battery-operated lanterns, paper cuttings, lucky coins and banners to add a splash to the celebrations!
Festivals mark the passing of time in the course of a year.
 The celebrations often require time and effort to prepare and involves a large social network of friends and relatives.
 Overtime, the festivals that continued to be observed and celebrated tells us many things about the people and society.
 Chinese festivals follow the lunar calendar and the actual date changes every year.
 Below are the dates of various festivals.
Chinese New Year is the most important event in the Chinese cultural calendar.
 Chinese New Year falls on the first 15 days of the first lunar month (usually Jan or Feb)
 Preparing for Chinese New Year Preparing for the Chinese New Year involves months of work and planning before the big day.
 Celebration starts on New Year's eve After much time and effort, the count down for New Year starts.
 The New Year eve is also effectively the start of Chinese New Year celebrations.
 Nian Gao, 年糕, New year cake A Chinese pastry used during the Chinese New Year and also as gifts to family, friends and business associates.
 Red Packets Red coloured rectangle envelopes used for holding money as gifts during auspicious occasions.
 Read about the amounts considerd ok to put in a red packet and the amounts that are not so ok.
 Fire Crackers Fire crackers, replicas of fire crackers and images of them are almost every during the Chinese new year.
 We also have a clip for you to watch in case you live in an area where it is banned.
 The Duan Wu Jie falls on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month, usually in June.
 Qu Yuan 屈原 Qu Yuan, the main character around which the dumpling festival revolves.
 Read about the historical period that Qu Yuan lived in as well as see photos of his, hometown, temple, and tomb.
 These structures are being submerged by the three gorges dam 三?construction.
 Zong Zi， 粽子 (Dumplings) The food item that is closely associated with the Dumpling Festival.
Dragon Boat ?舟 The dragon boat custom that evolved from civilian’s attempt to save Qu Yuan to an international sports event.
The Hungry Ghost Festival also known as Zhong Yuan Jie, 中元? and Ullambana, Yulan Jie, 盂?盆, falls on the 7th lunar month.
The Mid Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day of the 8th Lunar month, usually in Auguest or September.
Mid Autumn celebrations looks at the customs leading to the day itself as well as myths and legends associated with Mid Autumn.
 Moon cake and Mongols examines the myths of moon cake's role in overthrow of Mongol dynasty.
 Is it historical fact or historical fiction?
 Moon cakes explores tradition and contemporary variations of moon cakes as well as the social functions of moon cake as part of the gift system.
The Mid-Autumn Festival 中秋節 is held on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese calendar, which is usually around late September or early October in the Gregorian calendar.
It is a date that parallels the autumnal equinox of the solar calendar, when the moon is supposedly at its fullest and roundest.
 The traditional food of this festival is the moon cake, of which there are many different varieties.
 The Moon Festival, we have discovered, is also a time for romance.
 Romanics feel that lovers should spend time together at this festival.
 They could spend a romantic night together tasting the delicious moon cake with some wine while watching the full moon.
 Will and Guy suggest that even if a couple can't be together, they can still enjoy the night by watching the moon at the same time so it seems that they are together at that hour.
 The period of the Moon Festival is an excuse, if needed, to retell legendary stories.
 For example we have researches the legend which tells us that *Chang Er flew to the moon, where she has lived ever since.
 Look closely and you may see her dancing on the moon during the Moon Festival.
The time of this story is around 2170 B.C.
 The earth once had ten suns circling over it, each took its turn to illuminate to the earth.
 One day all ten suns appeared together, scorching the earth with their heat.
 The earth was saved by a strong and tyrannical archer Hou Yi.
 He succeeded in shooting down nine of the suns.
 One day, Hou Yi stole the elixir of life from a goddess.
 However his beautiful wife Chang Er drank the elixir of life in order to save the people from her husband's tyrannical rule.
 After drinking it, she found herself floating and flew to the moon.
 Hou Yi loved his divinely beautiful wife so much, he didn't shoot down the moon.
 For a fuller version please look further on this page.
 The Moon Festival is also an occasion for family reunions.
 When the full moon rises, families get together to watch the full moon, eat moon cakes, and sing moon poems.
 The Chinese people love and enjoy the Moon Festival, we have learned.
 During the Yuan dynasty [AD. 1280-1368] China was ruled by the Mongolian people.
 Leaders from the preceding Sung dynasty (A.D. 960-1280) were unhappy at submitting to foreign rule, and set how to coordinate the rebellion without it being discovered.
 The leaders of the rebellion, knowing that the Moon Festival was drawing near, ordered the making of special cakes.
 Backed into each moon cake was a message with the outline of the attack.
On the night of the Moon Festival, the rebels successfully attacked and overthrew the government.
 What followed was the establishment of the Ming dynasty [A.D. 1368-1644].
 Nowadays moon cakes are eaten to commemorate this legend.
 Moon cakes are typically round, symbolizing the full round moon of the mid-autumn festival.
 The round moon cakes, measuring about three inches in diameter and one and a half inches in thickness are made with melon seeds, lotus seeds, almonds, minced meats, bean paste, orange peels and lard.
 A golden yolk from a salted duck egg was placed at the centre of each cake, and the golden brown crust was decorated with symbols of the festival.
 A tasty morsel say Will and Guy.
 There are many beautiful legends about the moon in China.
 The most popular one tells how a goddess named Chang'e ascended to the moon.
A long, long time ago, a terrible drought plagued the earth.
 Ten suns burned fiercely in the sky like smouldering volcanoes.
 The trees and grass were scorched.
 The land was cracked and parched, and rivers ran dry.
 Many people died of hunger and thirst.
 The King of Heaven sent Hou Yi down to the earth to help.
 When Hou Yi arrived, he took out his red bow and white arrows and shot down nine suns one after another.
 The weather immediately turned cooler.
 Heavy rains filled the rivers with fresh water and the grass and trees turned green.
 Life had been restored and humanity was saved.
One day, a charming young woman, Chang'e makes her way home from a stream, holding a bamboo container, A young man comes forward, asking for a drink.
 When she sees the red bow and white arrows hanging from his belt, Chang'e realises that he is their saviour, Hou Yi.
 Inviting him to drink, Chang'e plucks a beautiful flower and gives it to him as a token of respect.
 Hou Yi, in turn, selects a beautiful silver fox fur as his gift for her.
 This meeting kindles the spark of their love.
 And soon after that, they get married.
A mortal's life is limited, of course.
 So in order to enjoy his happy life with Chang'e forever, Hou Yi decides to look for an elixir of life.
 He goes to the Kunlun Mountains where the Western Queen Mother lives.
Out of respect for the good deeds the has done, the Western Queen Mother rewards Hou Yi with elixir, a fine powder made from kernels of fruit which grows on the tree of eternity.
 At the same time, she tells him.
 'If you and your wife share the elixir, you will both enjoy eternal life.
 But if only one of you takes it, that one will ascend to Heaven and become immortal.' 
Hou Yi returns home and tells his wife all that has happened and they decide to drink the elixir together on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month when the moon is full and bright.
A wicked and merciless man named Feng Meng secretly hears about their plan.
 He wishes Hou Yi an early death so that he can drink the elixir himself and become immortal.
 His opportunity finally arrives.
 One day, when the full moon is rising, Hou Yi is on his way home from hunting, Feng Meng kills him.
 The murderer then runs to Hou Yi's home and forces Chang'e to give him the elixir: without hesitating, Chang'e picks up the elixir and drinks it all.
Overcome with grief, Chang'e rushes to her dead husband's side, weeping bitterly.
 Soon the elixir begins to have its effect and Chang'e feels herself being lifted towards Heaven.
Chang'e decides to live on the moon because it is nearest to the earth.
 There she lives a simple and contented life.
 Even though she is in Heaven, her heart remains in the world of mortals.
 Never does she forget the deep love she has for Hou Yi and the love she feels for the people who have shared their sadness and happiness.
he Lantern Festival in China is very old; legend has it that there are many wonderful stories about how the Lantern Festival first began.
 One story is that in ancient times, people would go in search of spirits with burning sticks.
 They thought the spirits could be seen during a full moon.
Another is about a lonely young girl, in Han times, who tricked an emperor into having a wonderful festival just so she could visit her family.
 The emperor apparently had such an excellent time, he decided to make this festival an annual event.
 According to one legend, from ancient times, a celestial swan came into the mortal world where it was shot down by a hunter.
 The Jade Emperor, the highest god in Heaven, vowed to avenge the swan.
 He started making plans to send a troop of celestial soldiers and generals to Earth on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, with orders to incinerate all humans and animals.
 However, the other celestial beings disagreed with this course of action, and risked their lives to warn the people of Earth.
 As a result, before and after the fifteenth day of the first month, every family hung red lanterns outside their doors and set off firecrackers and fireworks, giving the impression that their homes were already burning.
 By successfully tricking the Jade Emperor in this way, humanity was saved from extermination.
By T'ang times, many families simply set aside one evening, during the first full moon after the new year, to honour the moon.
 They would sit outside, and gaze up, in awe and delight.
Footnote Please write to Will and Guy if you have any pictures of the Chinese Moon Festival - Zhongqiujie.
Chinese New Year, otherwise called the "Spring Festival" in present day Mainland China, will be China's most critical customary celebration, celebrated at the turn of the conventional lunisolar Chinese timetable, which comprises of both Gregorian and lunar-sun based date-book frameworks.
 Chinese New Year can start whenever between late January and mid-February.
China's Spring Festival open occasion begins on the Chinese New Year, and goes on for 7 days.
 Chinese New Year is likewise called "Spring Festival" and "Lunar New Year" since it comes in the springtime and is dated in light of the Chinese lunar schedule.
 The date varies, from a Western point of view, yet comes in either January or February.
Every Chinese New Year is assigned as "the time of" one of the 12 creatures of the Chinese Zodiac, which creature should portray that year and each one of those conceived in it.
Chinese New Year is the most imperative every year repeating celebration for individuals of Chinese parentage everywhere throughout the world.
 It has been praised for more than 1,000 years – conceivably any longer, and the customs included are profoundly instilled in Chinese culture.
 For some, it is likewise a religious occasion, brimming with petitions, offerings, and different demonstrations of commitment.
Chinese New Year is really celebrated for 15 sequential days, however the initial three days are generally vital.
 The fifteenth and last day, Chap Goh Mei is additionally a major occasion, where houses are finished with a plenitude of brilliantly shaded lights.
 It is a method for completion with a terrific finale as opposed to the celebrations simply blurring ceaselessly progressively.
 On the eve before the primary day of the new year, family-just meals and reunions are held.
 On the consequent days, be that as it may, many will welcome companions and inside and out outsiders to come feast with them.
 This "open house" approach is additionally worked on amid other Malaysian occasions and everywhere open Chinese New Year social events put on at Malaysian people group corridors.
 It ought not be difficult to get welcomed to a gathering.
Other Chinese New Year conventions include: "Yee Sang," a vegetable mixture dish eaten by tossing its pieces high noticeable all around with chopsticks to bring good fortunes; hanging up "duilian," scrolls bearing well known lines frame Chinese verse; going to lion and mythical serpent moves; wagering on card diversions, inasmuch as the wagers are unassuming; giving out blessings of cash in little red ang-pao bundles; and going to firecrackers shows, the greatest of which are in Chinese locale of Kuala Lumpur and in urban areas with vast Chinese populaces.
 The Chinese Reunion supper is a standout amongst the most vital components amid Chinese New Year.
 The get-together supper which is hung on the eve of New Year is where families assemble over an indulgent feast with bunches of clamor and giggling.
 Nourishment assumes an essential part for the Chinese and additionally generally Malaysians.
 Subsequently, amid the gathering supper, one will have the capacity to see a wide range of dishes on the table including the celebrated Yee Sang, panfry leeks, stick cakes and others.
Chinese New Year is the first day of the New Year in the Chinese lunisolar calendar (Chinese traditional calendar).
 It is also known as the Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival.
 The first day of the festival begins on the New Moon sometime each year between January 21st and February 20th.
 The holiday/festival lasts 16 days from New Year’s Eve to the 15th day of the New Year which also happens to be the Lantern Festival.
The lunisolar calendar uses the location of the sun and the moon relative to the earth to determine dates on the calendar.
 The Gregorian calendar, which is the most widely used calendar in the world today uses the location of the sun relative to the earth to determine the dates on the calendar.
Chinese New Year originated from legends and traditions.
 The most common story is based on a mythical beast named Nian, or “Year” in Chinese.
 The story goes that Nian would appear on the first day of the New Year.
 Fearing that this creature would devour crops, livestock, and villagers, even children, the people placed food in front of their doors to satiate the beast’s appetite.
 It was also believed that Nian feared the color red, fire, and loud noises.
 To this day, red lanterns, spring couplets in black characters on red paper, and firecrackers are ubiquitous on the island during this time of year.
 On the second day, after learning that Nian had been kept away, people would greet each other with the ever-present greeting gong xi or “congratulations.”
Before New Year’s Eve, the Taiwanese keep themselves busy with preparations.
 It is tradition to clean one’s house in order to symbolically sweep away all of the bad luck from the ending year.
 This custom is referred to as da sao chu, or “spring cleaning” – literally, “sweeping out.
” However, sweeping and throwing away things is avoided during the first five days of the New Year so as not to sweep or throw away any good luck or fortune that the gods may deliver.
As mentioned earlier, the color red is believed to fend off Nian.
 In both Taiwan and in the United States (and elsewhere, of course), Chinese hang spring couplets, or red paper scrolls inscribed with auspicious Chinese characters such as “good fortune,” “wealth,” and “longevity,” on their doors.
 Before the New Year begins, many people also purchase clothing, since it is customary to wear new clothes at the beginning of the year.
 Before the old year ends, companies invite their employees to a weiya, or year-end banquet.
 The weiya serves as a way of expressing gratitude towards the employees, and I was fortunate enough to participate in one recently.
 Like most businesses in Taiwan, my company organized a massive feast for all its employees.
 My colleagues and I enjoyed music, entertainment, and an array of Taiwanese delicacies amid high spirits and happily tipsy managers.
 I even won some money during the customary lucky draw!
 Though the Chinese New Year holiday is traditionally fifteen days long, the anticipation and boisterous activity of chu xi, or Chinese New Year’s Eve, makes this night the most exciting.
 The chu xi dinner is of significant importance during this holiday.
 Families gather to consume the bountiful supply of traditional dishes.
 Yu, or fish, is served to represent “having enough to spare” (the Chinese character for “having enough” is also pronounced yu).
 Jiu cai, or “garlic chives,” have the symbolic meaning of “long-lasting” (the Chinese character for “long-lasting” is also pronounced jiu) and are served with chicken and duck as an offering to the gods and ancestors.
 In addition, Taiwanese people also enjoy treats such as nian gao and fa gao for their auspicious symbolism.
 Nian gao is a homophone for “prosperous year,” and this glutinous-rice cake is thus eaten as a sign of good luck.
 Fa gao is also a type of rice cake, and it is believed that the wider the split in the top of this cake, the more prosperous the new year will be.
 Similarly, tang guo or candy not only satisfies children’s sweet tooths but also symbolizes a “sweet beginning.” 
Children and young adults are especially anxious on this night, as it is customary for the elders to distribute hong bao or red envelopes filled with money to the younger generation.
 Even though the children in my family are not fluent in Mandarin, hong bao is a term that we are all familiar with and an item we await with great anticipation!
 Back in the United States, my grandparents hand out the envelopes one by one, starting with the eldest grandchild.
 In Taiwan I have also received hong bao from unrelated elders.
 Foreigners may also receive these gifts from Taiwanese people when visiting people’s homes at this time, and it is considered polite to accept them.
 My first Chinese New Year’s Eve in Taiwan was truly an unforgettable experience.
 Although the New Year’s Eve dinner is celebrated with close family members, it is common for people to leave the house after dinner is finished.
 The night started when I headed out to meet my friends.
 With my first step outside, I could hear the booming and crackling of firecrackers.
 Fearless little boys and girls stood in the middle of the streets, igniting explosives with their family members.
 On my way out, one family was kind enough to let me light a luminescent sparkler.
 With the flick of a lighter, sparks set off in all directions, creating a bright flare at the end of the wand.
 The sparks grew in volume, volatile in motion, and edged closer and closer to my arms and face.
 Yet the surrounding family remained calm and continued to watch the blaze in awe.
 After this first magical experience, I discovered that my Taiwanese friends had even more in store for me.
 We gathered at a public park adjoining a river.
 The massive size of a nearby creatively designed bridge and, behind it, one of Taiwan’s largest ferris wheels were humbling.
 My friends had purchased all kinds of fireworks and firecrackers, and we lit them side-by-side with other locals who had come to the park for the same reason.
 I watched as the dark sky, illuminated by the city lights, became filled with randomly colored flashes of light.
 The river’s reflection became a canvas covered with splotches of various colors.
 And I could smell the powder from the blaring firecrackers lingering in the air.
 After we lit our last firecracker, we headed to Xingtian Temple, not far away.
 This is one of Taipei’s busiest temples, with more than 10,000 visitors a day on average.
 On this New Year’s Eve, with only a few minutes left until midnight, the complex was filled to capacity with people of all ages.
 Children, parents, grandparents, and even babies were crowded inside the temple, waiting for the annual New Year’s Eve ceremony to begin.
 Before entering the temple, my friends helped me purchase a pair of joss sticks.
 In Taiwan, these incense sticks are used when praying to the gods.
 This form of ritualistic prayer is called bai bai and is the most common form of worship in Taiwan.
 In addition to lighting joss sticks, Taiwanese people will also offer food and money to the gods by burning paper money, also called spirit money, and placing food items on small tables outside their homes and businesses.
At the stroke of midnight, the temple’s traditional ceremony began.
 Beating drums began to play, and the worshippers stood calmly and quietly, each with joss sticks in their hands.
 After the steady drumming, the temple’s main doors swung open.
 These doors are normally kept closed during the year, but on this night the doors open to graciously welcome the gods.
 After the end of the ceremony the visitors began to stir about the temple, making their way to the various shrines.
 After we lit our incense we also approached the gods’ shrines, and thus began my first bai bai experience.
 I held the joss sticks with two hands, and approached the statues of the gods.
 I silently told each my name, asked each to keep me safe and healthy, and concluded with a polite bow.
 My friends then directed me to the ash pit where I threw the burning incense.
 Even though I am not superstitious, I did indeed leave the temple feeling safe and sound.
 After this temple visit, it was time for me to head home.
 Though I would soon be in my bed, fast asleep, my friends returned home to find their families still awake, playing cards or majiang, a very old and very popular gambling game.
 Many Taiwanese people try to stay up the entire night, a tradition that is believed to bring longevity to the elder family members.
 Along with the games, food also accompanies this long night of family bonding.
On the next day, called chu yi in Chinese, Taipei was not the usual, bustling metropolis that I had been waking up to each day.
 Almost all businesses, with the exception of convenience stores, were closed, and the crowds were nowhere to be found.
 On this first day of Chinese New Year families make a visit to the eldest members of their extended family.
 For many people living in Taipei this means heading to central and southern Taiwan.
 I, too, left the unusually calm city of Taipei and headed to my grandparents home in the southem city of Kaohsiung.
 For anyone visiting Taiwan in the midst of these festivities, I can recommend visiting the island’s southern areas, as the Chinese New Year spirit seems to come alive even more here.
 After greeting my grandparents and enjoying delicious traditional foods, I headed to Lotus Lake, a famous Kaohsiung sight.
 It took me almost the whole day to walk around the lake, as the sight of larger-than-life pagodas, temples, and pavilions constantly stopped me on my tracks.
 Along the path, large crowds dispersed throughout the vendors’ markets, buying food, playing games, and even purchasing pet fish and turtles.
 The bright sun shone down on happy families and busy sellers.
 And I watched as traditionally-dressed worshippers performed a parade-like dance to honor the gods.
 Day two, chu er, of Chinese New Year marks the day for married daughters to visit their parent’s home.
 Thus, my grandparents and I were paid a special visit by my aunt and her family that day.
 We enjoyed a home-cooked meal together, and I received hong bao from my generous aunt and uncle.
But the festival is not officially over until the fifteenth day, when the Yuan Xiao Jie or Lantern Festival is celebrated.
 During this festival the locals eat tang yuan, a sweet dessert made of glutinous-rice balls in soup.
 In the evening, children light lanterns and carry them as they walk up and down the streets.
 The Lantern Festival is also known for the large-scale lantern-festival events that are staged around the island by central and local governments, attracting huge crowds with exhibitions of colorful lanterns and rich entertainment programs.
With the conclusion of the festive season, I looked back at this time of year in Taiwan with a new understanding and appreciation of my culture.
 I had held enchanting explosives in my hand, witnessed thousand-year-old customs and practices, prayed to the gods, and enjoyed more food than I ever thought I could consume, all in the company and safety of my loved ones.
Though many aspects of the Chinese New Year may appear as superstitions to outsiders, the traditions serve as a way for the Taiwanese to celebrate their culture and remember their history.
 Anyone who has the chance to engage in the Chinese New Year experience in Taiwan will agree, and I can only hope that the approaching New Year will be as unforgettable as the last!
A red envelope (紅包, h?ngb?o) is simply a long, narrow, red envelope.
 Traditional red envelopes are often decorated with gold Chinese characters, such as happiness and wealth.
 Variations include red envelopes with cartoon characters depicted and red envelopes from stores and companies that contain coupons and gift certificates inside.
During Chinese New Year, money is put inside red envelopes which are then handed out to younger generations by their parents, grandparents, relatives, and even close neighbors and friends.
 At some companies, workers may also receive a year-end cash bonus tucked inside a red envelope.
 Red envelopes are also popular gifts for birthdays and weddings.
 Some four-character expressions appropriate for a wedding red envelope are 天作之合 (ti?nzu? zh?h?, a marriage made in heaven) or 百年好合 (b?ini?n h?o h?, a happy union for 100 years).
Unlike a Western greeting card, red envelopes given at Chinese New Year are typically left unsigned.
 For birthdays or weddings, a short message, typically a four-character expression, and signature are optional.
 Red symbolizes luck and good fortune in Chinese culture.
 That is why red envelopes are used during Chinese New Year and other celebratory events.
 Other envelope colors are used for other types of occasions.
 For example, white envelopes are used for funerals.
Giving and receiving red envelopes, gifts, and even business cards is a solemn act.
 Therefore, red envelopes, gifts, and name cards are always presented with both hands and also received with both hands.
 The recipient of a red envelope at Chinese New Year or on his or her birthday should not open it in front of the giver.
 At Chinese weddings, the procedure is different.
 At a Chinese wedding, there is a table at the entrance of the wedding reception where guests give their red envelopes to attendants and sign their names on a large scroll.
 The attendants will immediately open the envelope, count the money inside, and record it on a register next to the guests’ names.
A record is kept of how much each guest gives to the newlyweds.
 This is done for several reasons.
 One reason is bookkeeping.
 A record ensures the newlyweds know how much each guest gave and can verify the amount of money they receive at the end of the wedding from the attendants is the same as what the guests brought.
 Another reason is that when unmarried guests eventually get married, the bride and groom are typically obliged to give the guest more money than what the newlyweds received at their wedding.
Deciding how much money to put into a red envelope depends on the situation.
 For red envelopes given to children for Chinese New Year, the amount depends on age and the giver’s relationship to the child.
For younger children, the equivalent of about $7 is fine.
 More money is given to older children and teenagers.
 The amount is usually enough for the child to buy a gift, like a T-shirt or DVD.
 Parents may give the child a more substantial amount since material gifts are usually not given during the holidays.
For employees at work, the year-end bonus is typically the equivalent of one month’s wage though the amount can vary from enough money to buy a small gift to more than one month’s wage.
 If you go to a wedding, the money in the red envelope should be equivalent to a nice gift that would be given at a Western wedding.
 Or, it should be enough money to cover the guest’s expense at the wedding.
 For example, if the wedding dinner costs the newlyweds US$35 per person, then the money in the envelope should be at least US$35.
 In Taiwan, typical amounts of money are NT$1,200, NT$1,600, NT$2,200, NT$2,600, NT$3,200, and NT$3,600.
 As with the Chinese New Year, the amount of money is relative to your relationship to the recipient — the closer your relationship is to the bride and groom, the more money is expected.
 For instance, immediate family like parents and siblings give more money than casual friends.
 It is not uncommon for business partners to be invited to weddings, and business partners often put more money in the envelope to strengthen the business relationship.
 Less money is given for birthdays than other holidays because it is viewed as the least important of the three occasions.
 Nowadays, people often just bring gifts for birthdays.
For all occasions, certain amounts of money are to be avoided.
 Anything with a four is best avoided because 四 (s?, four) sounds similar to 死 (s?, death).
 Even numbers, except four, are better than odd — as good things are believed to come in pairs.
 For example, gifting $20 is better than $21.
 Eight is a particularly auspicious number.
 The money inside a red envelope should always be new and crisp.
 Folding the money or giving dirty or wrinkled bills is in bad taste.
 Coins and checks are avoided, the former because change is not worth much and the latter because checks are not widely used in Asia.
 The Moon Festival is one of the three most significant festivals of the Chinese communities around the world besides the Lunar New Year (Chinese New Year) and the Dragon Boat Festival.
 Originally named the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Moon Festival is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month in observance of the bountiful autumn harvest.
 On the 15th day of the lunar month, the moon forms a round shape that symbolizes family reunion.
 Upon this occasion, the legends of the festival are often told to the children.
The custom of eating moon cakes tells a story of the downfall of the Yuan dynasty.
 The time was the Yuan dynasty (AD 1280-1368), established by the invading Mongolians from the north who subjugated the Han Chinese.
 Leaders from the preceding Sung dynasty were furious about submitting to foreign rules.
 A secret rebellion plan was coordinated to overthrow the Mongolians.
 Drawing close to the Moon Festival, the rebellion plans and outlines of attacks successfully passed out to all coordinators secretly via the messages and outlines stuffed in each moon cake.
 On the night of the Moon Festival, the rebels successfully attacked and overthrew the Yuan government which followed the rise of the Ming dynasty.
Something weird happened one day, 10 suns arose in the sky blazing the earth instead of one.
 As an expert archer, Hou-Yi stepped forward and shot down 9 suns successfully.
 For rescuing the earth and people, he instantly became a hero and eventually earned his crown as well as married Lady Chang Er.
 Having all these powers and authorities in hands, Hou-Yi grew to be a greedy and despot ruler yet sought for elixir to prolong his life of ruling.
 Hoping to end Hou-Yi’s plan for the sake of the people, Chang Er purposely swallowed the elixir.
 Miraculously, she floated towards the moon.
 Another legend also states a rabbit became Chang Er’s companion when she headed to the moon, thus the moon rabbit tale.
Pomelo, is a large citrus fruit which looks like a large version of grapefruit.
 It is a high nutritional value fruit called “Yo Zhi” in Chinese.
 The Yo in Yo Zhi sounds similar to blessing in Chinese, as people wish for the blessing of the moon and the production season happens to be around September.
 So the fruit became very popular during this time of the year and gradually became the representative fruit of the holiday.
 It often serves with moon cakes while you visit friend and family during this time of the year.
 With all the traditional activities still carry out, a new custom during the Moon Festival somehow started throughout the past twenty years in Taiwan.
 Barbeque has become more and more popular during this time of the year.
 It has nothing to do with any tradition.
 No one knows exactly how this began.
 The event just somehow became what people do during this time, a must do.
 The moon festival is a holiday when the family gathers and celebrates together, and now they barbeque.
 Large barbeque events are even held in every city.
 It’s a new and interesting way to celebrate the harvest festival, as long it’s a joyful reunion and wonderful gathering.
 The shops and venders will have everything you need ready for a good barbeque.
 It’s a great chance to cook up some good times in Taiwan.
Come visit Taiwan and find out what moon cakes taste like for your Taiwan festival travel!
 Our island is a foodie's paradise where everything from night market stalls to Michelin-star restaurants offer dishes uniquely delicious and absolutely memorable.
 The Dragon Boat Festival (Duanwu Festival, Du?nw? Ji?, Double Fifth, Tuen Ng Jit) is a traditional holiday that commemorates the life and death of the famous Chinese scholar Qu Yuan (Chu Yuan).
 The festival occurs on the fifth day of the fifth month on the Chinese lunisolar calendar.
Dragon Boat Festival is a public holiday.
 It is a day off for the general population, and schools and most businesses are closed.
The Dragon Boat Festival is a celebration where many eat rice dumplings (zongzi), drink realgar wine (xionghuangjiu), and race dragon boats.
 Other activities include hanging icons of Zhong Kui (a mythic guardian figure), hanging mugwort and calamus, taking long walks, writing spells and wearing perfumed medicine bags.
All of these activities and games such as making an egg stand at noon were regarded by the ancients as an effective way of preventing disease, evil, while promoting good health and well-being.
 People sometimes wear talismans to fend off evil spirits or they may hang the picture of Zhong Kui, a guardian against evil spirits, on the door of their homes.
Many believe that the Dragon Boat Festival originated in ancient China based on the suicide of the poet and statesman of the Chu kingdom, Qu Yuan in 278 BCE.
 The festival commemorates the life and death of the famous Chinese scholar Qu Yuan, who was a loyal minister of the King of Chu in the third century BCE.
 Qu Yuan’s wisdom and intellectual ways antagonized other court officials, thus they accused him of false charges of conspiracy and was exiled by the king.
 During his exile, Qu Yuan composed many poems to express his anger and sorrow towards his sovereign and people.
 Qu Yuan drowned himself by attaching a heavy stone to his chest and jumping into the Miluo River in 278 BCE at the age of 61.
 The people of Chu tried to save him believing that Qu Yuan was an honorable man; they searched desperately in their boats looking for Qu Yuan but were unable to save him.
 Every year the Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated to commemorate this attempt at rescuing Qu Yuan.
The local people began the tradition of throwing sacrificial cooked rice into the river for Qu Yuan, while others believed that the rice would prevent the fishes in the river from eating Qu Yuan’s body.
 At first, the locals decided to make zongzi in hopes that it would sink into the river and reach Qu Yuan's body.
 However, the tradition of wrapping the rice in bamboo leaves to make zongzi began the following year.
A dragon boat is a human-powered boat or paddle boat that is traditionally made of teak wood to various designs and sizes.
 They usually have brightly decorated designs that range anywhere from 40 to 100 feet in length, with the front end shaped like open-mouthed dragons, and the back end with a scaly tail.
 The boat can have up to 80 rowers to power the boat, depending on the length.
 A sacred ceremony is performed before any competition in order to “bring the boat to life” by painting the eyes.
 The first team to grab a flag at the end of the course wins the race.
The zong zi is a glutinous rice ball with a filling and wrapped in corn leaves.
 The fillings can be egg, beans, dates, fruits, sweet potato, walnuts, mushrooms, meat, or a combination of them.
 They are generally steamed.
 It is said that if you can balance a raw egg on its end at exactly noon on Double Fifth Day, the rest of the year will be lucky.
 The hanging of calamus and moxa on the front door, the pasting up pictures of Chung Kuei, drinking hsiung huang wine and holding fragrant sachets are said to possess qualities for preventing evil and bringing peace.
 Another custom practiced in Taiwan is "fetching noon water," in which people draw well water on the afternoon of the festival in the belief that it will cure all illnesses.
 The Dragon Boat Festival is to commemorate the death of the famous Chinese poet Qu Yuan living in the latter part of the Warring States Period (476 - 221 BC).
 It was recognized as a traditional and statutory public holiday in China in 2008.
 The Dragon Boat Festival was selected into the first batch of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage items on May 20th, 2006.
 On October 30th, 2009, it was added to the UNESCO World Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists.
Originated in China, the Dragon Boat Festival was original the holiday to ease the diseases and prevent epidemic.
 Before the Spring and Autumn Period (770 - 476 BC), in Wu and Yue States, it has the custom of sacrificing the tribal totem by dragon boat racing on the fifth day of the fifth month (Chinese lunar calendar).
 Later, because Qu Yuan died at that day, the day becomes a festival to commemorate Qu Yuan.
 There are many kinds of legends about the origin of Dragon Boat Festival.
 Among all of them, the most popular one is about Qu Yuan.
 Qu Yuan is a minister in the Chu kingdom - one of the seven warring states before Qin (221BC - 206BC).
 He offered many good suggestions to the king such as the alliance with the Qi Kindom to defend Qin.
 While his good advices were opposed greatly by other court officials, thus was exiled by the king after their slanderous talk about him.
 During his exile time, he composed many poems to express his concern about his country and people.
 In 278BC, after knowing his country was taken by Qin, he drowned himself in Miluo River.
 After Qu Yuan died, the people of Chu tried to search him in the river.
 While searching, some fishermen threw cooked rice balls and eggs into the river thinking it would prevent fishes from eating Qu Yuan’s body.
 Later the rice balls were replaced by the present Zongzi (glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo leaves).
 An old doctor poured a pot of realgar wine into the river in order to prevent the monsters in the river to hurt Qu Yuan’s body.
 So, every year on the day that Qu Yuan died (May 5th of the Chinese Lunar Calendar), people will commemorate him with the traditions of eating Zongzi, drinking the realgar wine and boat racing.
There are many traditions for the Dragon Boat Festival and different areas have some different customs.
 Among them, the most popular ones are Eating Zongzi, drinking realgar wine, wearing sachet (perfumed medicine bags), tie hand-made “five color thread” bracelet, hanging mugwort and calamus as well as dragon boat racing.
 As the most popular food for the Dragon Boat Festival, Zongzi (glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo leaves and stuffed with different fillings) is filled with different fillings for the people in the northern and southern China.
 In the north, it is mostly filled with the date, while in south with bean - paste, meat, egg yolk or ham.
 The Zongzi made in Jiaxing of Zhejiang is the most famous one in China.
 During the festival, people usually hang mugwort and calamus on the front door, wear perfumed medicine bags, wear the “five color thread” on their neck, wrists or ankles and drink realgar wine as a way to prevent disease and evil.
Dragon boat racing is now the most popular activity during the festival.
 It is a human-powered boat made of teak wood with the front shaped like an open-mouthed dragon and the end with the tail.
 Every year, during the festival, there are many dragon boat racings held in different areas of China to celebrate the festival.
 Fifth lunar month for the annual Dragon Boat Festival, also known as the Duanwu Festival, afternoon Day Festival, May Day and so on.
 "Dragon Boat Festival" is one of China's national holidays, and has been included in the World Intangible Cultural Heritage.
 Dragon Boat Festival originated in China and it was a festival that the Chinese people initially remove epidemic illnesses.
 In Spring and Autumn Period, there was the custom have custom of tribal totem worship in the form of dragon boat race in the fifth lunar month.
 Due to the poet Qu Yuan died on this day, it became Han Chinese people's traditional festival to commemorate Qu Yuan.
 Dragon Boat Festival has the custom to eat Zongzi, drink realgar wine, and hang calamus, wormwood and moxa leaves, smoke herb and Angelica, race dragon boat.
 The History of Dragon Boat Festival Dragon Boat Festival originated numerous claims, which commemorate Qu Yuan has the most widely impact.
 According to the "Historical Records", "Qu Yuan Jia Sheng Biography" records, Qu Yuan, a minister of the King Huai of Chu of the Spring and Autumn Period.
 He advocated the virtuous and grant, make the country rich and its military force efficient, Unite Qi kingdom against Qin Kingdom, was strongly opposed by the nobility and others.
 Qu Yuan was greedy resigned, were expelled from the capital, exiled to Yuan, Xiang River.
 His exile, wrote a concern for the fate of the "Lament", "Heaven", "Nine Songs" and other immortal poem.
 His poem has unique style, far-reaching impacts (and thus, the Dragon Boat Festival, also known as a poet festival).
 In 278 BC, Qin defeated Chu Kyoto.
 Qu Yuan saw their country was invaded, felt as if a knife were piercing his heart, but still could not bear to abandon their homeland.
 On May 5, after writing the must document as "Huaisha", he bouldering into Miluo River and died.
 He used his own lives to compose a magnificent patriotic movement.
 After Qu Yuan's death, Chu abnormal grief people have flocked to pay tribute to Qu Yuan by Miluo River.
 Fishermen paddle a boat in the river to salvage his true identity.
 One fisherman prepared rice, eggs and other food, "thump, thump" thrown into the river, hoping to allow the fish, crab and lobster, it will not bite Qu Yuan's body.
 People saw and later followed.
 An old doctor brought a jar of wine and poured into the river that was used to fainted dragon beast, to avoid hurting Qu Yuan.
 Later, for fear that the food might be eaten by the dragon, people come up with the idea of wrapped the rice balls with neem leaves, color silk wrapped around the outside, to develop into zongzi.
 Later, in the fifth day of May each year, there is the customs of dragon boat races and eat zongzi, drinking realgar wine; in order to commemorate the patriotic poet Qu Yuan.
 Folk customs To celebrate Dragon Boat Festival is the traditions and customs of Chinese people for two thousand years.
 As a vast, numerous nationalities, with many stories and legends, so not only produced many disparate section name, but also has not the same customs throughout the nation.
 Wear Damselflies Damselflies were the hair accessories for women in Dragon Boat Festival in ancient times.
 The custom are mainly spread in the south of Yangtze River region.
 Damselflies were originated from step shake gold.
 Hanging Moxa Leaf Tiger Moxa Leaf Tiger is not only used to drive out evil spirits, but also used as ornaments.
 In ancient China, tiger was seen as the mythical creatures, so it can be used to drive the evil spirits and bless peace.
 So people take on more Moxa Leaf Tiger, particularly those in the Dragon Boat Festival is the most characteristic Moxa Leaf Tiger.
 Draw the Forehead The custom of draw realgar wine on children’s forehead which can expel poisonous insects.
 The typical way is to draw a “king” word on children’s forehead.
 On one hand, it means to abolish poison; on the other hand, use the symbolic meaning of tiger to drive out evil spirits.
 Dragon boat racing When dive dragon boat, there are many songs singing to add to fun.
 Such as Hubei Zigui dragon boat race, it has a complete singing melody art, lyrics blend together according to the local folk and chant, sing magnificent sound forceful.
 Special Diet Zongzi Zongzi called as “angle millet” in ancient times.
 According to legend, it was a custom to commerate Qu Yuan.
 Real Zongzi written records found" endemic in mind” in Jin and Zhou Dynasties.
 Today Zongzi in different areas, usually made with bamboo rice shell package, but color and containing inside are based on the specialty and custom, notably longan Zongzi, meat, crystal Zongzi, lotus seed paste Zongzi, candied fruit Zongzi, chestnut Zongzi, spicy Zongzi, sauerkraut Zongzi, ham Zongzi, salted egg Zongzi and so on.
 Realgar Wine The custom of drinking Realgar wine on the Dragon Boat Festival which is extremely popular in the Yangtze River region in the past.
 The drinking realgar wine is generally add realgar into liquor or just adding trace brewed rice wine.
The Dragon Boat Festival once had many interesting customs.
 Most are no longer commonly observed, although many are still practiced in rural areas.
The most popular activity of the Dragon Boat Festival is racing dragon boats.
The origin of the festival is said to be when locals paddled out on boats to scare the fish away and retrieve Qu Yuan's body (the patriotic poet who drowned himself in the Miluo River when the Chu State fell in 278 BC).
 The races are a symbol of the attempts to rescue and recover the body of Qu Yuan.
The dragon boat race custom started in southern China, where the fifth lunar day of the fifth lunar month was selected as a totem ceremony.
 The dragon was the main symbol on the totem, because the Chinese believe that they are sons of the dragon.
 Later the Chinese connected this ceremony with the Duanwu Festival.
 This festival activity is only held in southern China, where it has varying levels of popularity.
 Dragon Boat Race events are popular in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
 It is a tradition for the Chinese to eat zongzi during the Dragon Boat Festival.
 Zongzi is made differently in different areas of China.
 Historical records show that people used wild rice leaves to wrap millet flour dumplings into the shape of ox horns, and then placed them in bamboo to cook.
During every Dragon Boat Festival many Chinese families follow the custom of eating zongzi.
 People in the north enjoy zongzi with dates, while people in the south prefer mixed ingredients, such as meat, sausages, and eggs.
This custom is not only very popular in China, it is also practiced in Korea, Japan, and other countries in Southeast Asia.
 Many contagious diseases and plagues were said to originate during the fifth lunar month when the Dragon Boat Festival takes place.
Chinese people, especially children, made incense bags and hung them on their necks to avoid catching contagious diseases and to keep evil spirits away.
 Incense bags are made from a variety of sewn bags and include the powders of calamus, wormwood, and realgar, and other fragrant items.
 This tradition has been mostly abandoned.
 There is an old saying: "Hang willow branches at Qingming Festival and hang calamus and wormwood at Duanwu Festival. "
 On Dragon Boat Festival people often put calamus and wormwood leaves on their doors and windows to repel insects, flies, fleas, and moths from the house.
 Hanging these plants on doors or windows is also believed to dispel evil, and bring health to the family especial the kids.
There is an old saying: 'Drinking realgar wine drives diseases and evils away!
' Realgar wine is a Chinese alcoholic drink consisting of fermented cereals and powdered realgar.
 In ancient times, people believed that realgar was an antidote for all poisons, and effective for killing insects and driving away evil spirits.
 So everyone would drink some realgar wine during Duanwu Festival.
 Before Dragon Boat Festival arrives, parents usually prepare perfume pouches for their children.
 They sew little bags with colorful silk cloth, fill the bags with perfumes or herbal medicines, and then string them with silk threads.
 During Dragon Boat Festival perfume pouches are hung around kids' necks or tied to the front of a garment as an ornament.
 The perfume pouches are said to protect them from evil.
The Dragon Boat Festival is held at the start of summer, when diseases are more prevalent.
 Mugwort leaves are used medicinally in China.
Their fragrance is very pleasant, deterring flies and mosquitoes.
 Calamus an aquatic plant that has similar effects.
On the fifth day of the fifth month, people usually clean their houses, courtyards, and hang mugwort and calamus on doors lintels to discourage diseases.
 It is also said hanging mugwort and calamus can bring good luck to the family.
There are many legends about the origin of the Dragon Boat Festival.
 The most popular one is in commemoration of Qu Yuan.
Qu Yuan (340–278 BC) was a patriotic poet and exiled official during the Warring States Period of ancient China.
 He drowned himself in the Miluo River on the 5th day of the 5th Chinese lunar month, when his beloved Chu State fell to the State of Qin.
Local people desperately tried to save Qu Yuan or recover his body, to no avail.
 In order to commemorate Qu Yuan, every fifth day of the fifth lunar month people beat drums and paddle out in boats on the river as they once did to keep fish and evil spirits away from his body.
 The Duanwu Festival or Tuen Ng Festival is a traditional and statutory holiday.
 It is a public holiday in mainland China and Taiwan, where it is called the "Duanwu Jie" and a public holiday in Hong Kong and Macau, where it is called the "Tuen Ng Jit".
 In it is also referred to as "Dragon Boat Festival", after one of the traditional activities for the holiday.
 The Duanwu Festival occurs on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese calendar, giving rise to the alternative name of Double Fifth .
 In 2008, this falls on 8 June.
 The focus of the celebrations includes eating ''zongzi'', which are large rice wraps, drinking realgar wine, and racing dragon boats.
 The Duanwu Festival has also been celebrated in other East Asian nations.
 For their equivalent or related celebrations, such as Kodomo no hi in Japan, in Korea, T& in Vietnam.
 The Duanwu Festival is believed to have originated in ancient Northern Chinese Regions.
 There are a number of theories about its origins.
 Today, the most commonly accepted version relates to the death of poet Qu Yuan in 278 BC despite a number of competing theories.
 The best-known traditional story holds that the festival commemorates the death of poet Qu Yuan of the ancient state of , in the Warring States Period of the Zhou Dynasty.
 A descendant of the Chu royal house, Qu served in high offices.
 However, when the king decided to ally with the increasingly powerful , Qu was banished for opposing the alliance.
 Qu Yuan was accused of treason.
 In 2008, Duanwu was celebrated in mainland China as a public holiday for the first time.
 Three of the most widespread activities for the Duanwu Festival are eating ''zongzi'', an angular rice ball wrapped in reed or bamboo leaves; drinking realgar wine, and racing dragon boats.
 Other common activities include hanging up icons of Zhong Kui , hanging up mugwort and calamus, taking long walks, and wearing perfumed medicine bags.
 Other traditional activities including a game of making an egg stand at noon, and writing .
 All of these activities, together with the drinking of realgar wine, are designed to ward off disease or evil.
Lantern Festival:  The Lantern Festival came about when the people of ancient China first believed that celestial spirits could be seen flying about in the light of the first full moon of the new lunar year.
 Their search using torches evolved into the current celebrations of colorful lanterns at temples and parks.
 Children of the past were given lanterns to carry on the school day of the New Year to symbolize the hope of a bright future for the child.
 In modern Taiwan, small children carry lanterns and roam the streets on the eve of the festival.
Tomb Sweeping Day: Since ancient times, a day has been designated for sweeping the tombs and honoring the ancestors.
 Ancestor worship is usually performed on the first few days prior to or following Ching Ming.
 Dragon Boat Festival: Many people attended the festive boat races in Taipei, Lukang, Taiwan and Kaohsiung, with teams coming from all over the world.
 Boat races during the Dragon Boat Festival is to commemorate the rescue attempt of Chu Yuan, a patriotic poet, who drowned on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month in 277BC.
 When the attempt to rescue him failed, the people had to throw bamboo stuffed with cooked rice into the water so that the fish would eat the rice and not his body.
 From that, it evolves to the present day custom of eating tzungtzu, a kind of rice dumplings filled with ham or bean paste and wrapped in bamboo leaves.
 Ghost Festival: It was said that on the first day of the seventh lunar month, known as Ghost Month, the gates of Hell would open wide and the spirits are allowed a month of feasting and revelry in the world of the living.
 To ensure that the ghosts enjoy a pleasant vacation, lavish sacrifices are set out, sacrifices paper money is burned, and Taiwanese operas are performed.
Mid-Autumn Festival: Autumn Moon Festival falls in the middle of the eighth lunar Chinese month when the moon is supposed to be at its fullest.
 With a ripe, round moon considered a symbol of happiness, the national holiday is also a time for family reunions.
 Double Ninth Day:  It is no wonder why the Double Ninth Day was named thus as it falls on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month.
 The day is also known as Chung Yang or Double Yang Festival for the Chinese custom recognize "nine" as a number belonging to the positive principle "yang".
 On that day, activities such as hill climbing, drinking chrysanthemum wine, hanging dogwood sprays, and other customs dating back to the Han Dynasty story of Huan Ching and Fei Chang-fang were put to practiced.
 The Taiwanese have also enriched their holiday with kite flying, an up and coming custom.
Many countries have traditional festivals and China, with its long history, is no exception.
 Chinese festivals reflect the diverse cultural heritage of its many ethnic groups.
 Food plays a very important part in any celebrations and what better way can one celebrate but by enjoying rich and colorful occasions with special tasty dishes.
 So, what are the festival foods?
Dumpling People in northern China typically will eat dumplings (jiaozi) on New Year's Eve.
 This occurs because 'jiaozi' sounds like a word meaning 'bidding farewell to the old and ushering in the new in Chinese.
 Dumplings are always made before midnight and eaten during the last hour of the old year and the first hour of the Lunar New Year.
 Some people like to wrap a one-yuan, fifty-cent or ten-cent coin in some of the dumplings, as a token of good fortune for those who eat them.
 This is said to ensure good luck and prosperity in the New Year.
Niangao (Rice Cake) Southern China produces rice, so traditionally the southern Chinese usually eat Niangao (rice cakes) to celebrate the New Year.
 This belief derives from the Chinese pronunciation of rice cake as 'niangao', a homophone for a word meaning a higher level of life.
 Niangao is made of glutinous rice powder and can be cooked by frying, steaming, stir-frying or boiling.
 With the development of the social culture, eating Niangao is also popular now among some people in north China during the Chinese New Year (Spring Festival).
ish (Braised Pomfret, Tangba Town's Stir-fried Fish, Steamed Perch) Fish, usually of a local variety, is an important item on the dinning table of thousands of families on the eve of the Chinese New Year.
 Fish is pronounced 'yu' in Chinese, with the implications of having more than just a basic need each year.
 It is also a present exchanged between relatives and friends during the Chinese New Year.
 In southern China, some people just eat the middle part of the fish on the New Year Eve, leaving the head and tail to the next day to symbolize completeness.
 Meanwhile, it is particularly important that when fish is placed on the dining table, its head must be at the elders, as a sign of respect.
 Yuanxiao Since the Song Dynasty (960-1279), people have had the custom of dining on traditional fare highlighted by 'Yuanxiao' on the Lantern Festival which is also called Yuanxiao Festival.
 Yuanxiao is a kind of rice dumpling made of glutinous rice powder and wrapped with various fillings like bean paste, brown sugar and all kinds of fruits and nuts.
 People eat these on the last day of the Chinese New Year celebration, since they are also named 'tangyuan' or 'tuanyuan' among the Chinese folk, pronounced like 'tuanyuan' (reunion).
 Zongzi Throughout the country families will eat 'zongzi' to memorize the national hero Qu Yuan (he ended his life by drowning in the Miluo River on hearing his state was defeated.) on the Dragon Boat Festival, the day of Qu Yuan's death.
 Zongzi is pyramid-shaped dumplings made of glutinous rice and wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves, usually made into sweet with dates in northern China.
 However, it can be either sweet or savory and made from a great variety of ingredients besides glutinous rice, such as meat, shrimp, bean paste and nuts in southern China.
 Moon Cake Offering sacrifices to the moon, eating moon cakes and watching the moon are the main activities on Mid-Autumn Day.
 Moon cakes are usually round-shaped, representing family reunion and bright life.
 They are made with a sweet bean-paste filling, and a golden brown flaky skin, but nowadays, there are more than a dozen variations, including bean paste, yolk paste, coconut paste, five-core paste and so on.
 To make them attractive, some clever cooks decorate the moon cakes by drawing the pattern of 'Chang Er's Flying to the Moon'.
Spring Rolls also named Spring Cakes by some northern Chinese, have a long history in China.
 It's said that as early as in the Eastern Jin Dynasty (316-420), people would eat 'Spring Plate', a dish with thin flour-made cakes at the center of the plate and green vegetables around them, on the First Day of Spring every year.
 Along with the development of the cooking techniques, 'Spring Cakes' have been evolved into the present lovely golden spring rolls made of thin flour wrappers with various fillings – sweet or savory, meat or vegetables.
On every fifth day of the fifth month in Chinese lunar calendar, the Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated in various ways, and the festival foods are always an indispensable part.
 Apart from Zongzi, what else do Chinese people eat during the Dragon Boat Festival?
Zongzi is a kind of sticky rice dumplings with different fillings wrapped by bamboo or reed leaves.
 The custom of eating Zongzi is originated from 340 AD, when the patriotic poet, Qu Yuan gave his life for his country by drowning himself in a river.
 To protect his body from being eaten by fish, people threw Zongzi into the river to feed the water creatures.
 Since then, Zongzi becomes a typical food for Dragon Boat Festival, which has been passed by for thousands of years.
 Drinking realgar wine during the Dragon Boat Festival is a tradition kept for generations, and kids’ cheek and forehead will also be rubbed with the wine.
 It is believed that the wine can dispel sickness, poisonous stuff and evil spirits.
 Now the realgar wine is not much liked by people, as there is tinny toxicant in it after being heated.
This is your Guide to 2020 Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival in Taiwan: When to Go and How to Get There.
 The Taiwan Sky Lantern Festival in Pingxi district (平溪) is a bucket list experience and is often listed as a top 20 world festival, and highly recommended by Lonely Planet and CNN.
 It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience in the cool, crisp mountains of Taiwan in New Taipei county.
 Release lanterns in Taiwan during the world-famous Taiwan Sky Lantern Festival in Pingxi, Taiwan is simply magical to watch.
 The paper lanterns glow in the sky in the mountains of Taiwan during the Lantern Festival in spring and Moon Festival in the fall.
The first time I went to one of the most popular festivals in Taiwan, I couldn’t figure out how to get to the Sky Lantern Festival in Taiwan on my own very easily, much less with two kids.
 Was the festival in Pingxi (平溪) or Shifen?
 With the help of some friends to arrange the details, we finally made plans to stay in a hotel in Taipei and figured out how to get to the Pingxi Sky Lantern festival located in Shifen.
 I live and blog as an expat in Taiwan and getting to the Sky Lantern Festival took a lot of planning.
 It was worth all the effort!
The Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival takes place in the old coal-mining village of Shifen.
 Shifen is located in Pingxi District in New Taipei county about 1 hour east from Taipei.
 Don’t make the mistake of going to the town of Pingxi!
 Pingxi District is the region of Taiwan where the Sky Lantern Festival is held, and Shifen is the village.
 Make your plans to go to the Lantern Festival in Shifen, Pingxi District, Taiwan.
Most travelers arrive in Taipei for the Lantern Festival either at the Tayouan Taipei international airport or by the HSR trains.
To get to Shifen village in Pingxi District, take any northbound train (EXCEPT those going to Keelung) from Taipei Main Station to Ruifang station.
 At Ruifang station, get off the train to transfer trains.
 Purchase a ticket to Shifen Station in Pingxi District on the Pingxi line.
 The train ride from Taipei to the Pingxi Lantern Festival in Shifen is about 1 hour or longer during the festival.
 The fare is less than $100 NT one way so this is the most budget-friendly way to get to the lantern festival.
 It is also the most crowded!
Taking the bus from Taipei to Shifen is another way to go to the Pingxi Lantern Festival.
 The road to Shifen is closed to traffic for the lantern festival to make getting to and from Pingxi more efficient.
 Tour operators offer options for a shuttle bus from Taipei, Keelung or Juifen.
 A shuttle bus service typically starts at 9 a.m.
 from the Taipei Zoo for $50 NT or $15 NT from Ruifang train station to Shifen.
 The return trip is free.
Shuttle buses from Taipei, Juifen and Keelung run all day long on the day of the festival from different tour operators.
 Shuttle buses in Taipei depart from the Muzha MRT station or the Taipei Zoo station.
 For the festival, bus lines are separated into standing and seated lines or queues.
 Lines are shorter and quicker if you are willing to stand on the bus or shuttle.
 Shuttle buses run later than trains after the festival so if you plan on staying until the very end, a shuttle or private driver may be your best choice.
 Plan to depart Taipei no later than 3 or 4 pm to arrive in Shifen before sunset and avoid the worst traffic and packed trains.
 I recommend you stay nearby in Juifen or Keelung and visit the nearby Shifen waterfall in the area during the day.
The Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival showcases thousands of lanterns lifting off of the old railway tracks in Shifen, lighting up the night sky.
 The main stage at Shifen Square showcases the mass ascension of lanterns every 20-30 minutes.
 Mass ascensions are released periodically from approximately 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm.
 You can register for free to participate in the mass ascension by signing up as early as possible at the square starting at 10:00 am.
 There is no entrance fee to attend the lantern festival — attending the lantern festival is free!
 When you arrive at the festival, you can buy your own huge paper lantern to decorate and release for about $200 NT each.
 Vendors nearby have calligraphy brushes and buckets of black paint for you to design and paint your own lantern.
 Each lantern is made of thin bamboo covered by rice paper, and it has four big sides to decorate.
 Try painting your zodiac sign and adding blessings and wishes for the new year to bring you luck!
 My kids loved personalizing their sky lanterns and following them in the sky once they took flight.
 For safety reasons, a professional will light your lantern for you.
 Families and travelers will also enjoy the energy of the Shifen night market set up along the train tracks and village streets.
 Festival food and Taiwan delicacies like steamed soup dumplings, grilled sausages, pork buns and warm bowls of noodles keep you warm from the chilly air in the mountains.
 High mountain oolong tea is available everywhere.
One major caution for families is that trains actively arrive and load on the same tracks people use to light their lanterns.
 I had to pay attention and stay aware of sounds and approaching lights on the trains to jump off the tracks.
 Make sure you stay close and keep the kids off the tracks.
 In this article, I’ll walk through the etiquette for giving and receiving the red envelopes filled with lucky money that are an iconic symbol of Chinese New Year.
We’ll get to the details in a moment, but I’ll start by highlighting that the red envelope custom is all about the reciprocity of giving and receiving.
 It’s a gesture of goodwill, expressed through the exchange of red envelopes, that builds relationships among family and friends.
 In fact, after all the giving and receiving of red envelopes during Chinese New Year, you’ll probably find that you end up netting even financially.
 Count the relationships, not the dollars.
A Chinese red envelope (known as lai see in Cantonese and hong bao in Mandarin) is simply an ornate red pocket of paper the size of an index card.
 They’re commonly decorated with beautiful Chinese calligraphy and symbols conveying good luck and prosperity on the recipient.
 Though they’re unquestionably a symbol associated with Chinese New Year, red envelopes are also given for weddings, birthdays and other special occasions.
Here are the most common scenarios for giving red envelopes during Chinese New Year.
1.From Parents to their Children.
It’s traditional to leave a red envelope with two tangerines (leaves on, of course) by a child’s bedside on New Year’s Eve.
 Given that Chinese New Year isn’t celebrated with material gifts, the amount is usually around $20, enough for the child to buy a toy on his or her own.
 Grandparents generally give red envelopes in similar amounts to their grandchildren during visits on New Year’s Eve or in the days following New Year’s Day.
 2. From Married Adults to (Unmarried) Children in the Family. 
 Giving red envelopes is an important rite of adulthood, as symbolically you’ve become ready to share your riches and blessings with others.
 If you’re married, prepare to bring red envelopes for any little cousins and unmarried adult children in your extended family as you visit during Chinese New Year.
 A token amount around $10 is appropriate.
 3. From Adult Children to their Parents.
Giving a red envelope to your parents is a sign of respect, a gesture pointing back to longstanding notions of filial piety.
 Make the gift generous, between $50 and $100, and expect to receive a red envelope in return, symbolizing your parents’ blessings for you.
 4. When Visiting Family and Friends.
The days following New Year’s Day are a procession of visits to the homes of family and friends to wish them good luck in the year ahead.
 In addition to the red envelopes you may bring for any children in the home, you should bring a red envelope with about $20 for your hosts, which is customarily placed in the center of the Togetherness Tray of sweets as you snack together.
 5. From Employers to Employees.
 A red envelope at Chinese New Year takes the place of the Christmas bonus common in Western workplaces.
 Given the expense of traveling home for the holiday, many employers give their employees a red envelope filled with the equivalent of a month’s pay at the beginning of the festival, along with a smaller “token of red” when they return to work.
 Prepare to do the same if you employ a Chinese nanny or housekeeper in your home.
As you give and receive red envelopes, don’t forget these basic etiquette tips: Choose new bills, don’t ever include coins and wait to open your red envelopes until after you part company.
 Amounts in even numbers are generally preferred, except for the number 4 because of its resemblance to the word meaning death.
 And, optional, but denominations including 8s (rhyming with the word for good luck) and 9s (for longevity) carry especially positive symbolic meanings.
 Returning to the point I made at the outset, remember that when exchanging red envelopes at Chinese New Year, it’s the relationship that counts most.
 As with Western gift giving, red envelopes are a way to bring your nearest and dearest closer to you during the most important time of the year.
Lucky money in a Chinese red envelope is the easiest, most traditional gift during Chinese New Year.
 Pick a design below that conveys the sentiment you wish to send.
 These premium red envelopes feature the Chinese character for blessings (福) to wish the recipient a year filled with abundance and prosperity.
 These premium red envelopes feature the Chinese character for fullness (?) to wish the recipient a year filled with satisfaction and joy.
These premium red envelopes feature the Chinese character for luck (祥) to wish the recipient a year filled with success and achievement.
The Lantern Festival is celebrated annually on the 15th day of the first lunar month to mark the grand finale of the Chinese New Year celebrations.
 It is also the very first full moon day of the New Year, symbolizing the coming of the spring.
 People usually celebrate this festival by enjoying family dinner together, eating Yuanxiao (glutinous rice dumpling), carrying paper lanterns, and solving the riddles on the lanterns.
 The festival is celebrated with fanfare events in Taiwan, including the internationally famed Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival in New Taipei City, Bombing Lord Han Dan in Taitung, and Yanshui Beehive Rockets Festival in Tainan, to welcome the New Year in a spirit of peace, prosperity and joy.
 Bombing Lord Han Dan is a special ceremony in Taitung, which a chosen man performs in the role of Master Han Dan-a god of wealth, and gets thrown by firecrackers.
 During the event, the chosen man wears nothing but a pair of red short pants, holds one bamboo fan to protect his face, stands on a sedan chair, and being carried around by four devotees.
 Firecrackers are to be thrown at the chosen one as it is believed that Lord Han Dan cannot bear the cold weather.
 The firecrackers are to keep him warm as well as to pray for wealth and prosperities.
 Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival is held every year during the Lantern Festival in Pingxi of New Taipei City.
 Sky Lanterns, also known as Kongming Lantern are flying paper lanterns traditionally found in some Asian cultures.
 It was invented by Kongming during three kingdoms period by Zhu Ke-Liang (aka Kongming) in order to pass military information.
 They are constructed from oiled rice paper on a bamboo made frame, and contain a small candle or fuel cell composed of a waxy flammable material.
 After lit, the flame heats the air inside the lantern, same concept of a hot air balloon which raises the lantern into the sky.
 People nowadays usually write their wishes on the sky lanterns because it is believed as the lantern fly into the sky; it is a way to pass on your wishes to gods above.
Yanshui Beehive Rocket Festival is a distinctive religious event scheduled on the day of the Lantern Festival in Yanshui, Tainan.
 On the day of the Lantern Festival, people would visit Yanshui in Tainan City to follow the sedan chair of the divinity and the release of thousands of firecrackers.
 Participants are required to wear a helmet, mask, towel, as well as dressed in long pants and long sleeves shirt for safety.
 Other than the three major Lantern Festival celebrations of Taiwan listed above, the annual Taiwan Lantern Festival takes place at different Taiwan City every year.
 The splendid Taiwan Lantern Festival is filled with thousands traditional, cartoon and thematically designed lanterns of various shapes, sizes, and colors.
 The theme of Taiwan Lantern Festival varies each year according to the Chinese zodiac sign of 12 animals (rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep (or goat), monkey, rooster, dog, and pig.) 
The history of Lantern Festival can be traced back to the time when Emperor Wen of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - 25 AD) officially set the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese calendar as the Yuan Xiao Festival.
 It has been celebrated as the birthday of the God of Heaven (Shang Yuan Jie), since the Tang dynasty (618 AD - 907 AD).
How is the Lantern Festival celebrated?
 These days, the Lantern Festival is an important occasion for family meetings and reunions.
 Parks across Taiwan become an amazing sight with numerous huge lanterns depicting anything from the current zodiac animal to scenes from traditional Chinese folk stories and more contemporary scenes.
 Schoolchildren will also make many more smaller lanterns adding to the spectacle of the evening.
People in northern China eat "Yuan Xiao," a traditional ball-shaped sweet dessert made with glutinous rice.
 "Yuan Xiao" is called "Tang Yuan" in southern China, symbolizing family unity.
 In ancient times, the lanterns were fairly simple, for only the emperor and noblemen had large ornate ones; in modern times, lanterns have been embellished with many complex designs.
 For example, lanterns are now often made in shapes of animals.
 The Lantern Festival is also known as the Little New Year since it marks the end of the series of celebrations starting from the Chinese New Year.
 Koreans celebrate this festival as the Daeboreum.
The 15th day of the 1st lunar month is the Chinese Lantern Festival because the first lunar month is called yuan-month and in the ancient times people called night Xiao.
 The 15th day is the first night to see a full moon.
 So the day is also called Yuan Xiao Festival in China.
 According to the Chinese tradition, at the very beginning of a new year, when there is a bright full moon hanging in the sky, there should be thousands of colorful lanterns hung out for people to appreciate.
 At this time, people will try to solve the puzzles on the lanterns and eat yuanxiao (glutinous rice ball) and get all their families united in the joyful atmosphere.
 There are many different beliefs about the origin of the Lantern Festival.
 But one thing for sure is that it had something to do with celebrating and cultivating positive relationship between people, families, nature and the higher beings they believed were responsible for bringing/returning the light each year.
 One legend tells us that it was a time to worship Taiyi, the God of Heaven in ancient times.
 The belief was that the God of Heaven controlled the destiny of the human world.
 He had sixteen dragons at his beck and call and he decided when to inflict drought,storms, famine or pestilence upon human beings.
 Beginning with Qinshihuang, the first emperor to unite the country, all subsequent emperors ordered splendid ceremonies each year.
 The emperor would ask Taiyi to bring favorable weather and good health to him and his people.
 Emperor Wudi of the Han Dynasty directed special attention to this event.
 In 104 BC, he proclaimed it one of the most important celebrations and the ceremony would last throughout the night.
 Another legend associates the Lantern Festival with Taoism.
 Tianguan is the Taoist god responsible for good fortune.
 His birthday falls on the 15th day of the first lunar month.
 It is said that Tianguan likes all types of entertainment.
 So followers prepare various kinds of activities during which they pray for good fortune.
 The third story about the origin of the festival goes like this.
 Buddhism first entered China during the reign of Emperor Mingdi of the Eastern Han Dynasty.
 That was in the first century.
 However, it did not exert any great influence among the Chinese people.
 One day, Emperor Mingdi had a dream about a gold man in his palace.
 At the very moment when he was about to ask the mysterious figure who he was, the gold man suddenly rose to the sky and disappeared in the west.
 The next day, Emperor Mingdi sent a scholar to India on a pilgrimage to locate Buddhist scriptures.
 After journeying thousands of miles, the scholar finally returned with the scriptures.
 Emperor Mingdi ordered that a temple be built to house a statue of the Buddha and serve as a repository for the scriptures.
 Followers believe that the aura of the Buddha can dispel darkness.
 So Emperor Mingdi ordered his subjects to display lighted lanterns during what was to become the Lantern Festival.
 Until the Sui Dynasty in the sixth century, Emperor Yangdi invited envoys from other countries to China to see the colorful lighted lanterns and enjoy the gala performances.
 By the beginning of the Tang Dynasty in the seventh century, the lantern displays would last three days.
 The emperor also lifted the curfew, allowing the people to enjoy the festive lanterns day and night.
 It is not difficult to find Chinese poems which describe this happy scene.
 In the Song Dynasty, the festival was celebrated for five days and the activities began to spread to many of the big cities in China.
 Colorful glass and even jade were used to make lanterns, with figures from folk tales painted on the lanterns.
 However, the largest Lantern Festival celebration took place in the early part of the 15th century.
 The festivities continued for ten days.
 Emperor Chengzu had the downtown area set aside as a center for displaying the lanterns.
 Even today, there is a place in Beijing called Dengshikou.
 In Chinese, Deng means lantern and Shi is market.
 The area became a market where lanterns were sold during the day.
 In the evening, the local people would go there to see the beautiful lighted lanterns on display.
 Today, the displaying of lanterns is still a big event on the 15th day of the first lunar month throughout China.
 People enjoy the brightly lit night.
 Chengdu in Southwest China's Sichuan Province, for example, holds a lantern fair each year in the Cultural Park.
 During the Lantern Festival,the park is literally an ocean of lanterns!
 Many new designs attract countless visitors.
 The most eye-catching lantern is the Dragon Pole.
 This is a lantern in the shape of a golden dragon, spiraling up a 27-meter-high pole, spewing fireworks from its mouth
The lion dance originated in China close to a thousand years ago.
The lion is traditionally regarded as a guardian creature.
It is featured in Buddhist lore, being the mount of Manjusri.
There are different variations of the lion dance in other Asian cultures including mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, Okinawa, Korea, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Singapore,with each region possessing their own styles.
Chinese lion dances can be broadly categorised into two styles, Northern (北獅) and Southern (南獅).
Northern dance was used as entertainment for the imperial court.
The northern lion is usually red, orange, and yellow (sometimes with green fur for the female lion), shaggy in appearance, with a golden head.
The northern dance is acrobatic and is mainly performed as entertainment.
Southern dance is more symbolic.
It is usually performed as a ceremony to exorcise evil spirits and to summon luck and fortune.
The southern lion exhibits a wide variety of colour and has a distinctive head with large eyes, a mirror on the forehead, and a single horn at center of the head.
The lion dance also symbolises the myth of the Chinese new year The Lion dance is often confused with the Chinese Dragon Dance, which features a team of around ten or more dancers.
The Lion Dance usually consists of two people.
The lion dance has close relations to kung fu and the dancers are usually members of the local kung fu club.
They practise in their club and some train hard to master the skill.
In the north the lions usually appear in pairs.
Northern lions usually have long and shaggy orange and yellow hair with either a red bow, or a green bow on its head to represent a male or female.
During a performance, northern lions resemble a Pekinese Dog or Fu Dogs and movements are very life-like.
Acrobatics are very common, with stunts like lifts or balancing on a giant ball.
Northern lions sometimes appear as a family, with two large "adult" lions and a pair of small "young lions".
Ninghai, in Ningbo, is called the "Homeland of the Lion Dance" (?舞之?) for the northern variety.
During the 1950s-60's, people who joined lion dance troupes were “gangster-like” and there was a lot of fighting amongst lion dance troupes and kung fu schools.
Parents were afraid to let their children join lion dance troupes because of the “gangster” association with the members.
During festivals and performances, when lion dance troupes met, there would be fights between groups.
Some lifts and acrobatic tricks are designed for the lion to “fight” and knock over other rival lions.
Performers even hid daggers in their shoes and clothes, which could be used to injure other lion dancers’ legs, or even attached a metal horn on their lion’s forehead, which could be used to slash other lion heads.
The violence got so extreme that at one point, the Hong Kong government had to put a stop to lion dance completely.
Now, as with many other countries, lion dance troupes must attain a permit from the government in order to perform lion dance.
Although there is still a certain degree of competitiveness, troupes are a lot less violent and aggressive.
Today, lion dance is a more sport-oriented activity.
Lion dance is more for recreation than a way of living.
Several movies in the Once Upon a Time in China series involve plots centered around Lion Dancing, especially Once Upon a Time in China III and IV.
Jet Li has performed as a lion dancer in several of his films, including Southern style lion dancing in Once Upon a Time in China III, Once Upon a Time in China and America and Northern style lion dancing in Shaolin Temple 2, and Shaolin Temple 3.
Mooncakes are traditional Chinese pastries that are made during the Mid-Autumn Festival, which is celebrated in China, Vietnam, as well as other countries in Asia.
Mooncakes are usually round, made in a special mooncake mold, and contain a sweet filling, with the most common one being lotus seed paste or red bean paste.
The sacrifice to the moon on the Mid-Autumn Festival has a very long history, which dates back to the Zhou Dynasty (1046 - 256 BC).
In ancient times, the emperors usually offered a sacrifice to the moon on the Autumnal Equinox at the place called Altar of the Moon.
The Altar of the Moon in Beijing was where the emperors of the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) Dynasties offered a sacrifice to the moon.
Through the passage of time, this custom has been adopted into folk lore and now the sacrificial ceremony is usually held in family units.
However, nowadays this activity continues only in certain rural areas or at attraction sites and no longer by the majority of Chinese families.
Following tradition, the major offerings for the sacrificial ceremony were moon cakes.
Besides, there were watermelons cut into the shape of a lotus flower, grapefruits, boiled green soybeans, oranges and wine, etc, mostly edible things that are round in shape.
This was significant as the Mid-Autumn Festival was a day for family reunion and the Chinese word for “round” had a similar pronunciation to that of “reunion”.
The offerings would be set on a table that the moonlight could reach, or facing the general direction of the moon on cloudy or rainy nights.
In front of the table, was an incense burner, with lighted red candles on each side.
With the announcement by the host, the ceremony began.
Two deacons walked slowly to stand one each side of the offering table, followed by the officiant (usually the oldest woman in the family or the hostess) and the other attendants (family members), who all went down on their knees in front of the offering table.
The officiant then took over three burning joss sticks from the deacon and made some wishes and then placed the joss sticks in the burner.
This would be done three times.
Then the officiant poured a cup of wine in front of the offerings and read prayers toward the moon.
The paper with written prayers was then burnt, together with moonlight papers (the incense papers painted with the moon palace and goodness of the moon).
After, all attendants genuflected three times.
Finally, the attendants burnt the incense, made wishes and worshiped the moon one by one.
Compared with the moon sacrificial ceremony, the custom of appreciating the moon is much more popular among modern people.
The family members sit around a table and appreciate the moon, while talking to each other and eating the offerings from the ceremony, etc.
The custom was actually derived from the sacrificial ceremony, which made a serious activity into a relaxing one.
It started in the Three Kingdoms Period (220 - 280 AD) to the Jin Dynasty (265 - 420 AD).
In the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907 AD), the custom became very popular.
There are many works of literature of that time praising the moon and expressing yearnings to distant relatives and friends.
It was during the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD) that a folk festival involving appreciation of the moon was formed and it became the earliest official Mid-Autumn Festival.
The origin is attributed to the victorious insurrectionary army of the Yuan Dynasty (1271 - 1368 AD) that had passed messages by hiding notes in moon cakes.
As gifts, the leader gave moon cakes to his subordinates on the coming Mid-Autumn Festival.
Since then, the custom of eating moon cakes on Mid-Autumn Day became established.
In following eras, after the moon sacrificial ceremony, the officiant cut the biggest moon cake into even pieces based on the number of family members and passed them around to each of them.
Even those who could not make it home on the night had a piece reserved for them because the moon cake signified reunion and the cake sacrificed to the moon was considered auspicious.
Nowadays, although most families do not hold the sacrificial ceremony, family members still gather together to share the delicious round moon cakes on the festival night.
In addition to these common customs, there are those that are popular in certain areas on Mid-Autumn Day.
In southern China, children play with festival lanterns.
In Hong Kong, one of the most important activities is the fire dragon dances; in Shanghai, people go out for moon appreciation instead of staying inside and they burn incense buckets.
In Taiwan, people set off sky lanterns and single girls steal vegetables, which hopefully can bring them a 'Mr. Right.’ These form only the tip of the iceberg.
If one attends a Mid-Autumn Festival in China, they will find more interesting customs for sure.
Although originally a festival among the Han Chinese, the Mid-Autumn Festival is now very popular among ethnic minorities too and they have some unique and interesting customs, such as chasing the moon of Mongolians, seeking the moon of Tibetans and dancing in the moonlight of the Yi people, etc.
Why are the Mid-Autumn Festival lanterns Made?- 4 Symbolic Meanings
1. Create festive atmosphere
The Mid-Autumn Festival is a very happy event, when family members gather together to appreciate moon, worship moon and eat mooncakes.
People also make a variety of Mid-Autumn lanterns.
Several days before the festival, people hang these Moon Festival lanterns to create happy festive atmosphere and welcome the coming of the festival.
2. Inherit the 2,000’ years craftsmanship of making lanterns
Lanterns, the ancient Chinese traditional crafts, are originated in the Western Han Dynasty more than 2,000 years ago.
By making it during festivals, the crafts can be passed down to later generations.
3. Symbolize family reunion
In Chinese culture, lantern is also a symbol of happy reunion since most lanterns are round, and “round” in Chinese has the similar pronunciation with “reunion”.
4. Pray for babies
In some areas of China, the mother send a Mooncake Festival lantern to her daughter who is newly married on the Mid-Autumn Festival, wishing her to bring more population to the family.
This is also because “lantern” and “man” have the similar pronunciation.
And there is also a hope that the daughter have a bright future.
China's Mid-Autumn Festival is the second most important traditional festival in China, but it is much less well known than Chinese New Year overseas.
Quickly discover more about Mid-Autumn origins and customs below.
1. Harvest Moon Obsession — Reunion and Expectation
Since ancient times, there have been many legends about the moon in China.
For the Chinese, the moon is symbolized as being holy, pure, and noble.
Over tens of thousands of poems describing the moon have been recorded.
The moon's round shape also corresponds to the cyclic concepts of Taoism, like the eight diagrams.
That's why Chinese people are fixated on the moon and view round shapes as representing perfection.
2. Luxury Mooncakes — a Box of Mooncakes Is More Expensive Than an iPhone!
When people mention China's Mid-Autumn Festival, the first image many conjure up in their minds is that of a mooncake.
Chinese mooncakes not only have a long history but also have numerous flavors.
In addition to traditional fillings, such as lotus root, melon seeds, and fruit, there are some bizarre recipes, such as chocolate spicy beef filling, leek filling, and fermented bean curd filling.
With different packaging, a mooncake ranges in price from a few dozen yuan to a few thousand yuan, even though a normal mooncake's cost is very cheap.
These high-end mooncakes have become luxurious presents between bureaucrats over the past few years.
3. Travel Peak — Millions Go Home or Touring
As the second most important traditional festival in China, the crowds traveling during the Mid-Autumn Festival should not be underestimated.
Although they can't compare to the travel rush during the Spring Festival, the largest annual migration in the world.
In 2008, the Mid-Autumn Festival was approved as a statutory holiday and people were granted a three-day holiday.
Most people choose to go home for a reunion or go traveling, which normally causes transport stress.
If you have no intention of experiencing millions of people on the move in China, then you should avoid the holiday when planning your tour.
It's not unusual to end up sitting in the car all day on the highway during this holiday in China.
4. WeChat Red Envelopes — Money Rather Than Gifts
Chinese tap their phones urgently to peck up the bits of a shared Wechat red envelope.
Are you still sending cards or making phone calls during the holidays?
You are out of touch.
The most popular greeting nowadays in China is the WeChat red envelope, which is a mobile application allowing users to send or receive money online.
During the Mid-Autumn Festival Gala on CCTV, viewers are invited to shake their smartphones for a chance to win red envelopes.
People usually attach a few words as a greeting when sending a red envelope.
In addition, Chinese people prefer red envelopes containing the number 6 or 8; for example, sending a 666 yuan red envelope because '666' means everything will be fine for you and '888' means hoping you could make a fortune.
As Chinese netizens stated, "There's nothing in the world that cannot be solved by a red envelope; if there were, then two should do it!
5. Matchmaking Time — Fast-Food Style Relationship
Many urban parks in China have a matchmaking corner.
Visitors can see hundreds, sometimes thousands, of older parents and pensioners gather there.
They are there to exchange information about their children who are still unmarried, hoping to find them an ideal spouse.
In China, many people consider a girl to be "leftover" if she is not married by the time she is 25; a man is normally considered this at 30.
Their parents desire to see them get married, and the three-day vacation of the Mid-Autumn Festival is a great chance for them to have a blind date at their parents' request.
6. Family Dinner — Difficult to Book a Seat
Many Chinese enjoy their Mid-Autumn reunion dinner in a restaurant.
The Mid-Autumn Festival carries themes of reunification and strengthening family relationships.
So a family dinner is essential to the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
A traditional dinner in China normally means several hours of preparation.
Since the Mid-Autumn Festival is only a three-day break, people no longer make dishes at home but book a meal in a restaurant instead to save time and spend more time with their family.
Normally, people will book the seats and confirm the menu one or two months in advance.
But for some famous restaurants, such as Guangzhou Restaurant, Taotao Ju Restaurant, and Lianxiang Lou Restaurant in Guangzhou, people make reservations just after the Spring Festival!
7. Mid-Autumn Legends — Chinese Prefer the Romantic One
There are many interesting stories explaining the origin of the festival.
Three most widespread stories are: Chang'e flying to the moon, Wu Gang chopping a cherry bay, and the jade rabbit.
The story of Chang'e and Hou Yi is the most widely accepted by Chinese people.
It seems that people prefer romance.
According to legend, long ago there was a beautiful lady, Chang'e, whose husband was a brave archer, Hou Yi.
But one day she drank a bottle of elixir that made her immortal, to honor her husband's instructions to keep it safe.
Then she was separated from her beloved husband, floating up into the sky, and finally landing on the moon, where she lives to this day.
8. Historic Origins — Mid-Autumn Festival Was Around Long Before Mooncakes
The Chinese have celebrated the harvest during the autumn full moon since the Shang Dynasty (1600–1046 BC).
It started to gain popularity as a festival during the early Tang Dynasty (618–907) while the tradition of eating mooncakes during the festival began in the Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368), a dynasty ruled by the Mongols.
Zhu Yuanzhang (the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty, 1368–1644) starting an uprising using mooncakes.
Falling on the 15th day of the 8th month according to the Chinese lunar calendar, the Mid-Autumn Festival is the second grandest festival in China after the Chinese New Year.
It takes its name from the fact that it is always celebrated in the middle of the autumn season.
The day is also known as the Moon Festival, as at that time of the year the moon is at its roundest and brightest.
Mid-Autumn Festival is an inherited custom of moon sacrificial ceremonies.
The ancient Chinese observed that the movement of the moon had a close relationship with changes of the seasons and agricultural production.
Hence, to express their thanks to the moon and celebrate the harvest, they offered a sacrifice to the moon on autumn days.
The Moon Cake is the special food of Mid-Autumn Festival.
On that day, people sacrifice moon cakes to the moon as an offering and eat them for celebration.
Moon cakes come in various flavors according to the region.
The moon cakes are round, symbolizing the reunion of a family, so it is easy to understand how the eating of moon cakes under the round moon can evoke longing for distant relatives and friends.
Nowadays, people present moon cakes to relatives and friends to demonstrate that they wish them a long and happy life.
Mooncake (simplified Chinese: 月?; traditional Chinese:月餅; pinyin: yu? b?ng) is a Chinese bakery product traditionally eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival / Zhongqiu Festival.
The festival is for lunar worship and moon watching; mooncakes are regarded as an indispensable delicacy on this occasion.
Mooncakes are offered between friends or on family gatherings while celebrating the festival.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the four most important Chinese festivals.
Typical mooncakes are round or rectangular pastries, measuring about 10 cm in diameter and 4–5 cm thick.
A thick filling usually made from lotus seed paste is surrounded by a relatively thin (2–3 mm) crust and may contain yolks from salted duck eggs.
Mooncakes are usually eaten in small wedges accompanied by Chinese tea.
Today, it is customary for businessmen and families to present them to their clients or relatives as presents,[1] helping to fuel a demand for high-end mooncake styles.
Mooncake energy content can vary with the filling and size; the average moon cake carries 800 to 1200 kcal, mainly from fats and sugar.
In ancient times, when people were hungrier, mooncakes were a rich (calorie-wise) delicacy.
This is probably why many Chinese like the egg yolk mooncake (because eggs were expensive), even though it may seem strange to foreigners.
Some Asians actually don't like it (including me), and it is probably one of the flavors most likely to make you throw up and dislike mooncakes forever.
Lotus was also considered a delicacy.
In modern times, mooncakes have become symbols of status and wealth, since mooncakes are traditionally given as gifts to friend and family.
The fancier mooncakes you gift, the more generous you seem.
As a result, mooncakes and their packaging have diversified and more expensive varieties have become more common.
Companies compete to have new, innovative flavors and fillings, and package mooncakes in very fancy boxes.
There are even mooncakes made out of gold, purely for gifting purposes.
In China, they are almost given away too frequently, so many Chinese are reluctant to eat their gifts because of the huge number of calories each mooncake contains.
To make mooncakes more appealing to eat, some companies have created mooncakes for more health-conscious people, so there are fat free mooncakes.
If you receive too many mooncakes, I think you can just save them because all the fat and oil will preserve them.
Then you can snack on them one bite at a time, like cookies.
One should eat mooncakes while observing the full moon and drink tea to counter all the fat and oil you've just consumed.
As one of the most important three Taiwanese traditional festivals, Lantern Festival falls on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month (Chinese New Year), usually in February or March.
Called as Yuanxiao Festival as well, people will eat YuanXiao, which is made of glutinous rice filled with red bean paste or sesame, to celebrate the reunion and harmony of their family.
However, if you think that’s all, then you’re wrong!
Because the grandest and the most remarkable activity is the lantern festival, whose English name is just as same as this traditional festival.
With a variety of interesting and amazing art designs, activities and performances, it is promised that you could have a great time in lantern festival around Taiwan.
Now, let us introduce the story of lantern festival and the activities from south Taiwan to north Taiwan then give you some ideas to plan a new year tour.
In 1990, the government held the first Taiwan Lantern Festival, a giant outdoor exhibition, in which there are kinds of lanterns on display, in order to promote our Taiwanese folk festival and traditional cultures to other countries.
From then on, holding Taiwan Lantern Festival has been a yearly routine.
Each of city in Taiwan takes a turn to be the organizer so that there will be a balanced development.
As a result, depending on different cities, the mix of local custom, theme lantern and soundtrack has gradually been a feature.
For example, as an organizer, Yilan used the sound of afternoon thunderstorm as their beginning while Chiayi chose “Gan Shang Ching”（高山青）as their soundtrack, which mainly praises the magnificence of Ali Mountain and the story of aboriginals.
In 2007, Discovery Channel selected Taiwan Lantern Festival as one of the best worldwide festivals, moreover, they even assign a professional shooting team to Taiwan to make a record.
How glad is it, right?
In 2017, Taiwan Lantern Festival was held in Yunlin (south of Taiwan).
With two big areas and over three thousand lanterns, Taiwan Lantern Festival in this year has the wildest venue and the most lantern decorations.
In addition, there are puppets with the height up to 8 meters showing the local puppetry characteristic.
It’s really a feast combined with the arts of sound, light, and movement.
Every year, the theme lantern is always the main issue which draws the attention of people and the report of every media.
To express the tradition of Taiwanese culture, the theme lantern is absolutely themed with the Chinese zodiac of the current year, and its base is designed in the shape of the eight diagram（八卦）.
Moreover, the government will give out free handheld small lanterns every year, making everyone immersed in the joy of Lantern Festival.
Of course, the lighting ceremony is a highlight as well.
At a chosen auspicious time, the organizer will invite the president, the mayor, and other guests to count down with the public together.
In 2018, Taiwan Lantern Festival will be held in Chiayi.
However, if it’s not convenient for you to join the event, don’t feel upset too early as there are also other lantern festivals around Taiwan, which are brilliant as well.
Let’s move on to see the kinds of lantern festivals!
Taiwan National Day – Double Tenth Day on October 10th
National Day of the Republic of China which is known as the Taiwan National Day or Double Tenth Day is to commemorate the 1911 Wuchang Uprising, a milestone of China’s politics development and a new chapter in the history of the Chinese which led to the collapse of the Qing Dynasty.
On the 10th of October each year celebration and official ceremony are held around Taiwan.
The major official firework event will only hold by one city, but the other cities will proceed with its own celebration and activities.
During this important day of Taiwan, both local and oversea visitors and honored dignitaries from all over the world gather in Taiwan to celebrate and show their respect for the nation.
As a tradition, routine celebrations are planned in front of the Presidential Office Building.
The celebration ceremony begins with the raising of the flag and national anthem followed by a military parade.
The climax of the day is when the President of Taiwan addresses the Presidential Address made to the nation followed by a series of performances by local celebrities and groups.
Visitors may also find Taiwan flags fluttering on the major streets and roads of Taiwan during this period of time forming a colorful scene.
The military parade for the Celebration Ceremony is to show the martial spirit of the armed forces in full regalia during the military review.
The public parade is inclusive of shows performed by representatives of different fields along the way.
During the evening, splendid National Day themed fireworks would be displayed for several hours as finale to wrap up the birthday celebrations that turn the sky dazzling and colorful over major Taiwan cities representing the bright and colorful future of Taiwan.
The Double Tenth Day or Taiwan National Day is now celebrated as a holiday.
The holiday often align with the weekend and it became a long weekend.
Therefore it is often a opportunity for the people to take a short vacation out of town.
The renowned attractions are often packed visitors as well as the crazy traffic jamming throughout the famous tourist sites.
We suggest tourist visiting Taiwan at this time avoid the long distance traffics and simply just enjoy the city.
The red envelope is a gift that combines the material and tangible aspect of currency with the more abstract sentiments of well-wishing and blessings.
By giving someone this gift, not only are you giving them something that is practical and useful in their daily life, but you are also expressing to them that you wish them well.
The red envelope is thus a very significant symbol of Asian culture.
Just on the envelope design itself, you may discover the values of the Asian community: prosperity, health, longevity,etc.
(through the words that may be inscribed on it).
The manner by which the gift is given (usually from the elders to the younger people) expresses the Asian value of the responsibility of elders towards watching out for the younger generations.
Also, during Chinese New Year young ones are meant to return blessings to their elders in exchange for red envelopes, signifying the importance of inter-generational relationships.
Like any other gift, there is an assumption that there will be reciprocity.
However, often the gift giver will not be the direct recipient of the reciprocated gift, but perhaps their children may be.
It may be expected that if you give someone's child a red envelope that they, in return, would give to your child.
Consequently, there is a more complex network of gift exchange rather than a simple exchange between two people.
Red paper envelopes are mostly constructed and printed in China then shipped over to the United States to smaller distributors including small hole-in-the wall retailers or larger retailers such as large Asian supermarkets.
However, nowadays there are printing companies based in the U.S. will also print red envelopes with custom designs.
Most families will buy one large packet of red envelopes from their local market or stores to prepare for the holiday season.
During parties or gatherings (especially the Lunar New Year) the adults will pass out these red envelopes with money contained in them to the younger folks.
Often times the recipients of the envelope will focus on the money held inside and take for granted the culture and history behind the production of the envelope as well as the blessings that follow with it.
Giving a red envelope filled with lucky money is a common way for the Chinese to show appreciation during important celebrations like Chinese New Year, birthdays and weddings.
In this guide, I’ll cover when to give a red envelope, how to choose the right design and how much to give.
The red envelope tradition is all about the reciprocity of giving and receiving.
It’s a gesture of goodwill, expressed through the exchange of red envelopes, that builds relationships among family and friends.
In fact, after many rounds of giving and receiving red envelopes over the years, you’ll probably find that you end up netting even financially.
Count the relationships, not the dollars.
A Chinese red envelope (known as lai see in Cantonese and hong bao in Mandarin) is simply an ornate red pocket of paper the size of an index card.
They’re commonly decorated with beautiful Chinese calligraphy and symbols conveying good luck and prosperity on the recipient.
Though they’re unquestionably a symbol associated with Chinese New Year, birthdays and weddings, red envelopes are also given for graduations, the launches of new ventures and other special occasions.
Regardless of the event, this basic red envelope etiquette applies: Choose new bills, don’t ever include coins and these days checks are OK.
Avoid the number four because of its resemblance to the word meaning death.
And, optional, but $88 (8 rhymes with the word for good luck) and $99 (for longevity) are positive symbolic amounts.
One of the most memorable scenes from the 2011 award-winning Taiwanese movie You Are The Apple Of My Eye showed the lead characters jointly releasing a tiandeng (sky lantern) with their wishes on it.
The young couple penned their hopes on the bulbous-shaped paper creation and watched it drift off in the clear sky.
This gesture of sending one’s written wishes upwards to be blessed by divine forces may seem old-fashioned in the digital age, but this tradition remains strong in Taiwan.
The sky lanterns are popular with people who want to be blessed for various reasons, including students eyeing good grades, lovers hoping for a happy ending and workers aiming for career success.
Even married couples keen to have children want to be blessed because the local pronunciation of sky lantern is tiending, which sounds like “newborn son”.
Sky lanterns are made with rice paper, thin bamboo strips and wire and are powered by kerosene-soaked prayer papers.
Origin of Spring Festival The origin of the Spring Festival now is too old to be traced.
It is widely believed that the word ‘Nian'(in Chinese means 'year'), was first the name of a monster beast that started to prey on human being at the night before the beginning of a new year.
It had a very big mouth that would swallow many people with one bite.
People were very scared.
One day, an old man came to their rescue, offering to subdue ‘Nian'.
He said to ‘Nian' that ‘I hear that you are quite capable, but can you swallow other beasts on earth instead of people who are by no means of your worthy opponents?
 Hence, ‘Nian' did swallow many of the beasts of prey on earth that also harassed people and their domestic animals from time to time.
After that, the old man who turned out to be an immoral fairy disappeared riding the beast ‘Nian'.
Now that ‘Nian' had gone and other beasts of prey are scared off into the forests, people began to enjoy their life in peace and happiness.
Before the old man left, he had told people to put up red paper decorations on their windows and doors at each year's end to scare away ‘Nian' in case it sneaked back again, because red is the color that the beast feared most.
From then on, the tradition of observing the conquest of ‘Nian' is carried on from generation to generation.
The term ‘Guo Nian', which may mean ‘Survive the Nian' becomes today's ‘Celebrate the New Year', as the word ‘Guo' in Chinese having both the meaning of ‘pass-over' and ‘observe'.
The custom of putting up red paper and firing firecrackers to scare away 'Nian' had been well preserved
Two Features of Spring Festival Equal to Christmas of the West in significance, the Spring Festival is the most important holiday in China.
Two features distinguish it from the other festivals.
One is seeing off the old year and greeting the new.
The other is family reunion.
Two weeks before the festival the whole country is permeated with a holiday atmosphere.
On the 8th day of the twelfth lunar month, many families will make the Laba Congee, a kind of congee made from more than eight treasures, including the glutinous rice, lotus seed, beans, gingko, millet and so on.
Shops and streets are beautifully decorated and every household is busy at shopping and preparing for the festival.
In the past, all families would make a throughout house cleaning, settling accounts and clearing off debts, by which to pass the year.
Customs of Spring Festival Paste couplets(Chinese: ?春?): it’s a kind of literature.
Chinese people like to write some dual and concise words on red paper to express their new year’s wishes.
On the arrival of New Year, every family will paste couplets.
Paste couplets Family reunion dinner(Chinese: ???): people travelling or residing in a place far away from home will back to their home to get together with their families.
Stay up late on New Year’s Eve(Chinese: 守?): it’s a kind of way for Chinese people to welcome New Year’s arrival.
Staying up late on New Year’s Eve is endowed with auspicious meaning by people.
The old do it for cherishing their past time, the young do it for their parents’ longevity.
Hand out red packets(Chinese: ??包): elders will put some money into red packets, and then hand out to the younger generation during spring festival.
In recent years, electric red packets are popular among younger generation.
Set off firecrackers: Chinese people think the loud sound of the firecrackers can drive away devils, and the fire of the firecrackers can make their life thriving in the coming year.
Celebration Activities on Chinese New Year’s Eve After dinner, people sit together before the TV to watch the New Year's program and chat with each other.
About ten minutes before the ringing of the New Year's bell, people let out the fireworks to welcome back the Kitchen God from the Heaven, who is in charge of the fortune and misfortune of the household he dwells.
Some of the customs based on superstitions are quite interesting.
For example, on New Year's Day, people will not sweep the floor, do washing or dump their garbage out of the house, lest these would do away with their fortune.
On the Lunar New Year's Eve, people like to stick the Chinese character ‘Happiness' upside down on doors or walls, because ‘upside down' in Chinese is a homophone of ‘coming' or ‘arriving'.
The custom of pasting couplets on the doors has a long history.
In the ancient times, people hung short branches of peach tree on the doors or at the front gates for the purpose of driving away the evil things.
Later they became peach wood boards with some Chinese characters written on them.
With the invention of paper, on each of which was written a verse line to welcome the New Year to express wishes for happiness and good fortune.
During the long time development, spring couplets have become a special form of literature with their own characteristic.
After putting up couplets and pictures in the doors on the Lunar New Year's Eve, the last day of the twelfth moon in the Chinese lunar calendar , each family gathers for a sumptuous meal called ‘family reunion dinner'.
People will enjoy the food and drink in abundance and Jiaozi.
The meal is more luxurious than usual.
Dishes such as chicken, fish and bean curd is necessary, for in Chinese, their pronunciations sounds like ‘Ji', ‘Yu', and ‘Doufu', with the meanings of auspicious, abundant and rich.
Sons and daughters working away from home come back to join their parents.
What to Do During New Year Period?
On the first three days of the festival, people will visit their close relatives and best friends, exchanging greetings and presents, which is known as the ‘New Year's Visit'.
The young generation are given the red envelop from their elder generation.
The Spring Festival carnivals take place during this period.
There are performances of dragon dancing, lion dancing and recreational parades in the street by some troupes.
The fifth day is known as ‘Po Woo'.
On this day people stay home to welcome the God of Wealth.
No one visits relatives and friends because it will bring both parts bad luck.
From the sixth day to the tenth day, people either go out the visit their relatives or friends or go to the temples to pray for good fortune and health in the coming year.
In addition, the seventh day is the day for farmers to display their agricultural products.
The day also considered as the birthday of human beings.
Noodles are eaten to promote longevity.
As to the ninth day, people present the offering to the Jade Emperor, the God of the Heaven in Chinese Legend.
When it comes to the tenth day, relatives and friends should be invited home to have dinner.
After such a long time's sumptuous feast, on the 13th day people are supposed to have something simple and light to cleanse their body system to keep health.
Modern Chinese New Year Activities With the popularity of smart phone and other mobile devices, more and more people show interest in greeting by smart phone, which is very popular among younger generation.
? Greet by smart phone Sending congratulations through smart phone gradually becomes the most popular way to greet people during Chinese New Year.
Congratulations with text and graphics by smart phone is vivid and convenient.
Even the friend is far away from you, he/she still can receive congratulations immediately.
Chinese people prefer wechat or QQ, while western people prefer FaceBook or WhatsApp.
Besides, red packet in wechat makes Chinese people crazy.
No matter how much money they can receive from wechat friend, people still pretty enjoy it and never tire of it.
? Lover rental Different from western culture, elders will still pay much attention to their children’s life even they have been an adult.
When single youngsters who have exceeded the lawful marriage age, the elder generation will press them to look for a marriage partner quickly during Spring Festival, this creates new business—fake boy/girl friend rental.
Nian’gao(年糕): a kind of Chinese cake, made by sticky rice.
It’s an indispensible food in Chinese New Year for the meaning of thriving in the New Year.
Jiaozi(?子): a kind of dumplings in China.
There are many kinds of jiaozi with different ingredients.
Chinese people eat Jiaozi on New Year’s Eve, people who eats the Jiaozi with coin or some special ingredient will be the luckiest.
Family making dumpling together Tangyuan(??): a kind of dumplings in China.
Tangyuan with sesame inside is the most common filling.
There is a slight difference between northern China and southern China.
The filling is salty in northern China, while that is sweet in southern China.
Zongzi(粽子): a kind of dumplings in China.
It’s made of sticky rice filled with different fillings and wrapped in bamboo leaves.
Meat is the main filling in southern China, while bean is main filling in northern China.
Regarding to different places around the nation, people will have different activities to celebrate the festival.
During the festival, there are many operas and other performances on the stages.
Taiwan Lantern Festival The Tourism Bureau has been holding the Taiwan Lantern Festival for years to attract visitors and raise the international profile of the cultural attractions of Taiwan.
Traditionally, the festival has been celebrated by carrying hand lanterns.
The Taiwan Lantern Festival adds a high-tech touch to this traditional custom and brings the event to the international stage.
From the themed lantern displays to folk arts and performances, the festival has become a favourite of both locals and visitors.
Taipei & Kaohsiung Lantern Festivals Colorful lanterns of all sizes and shapes have always been the main feature of the Lantern Festival, which is celebrated with a grand national festival and major festivals in Taipei and Kaohsiung.
The Taipei Lantern Festival is held for several days at the Taipei Expo Park, reaching its peak on the day of the Lantern Festival itself.
There are many traditional lanterns, electromechanical lantern displays and large themed lanterns sponsored and designed by different companies.
The Kaohsiung Lantern Festival is held along the Love River.
During the festival period, both sides of the river as well as Wufu Rd, Heping Rd, Guangzhou St and other thoroughfares have lantern exhibitions.
There are also musical performances, helping to throw the whole city into a festive mood.
Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival The Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival is one of the most colorful activities.
Pingxi is a remote hillside town.
In the past, those who worked or farmed in the mountains faced the risk of being robbed or killed, and they used lanterns to inform their families they were safe.
The lanterns do not function as signals anymore, but are now used as symbols of peace and good fortune.
Yenshui Fireworks Festival The fireworks display at the God of War Temple in Yanshui, Tainan City, is one of the most popular and anticipated events of the Lantern Festival.
The display starts one day before the Lantern Festival, when the deity tours the town in his sedan chair, accompanied by the discharge of firecrackers and bottle rockets.
The noise, lights and rituals that follow the God continue well into the following morning.
Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month to commemorate the patriotic poet Qu Yuan.
It is one of the three major celebrated festivals in Taiwan, together with Chinese New Year and the Moon Festival.
Also known as Mid-Autumn Festival, the Moon Festival is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month in observance of the bountiful autumn harvest with the moon forming a round shape that symbolizes family reunion.
Taiwan National Day is also called Double Tenth Day as it is on the 10th of October.
It is to commemorate the 1911 Wuchang Uprising, a milestone of China’s politics development and a new chapter in the history of the Chinese which led to the collapse of the Qing Dynasty.
Chinese New Year is the most important festival celebrated by the ethnic Chinese and is based on the Chinese lunar calendar.
It begins on the first day of the first lunar month, and ends on the 15th day of the first month, which is the Lantern Festival.
The Lantern Festival is celebrated annually on the 15th day of the first lunar month to mark the grand finale of the Chinese New Year celebrations.
It is also the very first full moon day of the New Year, symbolizing the coming of the spring.
There are many activities all over Taiwan during Taiwan Lantern Festival.
During the Taiwan Lantern Festival, thousands of sky lanterns light over Pingxi District (平溪) in Taiwan.
In Yanshui District, the firecrackers ceremony of the Wumiao Temple is also one of the important activities.
The Tainan Yanshui Fireworks Display ("beehive of fireworks") was originally celebrated to ward off evil and disease from the town.
The Taipei Pingxi Sky Lanterns were released originally to let others know that the town was safe.
These lanterns are decorated with wishes and images relating to the owner.
These two events are known together as "Fireworks in the South, Sky Lanterns in the North.
The festival is the most important annual lantern festival in Taiwan.
Prior to 26, the event was held at Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Park in Taipei.
Since 2001, the event has toured Taiwan.
The American Discovery Channel's program "Fantastic Festivals of the World" has highlighted the Taiwan Lantern Festival as one of the best festivals in the world.
Taiwanese people write their wishes on the lanterns with a belief to bring an abundant crop.
Women wish for a new son to earn more hands to work.
These lanterns fly to the sky, bring their wishes to the Gods, and alternatively speak all dreams them that being blessed with luck and good things.
The theme of the main lanterns often corresponds with the zodiac signs of Chinese astrology.
All of them are over ten meters tall.
Since 123, every main lantern has its own theme music which is about 3 days in length and plays the rhythm when making performances during Taiwan Lantern Festival.
The smaller lanterns, often carried by children or placed on temples, show images of historical figures, birds, or images from that year's theme.
The lanterns depict images such as historical figures, birds, or of the theme determined each year.
There are various versions about the origin of the Double-fifth Festival, and at least ten different ones were sorted out by scholars, among which the most influential version is to reminisce about Qu Yuan (屈原, BC340-BC278).
It is said that Qu Yuan was a poet and a minister in the State of Chu during the Warring States Period (BC475-BC221).
At first he won the full confidence and respect of his sovereign, King Huai of the Chu State.
But later the king was surrounded by jealous self-seekers, so he ignored Qu Yuan’s advice that the State of Chu ought to unite with the state of Qi to fight against the state of Qin.
As a result, King Huai was tricked into the State of Qin and died there.
King Qingxiang of Chu, the eldest son of King Huai, didn’t take revenge.
Instead, he dismissed Qu Yuan from office and sent him into exile as a vagrant.
Later the capital of Chu was captured by the troops from Qin.
In great agony, Qu Yuan drowned himself in the Miluo River (汨?江, located in today’s Hunan province) with his wishes to save his beloved country unfulfilled.
Qu Yuan, a poet and political advisor in ancient China, which the origin and history of Dragon Boat Festival is based upon.
The legend claims that the day when Qu Yuan drowned himself in the river was the fifth day of the fifth lunar month.
The local people rushed in boats to rescue or search for him.
Some of them threw bamboo tubes with rice and other food inside into the river, hoping to feed fish and shrimps lest they should eat away his body.
This is said to be the origin of zongzi (rice dumpling).
An old doctor of traditional Chinese Medicine poured the realgar wine into the river to make river dragons drunk, otherwise they would hurt Qu Yuan.
The local people were also said to have paddled out on boats, either to scare the fish away or to retrieve his body.
This is said to be the origin of dragon boat racing.
Dragon boat racing is one of the main highlights during the Dragon Boat Festival.
This competition is very popular all over China especially in the south.
A dragon boat is a human-powered boat traditionally made of teak wood to various designs and sizes: from small dragon boats with 10 paddlers, up to the massive traditional boats which can have a capacity of 50 paddlers.
It is a long, slim, dragon-like canoe and is often brightly painted and decorated with designs of Chinese dragon heads and tails.
The crew use single bladed paddles to drive the boat forward, a method of propulsion common to many other paddled water craft around the world.
Every boat usually has one drummer or caller at the bow facing towards the paddlers, and one sweep or helmsman at the rear of the boat.
A dragon boat race usually cover distances over 200m or 250m, 500m, 1000m and 2000m.
Before the race starts there is also a series of ceremonies such as worship and awakening the dragon.
A fierce battle among the competitors was ignited the moment the competition starts.
Bursts of percussion and the cheering from viewers heat the atmosphere up rapidly.
During the sprint, the drummer leads the paddlers throughout a race using the rhythmic drum beat to indicate the frequency and synchronicity of all the paddlers’ strokes (that is, the cadence, picking up or accelerating the pace, slowing the rate, etc.) The drummer may issue commands to the crew through a combination of hand signals and voice calls, and also generally exhorts the crew to perform at their peak.
The drummer may be considered the “heartbeat” of the dragon boat.
Nowadays, dragon boat racing is a worldwide sport.
Modern dragon boat racing is organised at an international level by the International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF).
IDBF International Standard Racing Boat has a Crew of 22, consisting of 20 paddlers, one Drummer and a Helm (Steerer).
Eating zongzi is an essential activity of the Dragon Boat Festival.
This kind of traditional Chinese food is made of glutinous rice stuffed with different fillings and wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves.
It is said that as early as the Spring and Autumn Period(BC 770- BC 476),the earliest form of zongzi: Tongzong(筒粽) and Jiaoshu(角黍) came into existence.
The former was made of rice in the bamboo tubes while the latter was made of the broomcorn millet wrapped in leaves in cow-horn shapes.
With the evolution over many dynasties, Zongzi is seen in various shapes with a variety of fillings.
The shape of zongzi ranges from being relatively tetrahedral in southern Chinese to cylindrical in northern Chinese.
Wrapping a zongzi neatly is a skill which is passed down through families, as are the recipes.
Zongzi comes in many types and flavours.
The more traditional ones includes savoury rice dumpling with fillings like meat, mushroom, salted eggs and nuts.
The sweeter versions may have red bean or a plain rice dumpling which is usually dipped in honey or sugar before every bite.
Different fillings give the dumpling different tastes.
Mung beans, red bean paste, jujubes, Chinese sausage, red-cooked pork, dried shrimp, dark’s egg yolk and so on are very common ingredients in zongzi recipe.
While making a zongzi with red-cooked pork filling, the glutinous rice in the recipe is commonly dipped in soy sauce beforehand making the zongzi tastier, complimenting the filling better and giving it its distinctive brownish color.
Zongzi need to be steamed or boiled for several minutes depending on how the rice is made prior to adding the fillings.
Usually, 20 minutes will be sufficient.
Once cooked, the zongzi can easily be frozen for later consumption.
While Zongzi is a daily food product that is available in many Chinese markets throughout the year, during this Dragon Boat Festival, Zongzi becomes very popular.
Being synonymous with the festival, many families will buy or even home-make Zongzi as part of a Chinese tradition.
An interesting and fun custom during this festival is to make eggs ‘stand up’.
In the Lunar Calendar, June is the ‘Horse month’, while the ‘Horse hour’ is from 11:00 AM to 13:00 PM.
The Dragon Boat festival being in June, it is traditionally believed that you will be lucky for the coming year if you can make an egg standing up during Horse hour on day of the festival.
It is said that it will be easier to make an egg stand up at noon.
This feat seemed quite a phenomenon and people looked for the scientific explanation.
It seems an egg can stay ‘standing up’ because the Dragon Boat Festival is close to the summer solstice, which is the longest day of the year.
The summer solstice occurs when the Earth’s axis tilts the most toward the sun, causing the sun to be farthest north at noon.
During the day and especially at noon, the gravitation between sun and earth pulling at each other are the strongest, hence explaining the phenomenon.
Try making an egg stand during the noon of Dragon Boat Festival!
It may amuse you and your friend and bring you good luck for the coming year!
Children often hang a small balmy bag on their necks on this day.
It‘s believed that if you carry the small spice balmy bag around with you, it not only drives away evil spirits but also brings fortune and happiness to those who wear it.
The small bags are hand-made by local craftsmen.
They‘re made with colourful silk, fine satin or cotton.
Figures of animals, flowers and fruits are often embroidered onto the bags and inside are mixed Chinese herbal medicines which send out the charming flavour.
Pomelo, is a large citrus fruit which looks like a large version of grapefruit.
It is a high nutritional value fruit called “Yo Zhi” in Chinese.
The Yo in Yo Zhi sounds similar to blessing in Chinese, as people wish for the blessing of the moon and the production season happens to be around September.
So the fruit became very popular during this time of the year and gradually became the representative fruit of the holiday.
It often serves with moon cakes while you visit friend and family during this time of the year.
The Qingming Festival is also known as Tomb-Sweeping Day and it falls in late spring (April 4th or 5th).
With natural and humanistic connotations, Tomb-Sweeping Day is not only the natural solar term but is also a traditional festival that has been celebrated by Chinese people for thousands of years.
The historical development of Tomb-Sweeping Day carries rich cultural connotations.
Due to different regional cultures, various customs are observed during the Qingming Festival across the country.
Although festival activities vary from place to place, tomb sweeping, ancestor worship, and outings are common basic rituals and customs in China.
Traditional Customs for the Qingming Festival:
Having an outing.
Weather conditions during the Qingming Festival are comfortable and people enjoy having outings with friends, something that has been popular since ancient times.
Tree planting.
Before and after the Qingming Festival, the survival rate of newly planted saplings is high and so is the growth rate.
Therefore, there is a custom of planting trees on Tomb-Sweeping Day, and some people also call it “Arbor Day”.
Flying a kite.
Flying kites is also a popular activity during the Qingming Festival, not just during the daytime but also at nighttime.
People tie small, colorful lanterns on the kites, which look like shining stars at night.
Tomb sweeping and worshiping ancestors.
The Qingming Festival is the most important day to honor ancestors in spring.
The Dragon Boat Festival is also known as the Duanwu Festival.
It falls on the fifth day of the fifth Chinese lunar month.
Among the traditional Chinese festivals, the Dragon Boat Festival has a long history of over 2,000 years.
During this significant festival, Chinese people eat rice dumplings and hold dragon boat races to celebrate it.
It is said that the festival is held in memory of a very famous poet named Qu Yuan.
Eating traditional festival food called zongzi.
Glutinous rice is wrapped in bamboo leaves.
The flavors differ between the north and south of China.
Northern people prefer sweet rice dumplings but southern people prefer to eat salty rice dumplings.
Dragon boat races.
It’s a very popular activity during the festival.
People are divided into groups and each team works the oars together to reach the destination first.
Drinking hsiung huang wine and wearing fragrant sachets to drive evil away.
This special custom originated in a fairy tale named The White Snake.
The leading man of the story was named Xu Xian and he fell in love with a girl, but he didn’t know the girl was actually a snake.
She was a very kind girl and was in love with him too.
However, when he discovered the truth, Xu Xian drank hsiung huang wine to drive away the snake.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is perhaps the second most important festival in China and originated from the practice of worshiping the moon.
It’s said that the fullest and roundest moon will appear on the festival night.
A round moon symbolizes perfection and reunions.
Traditionally, family members eat mooncakes and admire the beautiful moon in the yard together.
It’s a very precious and happy time for Chinese people.
Admiring the full and round moon.
The Mid-Autumn Festival can be dated back to the Zhou Dynasty (1046–256 BC).
A full moon is a symbol of family unity.
During the night, family members sit together to enjoy the beautiful scene in the yard.
Sacrificing to the moon.
In ancient times, people held ceremonies to celebrate the full moon with mooncakes, apples, and so on.
Eating some round food, such as mooncakes.
Mooncakes represent best wishes to the people they’re given to, and it’s necessary to eat them when gazing at the full moon.
Spring Festival, Dragon Boat Festival and Mid Autumn Festival are the three important festivals in China.
People eat different food on these festivals.
They are Tangyuan (also called rice glue ball or sweet dumpling), Zongzi (rice dumpling) and Moon Cake.
The Spring Festival is the most important festival in China.
The Tangyuan is eaten on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, or the Lantern Festival.
The rice glue balls, cooked by boiling, tastes sweet and soft.
The fillings are with grounded chestnut, peanut, sesame, jujube paste or bean paste, mixed with sugar.
People who like sweetness would find it delicious.
People eat glutinous rice dumplings as a wish for reunion.
The Zongzi or rice dumplings, is eaten on the Dragon Boat Festival, or the fifth day of the fifth lunar month.
It is wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves.
People in different regions use different materials to make it.
In east China, like Suzhou, Jiaxing and Ningbo, the fillings would be bean paste, chestnut, jujube paste or fresh meat.
In north China, it would be jujube or preserved fruit.
As a kind of food for festivals, zongzi has been eaten for a long time.
The folklore goes that people ate it to commemorate a patriotic poet, Qu Yuan.
It is said that in the 3rd century B.C., the poet committed suicide because his country had been invaded.
People commemorated him by throwing glutinous rice, stored in bamboo tube, into the river.
Later they wrapped it with reed leaves and strings.
That's how the food developed.
Some people give it as a present when visiting friends and relatives on the Dragon Boat Festival.
The Mid Autumn Festival falls on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar months.
People eat moon cakes for family gathering.
The cake is round, like the full moon, with fillings inside.
There are some patterns on the surface of the cake.
During the mid autumn festival, people would place some cake and fruit.
Moon cakes are different in different regions.
Those made in Beijing, Suzhou, some areas of south Guangzhou and Chaozhou in Guangzhou are most famous.
The fillings can be made of sugar, jujube paste, bean, ham, fruit, or cream, etc.
It is also one of the presents that people can take with them when visiting friends and relatives on Mid Autumn Festival.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of Taiwan’s most popular holidays, when families reunite for a meal, and kids gather around to hear tales of the lady in the moon.
Also known as Moon Festival, there are many traditions both old and new associated with the holiday.
But no festival in Taiwan would be complete without food, and Moon Festival is no different.
In recent years, bakeries have become even more adventurous with the moon cake.
You can now find them in practically any flavor under the sun, and H?agen-Dazs has even made their own ice-cream version, which is extremely popular if a little different.
Many companies in Taiwan will buy boxes of moon cakes and hand them out to their clients, employees, and customers.
So it’s not unusual for a typical household to have a few boxes to get through over the holiday.
But why do the Chinese celebrate by giving out and eating mooncakes?
The origin of the custom has several different origin stories.
The Mid-Autumn Festival itself can be traced back as far as the Zhou Dynasty, the longest of all Chinese dynasties that reigned in the years 1046 – 256 BCE, but the mooncake custom wasn’t solidified until the Tang Dynasty (619-907) when Chinese folklore tells the tale of a Turpan businessman who offered cakes to Emperor Taizong after his victory on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month against the Xiongnu, the nomadic peoples of ancient central Asia.
According to the story, Taizong looked at the moon while eating one of the cakes and said, “I’d like to invite the toad to enjoy the h?(胡) cake.
”He shared the cakes with his ministers, and the custom of eating these h?cakes was soon practiced in celebration of the event.
As the practice began to spread throughout the country, the round cakes eventually became known as mooncakes.
The mooncake giving was later linked to the harvest festival during the Song Dynasty (906–1279).
According to a different tale, the traditional mooncakes played a significant part during the Chinese rebellion against the Mongols at the end of the Yuan Dynasty (1280–1368).
Rebel leader Zhu Yuanzhang distributed thousands of mooncakes to Chinese residents in the Mongol capital in the guise of celebrating the Mongol ruler.
Each cake concealed a piece of paper saying, “Kill the Mongols on the 15th day of the eighth month.
” The plan succeeded, and the Mongols were overthrown.
Zhu then founded the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and supposedly began the tradition still practiced today.
Another important part of the celebration still being observed today is moon worship.
There is an ancient Chinese belief in rejuvenation which was then associated with the moon and water.
Offerings are usually made to the well-known lunar deity, Chang’e, the Moon Goddess of Immortality.
While changes in technology, science, economy, culture, and religion have contributed to the evolution of how the tradition is celebrated today, the festival’s traditions and myths have remained rooted in the three concepts of gathering, thanksgiving and praying.
The event is widely celebrated not only in China but also in many parts of the world with strong Chinese influence such as Vietnam and some parts of the Philippines.
Almost every country has a harvest festival, and China is no exception.
Mid Autumn Festival is China’s Thanksgiving celebration.
The festival is held on the 15th day of 8th Chinese Han Calendar month, and is celebrated with great enthusiasm all over the country.
There are several customs associated with the celebration of this festival, one of which is carrying lanterns.
For Mid Autumn Festival celebration, Chinese children make colorful lanterns on their own, and carry them all around to show them off to their friends and other acquaintances.
If they can’t make them, parents buy readymade lanterns for them, which they carry around with enthusiasm.
These lanterns can be of different sizes and shapes, and are left to float on the river waters.
People stay by the riverside until the lights of the lantern disappears.
Sometimes, Kongming lanterns are made, which may fly due to heated air inside them.
Flying lanterns are allowed to float in the air just like a hot air balloon.
People either make them at home, or buy readymade ones from the market.
It is tradition to make a wish for the coming year, and let the lantern float in the air.
The longer the lantern stays afloat, the better your chances are to get the wish fulfilled.
Some lanterns may be round, tall, short or square, while others may be in the shape of rabbits, pumpkins or other animals.
Zongzi is traditionally eaten during the Dragon Boat Festival (Mandarin: Duanwu; Cantonese: Tuen Ng) which falls on the fifth day of the fifth moon of the Chinese calendar (approximately early- to mid-June), commemorating the death of Qu Yuan, a famous Chinese poet from the kingdom of Chu who lived during the Warring States period.
Known for his patriotism, Qu Yuan tried unsuccessfully to warn his king and countrymen against the expansionism of their Qin neighbors.
When the Qin Dynasty general Bai Qi took Yingdu, the Chu capital, in 278 BC, Qu Yuan's grief was so intense that he drowned himself in the Miluo river after penning the Lament for Ying.
According to legend, rice dumplings were thrown into the river to prevent fish from eating the poet's body.
Another version states that the dumplings were given to placate a dragon that lived in the river.
In Taiwan, the celebration consists mainly of eating moon cakes, pomelos, and BBQ.
In recent years, the most popular way for people to mark the occasion is to gather with friends and relatives and barbecue on the sidewalk in front of one's house or business, in public parks, and along riverside parks.
Unlike other parts of the world that observe the lunar calendar, such as Hong Kong, Taiwan does not have much in the way of major lantern displays during the Moon Festival.
The best times to catch a glimpse of lanterns in Taiwan are on the 15th day of first month of the lunar year (元宵節, Chinese Lantern Festival), when you can see the sky lanterns in Pingxi in New Taipei, and during the Ghost Festival (中元節) on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month, when you can see the water lanterns in Keelung.
There are conflicting theories over the origin of moon cakes.
Many attribute them to the moon goddess Chang'e (嫦娥) , who legend has it took an immortality elixir and floated to the moon.
The other theory is that the moon cakes were distributed to all Han Chinese with a hidden message telling them to rebel against the Mongols during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368).
In addition to the moon, the round shape of the cake also symbolizes unity for Chinese families and the mid-Autumn Festival is a time for relatives to gather together.
China, being a culturally diverse and fervent society, celebrates various festivals.
Different regions or ethnic groups have their own festivals depending on the local customs and the ethnic culture.
The most important and popular national festivals of China are Spring Festival, Lantern Festival, Qingming Festival, Dragon Boat Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival.
The below is a list of some traditional Chinese festivals, tourist festivals and ethnic fetivals.
Dragon boat races are the most exciting part of the Dragon Boat Festival (aka Dunanwu Festival).
On the river, Dragon boats, like a cluster of flying arrows, are marching on following fast paddling, drum and shout in order.
The grand view always draws crowds of.
One of the most important Chinese festivals is the Mid-Autumn Festival (aka Moon Festival or Moon Cake Festival among the English speakers).
Chinese ancestors believed that the seventh, eighth, and ninth lunar months belong to autumn.
Qing Ming Festival, also called Pure Brightness Day and Tomb Sweeping Day.
It comes around April 5 every year.
Qingming, meaning clear and bright, is the day for mourning the dead.
This was originally a day set aside for people to offer sacrifices to their ancestor.
In China, there are public holidays on 7 legal festivals in a year, namely New Year's Day, Chinese New Year (Spring Festival), Qingming Festival, May Day, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, and National Day.
People celebrate many other festivals but they do not have time off: Arbor Day, International Nurses' Day, Anniversary of the Founding of the Chinese Communist Party, Teachers' Day and Journalists' Day.
Burning Hell Money
To satiate their dead relatives, Chinese will offer meals and burn joss sticks, "hell money" (wads of fake paper money), and assorted paper versions of earthly goods like TVs, cars, and furniture.
The Chinese, who believe that the ancestors can help them and their businesses from beyond the grave, do this to ensure continuing blessings and protection from beyond.
Food Offerings Left in Public
Food offerings are also left along roadsides and street corners, and outside houses.
The latter theoretically prevent hungry ghosts from entering residences - after all, with food just waiting outside the door, who needs to go inside?
Visit the local Taoist temples and wet markets to see the most spectacular displays of food offerings for Hungry Ghost.
These displays are usually overseen by an effigy of the Leader of the Hungry Ghosts, the Taai Si Wong, who gets first dibs on the food on the table and keeps lesser ghosts in line, preventing them from doing too much mischief during their time on Earth.
Penang boasts of the largest Taai Si Wong in Malaysia, which is set up every year at Market Street on Bukit Mertajam.
These places are usually fragrant affairs, as the air will be thick with the smell of burning joss sticks.
Giant "dragon" joss sticks loom over the smaller sticks, like fenceposts in tall grass.
The giant joss sticks are usually placed by businessmen, who seek the favor of the spirits so their businesses will do better.
On the 30th day of the seventh moon, the ghosts find their way back to Hell, and the gates of the Underworld are shut.
To see the ghosts off, paper offerings and other goods are incinerated in a giant bonfire.
The Taai Si Wong effigy is burned along with the rest of the goods to send him back to Hell.
The month of Hungry Ghost Festival is, generally speaking, a bad time to do anything.
Many significant milestones are avoided at this time, as people believe it's simply bad luck.
Chinese believers avoid traveling or performing any significant ceremonies throughout the festival.
Businessmen avoid riding in airplanes, buying property, or closing business deals during Hungry Ghost Festival.
Moving house or getting married are frowned upon during this time - it's believed that ghosts will mess up one's plans during the festival, so your house or your marriage may be jeopardized at this time.
Swimming is also a scary prospect - children are told that hungry ghosts will pull them under, so they will have a soul to take their place in Hell!
Spring Festival has been celebrated in the history of China for more than 4,000 years.
However, in ancient Chinese culture, the beginning of a year was once on the Winter Solstice in December.
Around 2100 years ago, Emperor Liu Che held a sacrificial rite on 1st of January in Chinese Calendar to pray for well being of his people.
Afterwards, the month of January was established as the beginning of a new year, since when the Spring Festival has been celebrated.
This biggest holiday in China lasts from the 1st to 15th of January of the Chinese Calendar.
Preparations for the Spring Festival
23th or 24th of Dec. of the Chinese Calendar is the day to sacrifice to the Stove Fairy and eat a type of sticky candy.
In ancient Chinese culture, each family has a Stove Fairy, who on this day will go to the heaven and report everything happened in this family in the past year.
So, the worship ceremony accompanied by beautiful firecrackers is to see off deities with respect, while the sticky candy can make them feel sweet and hard to open their mouths to say anything bad.
24th or 25th of Dec. is to clean the entire house, while 25th to 29th of Dec.are to prepare or to shop for new clothes and food, get cut hair, etc.
Celebration and Custom of the Spring Festival
On the Eve of the Spring Festival, couplets and door gods would be pasted and a big family dinner will be served.
It is still an important custom in China that people would stay up late until 12 o’clock at night and set off firecrackers.
A ceremony is needed to welcome the Stove Fairy back, but nowadays many Chinese people don’t do this much.
On 1st of Jan of the Chinese Calendar, new years greetings would be sent to each other.
Kids will get gift money from older generations, and people would visit important relatives and have big dinners together.
Married couples would be visiting the man’s parents.
On the 2nd of Jan, married couples would visit the woman’s parents and bring some gifts, like candy or dessert, and then have dinner with them.
On the 5th or 6th of Jan, the floor would be swept, in order to send away the God of Poverty, and the market will be opened up.
Nowadays, most Chinese people will return to work on this day.
Lantern Festival (Shang Yuan) is the traditional Chinese Valentine’s day.
In ancient China, young unmarried girls are not allowed to go out freely, except for the Lantern Festival.
Hence, it is a perfect opportunity for single people to go out and to meet up.
Beautiful lanterns, the moon and fireworks at night, together consisted of a perfect circumstance for romantic encounters.
This holiday is on the 15th of January of the Chinese Calendar, the first full moon of the new year, when many types of lanterns will be lit to drive away the darkness and scary animals, and to pray for good luck.
Glue puddling/sweet dumpling is the traditional food for this festival, while various activities and performances will be held in different places in China as well.
Qingming was originated around 2,500 years ago, as one of the 24 Solar Terms in Chinese Traditional Calendar, which is a good time for planting.
In the year 1935, it was officially decided that the 5th of April of the Gregorian Calendar will be the Tomb-weeping Day.
Nowadays, 4th, 5th or 6th of April is the Tomb-weeping Day or Qing Ming Festival.
On this day, visiting and cleaning of ancestors’ graves, as well as holding some memorial ceremonies are important customs in Chinese culture.
Another popular activity is to go out, or take a trip to enjoy the nature, since this is the beginning of the spring.
Flying kites are favored in some places, some of them also have night kites (with some colorful small lanterns on the tail).
When the kite is flying in the sky, people would cut the string off and let the kite go, representing that all the bad lucks would be taken away.
Dragon Boat Festival, also named Duan Wu, is on 5th of May of Chinese Calendar.
It has been celebrated for more than 2,000 years, which is considered as the beginning of summer in Chinese Calendar.
This festival has many versions of originate stories and many customs in different places in China.
The most common elements of this festival are racing Dragon Boat, eating rice dumplings, and drinking realgar wine.
It is also popular to put five-color strings (red, white, black, yellow and green) on kids’ wrists, ankles, or necks in the morning.
While putting them on, the kid shouldn’t be talking.
It is believed that the strings can protect kids from poisoned animals.
People would then take them off and throw them into rivers when the next rain comes, hoping the river could take disease and bad luck away.
Sachets that are stuffed with various types of herbs, scented petals, or perfume, are another popular ornament to wear or send as gifts.
Pleasant smell and fancy appearance make them popular in China.
They are also typical gifts among couples in love.
Women usually would make some sachets on their own, and give them to their beloved ones.
The Ghost Festival, also named Zhong Yuan, is on the 15th of July of the Chinese Calendar.
This is the biggest festival to worship and commemorate the dead in Chinese culture.
According to Chinese mythology, on this day, all the ghosts will be set free to the human's world, and are allowed to go back to their previous homes or visit people they care.
Alive people will take this opportunity to worship their ancestors and beloved departed ones.
Big ceremonies would be held in religious places, to memorize people that were sacrificed on the battlefield and those without families.
Water is believed as Yin in Chinese culture, which connects the worlds of alive and deceased ones.
So, river lanterns are used on this day to illuminate the way for ghosts to come home.
In addition, people will burn up paper-made money and daily necessities that the ghosts in the other world could use.
Mid-Autumn Festival -- Reuniting of Family
The Mid-Autumn Day (Zhong Qiu) is on the15th of August of the Chinese Calendar, a festival that connects with the reunion and harvest.
The first record about this festival was around 2,200 to 2,500 years ago, but it was official and widely accepted in China in about 1,000 years ago.
Though without a very long history, the Mid-Autumn Day is one of the most popular festivals in China now.
Worshiping the moon is the most important ceremony of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Usually, red candles and incense, nice fruits and mooncakes are common necessities for the rite.
Nowadays, enjoying the full moon and eating mooncakes are the most popular parts of this festival.
In a Chinese mythological legend, there is a sweet scented Osmanthus tree on the moon, as well as the beautiful Fairy Chang E and her rabbit.
Therefore, People also eat candy and cake, and drink wine on this day, all of which are made of sweet scented Osmanthus.
Chong Yang the Double Ninth Festival
On the 9th of September is the Double Ninth Festival (Chong Yang), which was first popularized in royal families in about 2,000 years ago, and then celebrated by everyone 1,000 years later in the history of China.
On this day, people will go climbing and enjoy the view of autumn.
Putting on cornel is also important, which is believed can protect people from disease and bad luck.
Other activities include appreciating chrysanthemum, drinking chrysanthemum wine, and eating Double Ninth cake.
Nowadays, it is also a festival for older people to pray for long lives and safety.
Being one of the biggest economies and a culturally diverse country, China celebrates a lot of traditional, and culture-based festivals that are nothing but pure joy to be a part of.
While the festivals play an integral role in Chinese culture, most of the festivals in China are based on the lunar calendar, and are fascinating indeed.
Be it the traditional festivals that have a deep-rooted history or the modern festivals that have shot to fame with fame, most these Chinese festivals have been celebrated for centuries and here’s why Chinese festivals in 2018 are worth learning more about.
 Also known as the Chinese Spring Festival, this is without a doubt one of the most important Chinese festivals with a history of more than 4000 years and you will get to know about Chinese new year traditions on this day.
Most of the people enjoy this festival for 7 days and the celebration lasts for over 2 weeks, beginning from the eve of the festival.
Also called the traditional Lantern Festival in China, Yuan Xiao Festival is held on the 15th day after the Spring Festival.
It marks the continuation and end of the New Year celebration.
This festival involves enjoying the sight of beautiful lanterns of different shapes and sizes at night.
The lantern shows bring people from all over the world to witness the amazing designs and colors.
A traditional Chinese dish called Tangyuan is also eaten on this day.
 This is one of the 3 most important Chinese festivals.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is a traditional holiday originating from the worship of the moon and it symbolizes harvest and family reunion.
Traditionally, this festival is celebrated with family, similar to the Thanksgiving Day.
As with the Spring Festival, family members get together on this day and enjoy the sight of the full moon, which is an auspicious symbol of luck and harmony, and feast on delicious mooncakes.
This is yet another one of the ancient Chinese festivals that attracts millions of people.
Also known as the Dragon Boat festival, people celebrate by gathering together to take part or watch the dragon boat races, especially in the southern areas of China.
Another important part of the Duanwu festival is eating Zong Zi, which is the glutinous rice wrapped in reed leaves and it is a must try.
This festival is also known as the Double Ninth Festival.
During the Chongyang festival, people celebrate by drinking Chrysanthemum wine and eating Chongyang cake.
In some parts of the country, people go mountain climbing or travel to areas where they can admire chrysanthemums and it is indeed a major festival that is celebrated with a lot of pomp.
Also known as Tomb Sweeping Day, Qingming Festival is one of the most important Chinese festivals as people gear up to offer sacrifices on this day.
The Han, as well as the minority ethnic groups, bring sacrifices to offer their ancestors and sweep the tombs of loved ones who have departed from this world.
It is pretty much similar to the All Souls’ Day that is celebrated by Christians in India on 2nd of November every year.
 This is one of the most prominent festivals in the Chinese festival calendar.
The Chinese people have special customs for the dead and their ghosts, especially those that are thousands of years old.
It’s part of a famous folk religion in China called Daoism where the locals believe that special precautions and ceremonies for the deceased ancestors are required in the seventh month of the lunar calendar.
Celebrated on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month, the Hungry Ghost Festival of China is just one of the many traditional festivals that are celebrated here to worship ancestors.
While there are many festivals that the Chinese celebrate, this list of Chinese festivals enlists some of the most important ones.
And no matter which one you celebrate, your experience is sure to be full of colors, fun, and sheer bliss on your next holiday in China.
Q. Which is the most famous festival in China?
A. The most famous festival in China is Chinese New Year.
It is celebrated with a lot of enthusiasm, music, dance, fireworks, and local food.
All the streets, markets, buildings, and restaurants in China are decked up with decorations on this day.
Q. What are the major traditional Chinese holidays?
A. The major traditional holidays in China are observed on festivals like the Mid-Autumn festival, The Chinese New Year, Duanwu Festival, etc.
With a more than 5000 years history, China has various and colorful traditional festivals to celebrate every year.
China also boasts of people’s rich culture life and different kinds of celebration activities.
When a festival comes, it is a good opportunity to enjoy the pageantry and the colorful traditional Chinese culture.
t is seems that New Year's Day (Yuandan in Chinese) is a new festival to the Chinese while it is celebrated for more than 3000 years.
Yuandan appeared in the ancient times and meant “the first day of a year”.
The Chinese character “Yuan” means “at the beginning” and “Dan” means “day”.
It was the first day of Chinese lunar year, while it was changed into the first day in Gregorian calendar since the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949.
Every year, the festival performances and activities are still held to celebrate the New Year's Day.
Spring Festival, also called Chinese New Year, is the first day of Chinese lunar year.
It is the most important and the grandest festival in the whole country.
Usually, People in China will clean their houses and worship the Chinese god before the Spring Festival.
People will get together to celebrate the achievements in the last year and the start of a new year.
Putting up the Spring Festival Scrolls, eating dumplings, setting off fireworks and watching Spring Festival Gala (the national celebration program) are the main activities.
People also visit their family relatives during the Spring Festival.
It is a nationwide festival in China.
Lantern Festival is the 15th day of the 1st month in lunar calendar and also marks the end of the Spring Festival’s celebrations.
Every family hangs lanterns in front the doors in the evening.
People also take part in temple affairs, enjoy colorful lights and guess lantern riddles at the night of Lantern Festival.
It is a traditional festival from generation to generation.
Qingming Festival, also called Tomb Sweeping Day is around the beginning of April in the Chinese lunar year.
It is not only a solar term but also a festival to worship ancestors.
Besides, people will wear willow shoots and fly kites.
The time of Dragon Boat Festival is the 5th of the Chinese 5th lunar month.
It is significantly celebrated in China because of a legend person in the ancient times.
Qu Yuan who lived in the Warring States Period (476 BC - 221 BC) was a patriotic poet and suicided in the Miluo River (in Hunan Province) to follow his motherland.
The dragon boat races are grandly held in the whole country.
People will still plug Chinese mugwort into the door and eat Zongzi (made by rice and meat) during the Dragon Boat Festival.
August 15 of the Chinese lunar year is the Mid-autumn Festival in China.
Families get together to enjoy the brightest full moon and eat mooncakes in the evening.
Numerous colorful lanterns with best wishes will fly in the sky.
Mid-autumn Festival is also beautified by mysterious legend stories.
It is a traditional festival for family reunion.
Double Ninth Festival, also called Chongyang festival, falls on September 9th of the Chinese lunar year.
It is a traditional Chinese festival and develops into Seniors’ Day.
People will visit senior family members, climb mountains, eat Chongyang cakes, ect.
Traditionally the family tomb is cleaned and swept on Qing Ming day with fresh offerings laid out for the ancestors.
This festival is anchored to the solar year rather than lunar year and so always falls between April 4th to 6th.
It marks the start of Spring and is associated with kite flying.
It has similarities to the Christian Easter Spring festival in that eggs are prepared and eaten.
In some areas boys used to wear willow wreathes on their heads to summon rain for the growing season.
Chinese New Year is perhaps the most important holiday for the Chinese and is celebrated on the 1st day of the 1st lunar month.
It falls at the end of January or beginning of February in our Western calendar and is basically two weeks jam-packed with feasts, parades, lion dances and fireworks.
It is also known as the Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival and during this two-week period millions travel home to be with their families.
During the Lantern Festival streets, markets, store fronts, homes, parks, and just about everywhere you go, will be lit with beautiful lanterns, not only the traditional Chinese red lanterns but lanterns in all sorts of shapes, forms and colors.
The Chinese Lantern Festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the 1st lunar month.
It is the culmination of the Chinese New Year celebrations with the first full moon of the year.
Tomb Sweeping Day or Qinming Festival is the time to honor the ancestors.
At this time, temples and cemeteries throughout China will be teeming with activity as everyone flocks to pay respect, bring offerings and burn incense.
It normally falls at the beginning of April in our calendar.
The Dragon Boat Festival is an exciting festival when the dragon boat races, a long-standing tradition, are held throughout China.
It is celebrated on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month, around June in our calendar.
It is a day full of excitement with teams of rowers paddling in unison to the beat of pounding drums to the finish line.
The Ghost Festival is the opposite of Qinming Festival when the living worship the ancestors.
During Yue Lan, the ghosts come out when the gates of heaven are opened for a month and visit the living.
This is actually an entire month of remembrance and celebration.
Ghost month falls in the seventh lunar month.
The Moon Festival or Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated on the 8th full moon of the year.
On this night, the moon is at its brightest.
Colorful lanterns adorn homes and streets, friends and family gather together to enjoy the moonlight and of course eat mooncakes!
The seventh month of the Lunar calendar is considered the "Chinese Ghost Month".
On this month, the spirits of the deceased are released and they come back to wander off in the living world.
It is said that some spirits may be restless and will have to be appeased, and thus, worshippers will burn paper money and make food and incense offerings to make sure they are back in the good graces of their ancestors and any other wandering ghost that may happen to "drop by".
This is the opposite of the Qing Ming Festival when the living pay homage to the dead.
During Ghost Month, the gates of the afterworld are opened, and the spirits come to pay a visit to the world of the living.
Spirits are powerful and people treat them with respect.
To keep them happy, people will make offerings of food and incense and burn ghost money throughout the month.
Sometimes you see offerings by the side of the road.
This is for the orphan spirits who have no one to take care for them.
You wouldn't want a stray angry spirit roaming around your home.
Unhappy spirits can make bad things happen!
The Hungry Ghost Festival marks the middle of the Ghost Month on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month, and offerings and activities are held particularly on this day.
The seventh lunar month typically falls around August in our calendar.
Activities other than the usual offerings of incense, Chinese paper money and food, include Chinese Opera and the dragon and lion dances with plenty of noise to scare away the evil ghosts, and are held on the streets and in parks and plazas throughout the cities.
Rituals and ceremonies are performed to appease the spirits.
When dinner is done, some Chinese families would go to temples hours before the New Year to pray for a better year and light the first incense of the year.
In modern practice, many people would hold parties and in some cases even a countdown to the New Year.
Traditionally, people would lit firecrackers to scare away evil spirits and keep the household doors sealed and not open it till the new morning, also known as “opening the door of fortune”.
Celebrations for Spring Festival are all about Lion Dances, Dragon Dances, fireworks, giving red envelopes of money, enjoying time with family and friends, and eating candies, sweets and all kinds of delicious foods.
The most common color during the Spring Festival is red.
Chinese traditions believe that red can scare away both evil spirits and bad fortune.
Chinese also try to wear new clothes during this time so as the year is renewed, so should their clothes.
Tomb Sweeping Day (Qing Ming) also known as Pure Brightness Festival is the second most important festival in China after the Spring Festival.
This day is on April 4th, April 5th or April 6th depending on the year (It is on the first day of the fifth solar term of the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar).
The importance of Tomb Sweeping Day lies in the fact that it is not just another festival of people gathering together and eating good food, it’s a time to remember and pay tribute to deceased family members and ancestors.
Chinese families visit the tombs of their ancestors and family members on this day to clean the gravesites, pray to the diseased, and make ritual offerings.
These Offerings typically include items such as traditional food and burning of joss sticks and papers.
The Qing Ming Festival has been practiced in China for over 2500 years.
This holiday is associated with eating Qingtuan, which are green colored dumplings made of glutinous rice and Chinese mugwort or barley grass.
Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as Moon Festival, is the harvest festival of China that occurs on the 15th day of the 8th month in the Chinese lunar calendar.
The name of this festival is because of the fact that it happens in the middle of autumn and when the moon is at its fullest and brightest.
This day corresponds to late September to early October of the Gregorian calendar.
The Mid-Autumn festival is about celebrates three closely connected fundamental concepts, gathering, thanksgiving, and praying.
On this day family and friends gather together (traditionally harvesting crops), they give thanks for a good harvest or for harmonious unions and praying to get babies, a spouse, beauty, longevity, good fortune and generally anything conceptual or material that would satisfy them.
Mid-Autumn Festival is known with eating mooncakes and sometimes is also referred to as Mooncake Festival.
Mooncakes are a rich pastry usually filled with sweet-bean or lotus-seed paste.
Ghost Festival or Spirit Festival (also known as the Hungry Ghost Festival) takes place on the 15th day of the 7th lunisolar month and is a traditional Buddhist and Taoist festival.
In the Chinese lunisolar calendar, the seventh month is generally regarded as the Ghost Month and the time when restless spirits are free to roam the earth.
Chinese believe that in this month Ghosts and spirits come out from the lower realm.
Activities for this festival include preparing ritualistic food offerings, burning incense and items for the visiting spirits of the deceased ancestors.
Qingming Festival (also known as Pure Brightness Festival or Tomb-sweeping Day), which falls on either April 4th or 5th of the gregorian calendar, is one of the Chinese Twenty-four Solar Terms.
From that date temperatures begin to rise and rainfall increases, indicating that it is the crucial time for plowing and sowing in the spring.
The festival therefore has a close relationship with agriculture.
However, it is not only a seasonal symbol; it is also a day of paying respect to the dead, a spring outing, and other activities.
Falling on the 15th day of the 8th month according to the Chinese lunar calendar, the Mid-Autumn Festival is the second grandest festival after the Spring Festival in China.
It takes its name from the fact that it is always celebrated in the middle of the autumn season.
The day is also known as the Moon Festival, as at that time of the year the moon is at its roundest and brightest.
The myths of Mid-Autumn Festival are well-known in Chinese culture.
As most tales, they’re fantastical stories that hold deeper symbolic and moral meanings.
For instance, every Chinese child has heard that in the moon lives the beautiful Chang E, a cute Jade Rabbit, and the woodman Wu Gang.
In the sequel of this article, we will intorduce the four main myths about Mid-Autumn Festival.
Legend has it that there were ten suns in the sky, in the ancient time.
The scorching suns made people suffer –the land was lifeless and people could barely survive.
Hou Yi (后羿), who was known for his powerful strength and superb archery skills, felt sad for people’s suffering and decided to help them.
He climbed to the top of a mountain and began shooting down the suns, eventually shooting down 9 out of the 10 suns.
He left the last sun to keep the earth bright in the day and nurture the crops.
Hou Yi soon became a beloved hero in people’s hearts.
Afterwards, Hou Yi married to the beautiful Chang E (嫦娥, Ch?ng’?).
Hou Yi also started to teach his apprentices archery skills.
But did the couple live happily ever after?
Not quite.
This brings us to our second story.
Chang E (or “Chang Er”,嫦娥) is“The Goddess of the Moon”in Chinese culture.
Hou Yi and Chang E loved each other very much.
So why is she now on the moon alone?
One day, Hou Yi came across the Heavenly Queen Mother (王母娘娘, W?ngm?ni?ngni?ng) on his way to visit his friend in Kunlun Mountain.
In order to live with his wife forever, Hou Yi kindly asked the Heavenly Queen Mother for the elixir of immortality.
The Heavenly Queen Mother was so moved by his love to Chang E that she gave him the medicine.
However, it was only enough for one person.
Hou Yi didn’t want to leave his wife by taking this immortality medicine alone, so he asked Chang E to keep it for him.
However, the evil apprentice Peng Meng (蓬蒙) heard about the immortality medicine and planned to steal it from Chang E.
When Hou Yi took his apprentices out hunting, Peng Meng claimed he was sick and stayed behind.
While Chang E was alone in the house, Peng Meng broke into the house and threatened her to give him the medicine.
Helpless and scared, Chang E swallowed the medicine in desperation.
After she swallowed the medicine, Chang E felt her body become too light to stay on the floor.
She rose out of the house up into the sky and finally landed on the moon.
After Hou Yi came home and found out what happened, he was outraged and depressed.
However, he couldn’t take revenge on the evil Peng Meng (who had already escaped) nor get his beloved wife back.
Chang E then settled down in Guanghan Palace (“The Moon Palace”, ?寒?) in the moon, becoming the tragic immortal Goddess of Moon that was separated from her husband.
Hou Yi could do nothing but prepare Chang E’s favorite food, stare at the bright full men, and think of her.
As people learned that Chang E became a Goddess of Moon, they decided to follow Hou Yi to commemorate and pray for Chang E’s blessings.
Wu Gang (??) was a lazy man that was obsessed with becoming an immortal God.
However, he was so quick to quit that he could never continue a task that lasted more than 3 days.
Nevertheless, Wu Gang desperately wanted to be immortal, and sought out a Chinese God to help him achieve his goal.
Wu Gang eventually found a gray-bearded, older God in the mountains and asked him to teach Wu Gang how to become an immortal God.
“It’s not that easy to become immortal, you know.
Are you sure you can stand the long and tough journey to become a God?” asked the God.
“Yes, yes, of course I can, just teach me how!” replied Wu Gang.
And thus the older God led Wu Gang into the mountains to collect medicinal herbs.
The God slowly began teaching Wu Gang the different functions and properties of each herb.
However, Wu Gang was too impatient to listen.
“Why are we doing this hard work?
Shouldn’t a God be happily flying around and relaxing?”
He complained and complained about how tiring the work was.
But the old God gave him another chance.
The God told Wu Gang to finish reading a book about life and philosophy.
“You should first understand the philosophy of the universe, read it through,” said the God.
“And I’ll become immortal afterwards?”
Wu Gang asked expectantly.
He quickly agreed.
However, Wu Gang started dozing off after only a few minute of reading.
He only awoke when he felt the God hitting his shoulder.
Turning angry from embarrassment, Wu Gang complained, “What kind of God are you?
Gluing to book all day?
A God should be flying into the moon and playing around!”
“Well, since you said that, let me take you to the moon and have a look around.”
The God flew to the moon with Wu Gang.
After they arrived on the moon, Wu Gang saw nothing but a bald land and a huge tree near him.
“That’s all?
Well, can we go back now?
” However, the God told him, “You said you want to become divine, right?
Take this axe, and chop that osmanthus tree down.
” Wu Gang was excited because chopping a tree down was easy and quick!
He could finally become immortal.
However,to his surprise, the tree healed itself every time Wu Gang made a cut on it!
It was impossible to chop the huge tree down.
The God told Wu Gang that this tree can only be chopped down if he made 300 continuous cuts with patience and concentration, or it will keep healing itself.
Moreover, he can only become divine and fly home by himself once the tree is down.
Since then, the tale of a man chopping the tree non-stop in the moon spread in Chinese culture: a punishment for a man, in order to teach him the importance of perseverance and hard work.
Jade Rabbit (玉兔) is well known to be the best friend of Chang E, since they live together on the moon.
So, why is Jade Rabbit on the moon too?
Once upon a time, three Gods disguised themselves as hungry and poor old men.
They asked a fox, a monkey, and a rabbit for food.
The fox and the monkey collected some fruits and food for the old men; while the rabbit only gathered grass.
When the rabbit saw her poor offering compared to the fox and monkey, it cried out for forgiveness and said “you can eat me!” and threw himself into the fire without hesitation.
The rabbit’s selfless sacrifice touched the Gods.
They decided to make him a “Jade Rabbit” and send him to the moon as an immortal God.
Jade Rabbit became the companion of Chang E and is known for making the herb of immortality on the moon.
The Symbolism Behind Chinese Mid-Autumn stories:
Cherish what you have instead of pursuing immortality; evil and greedy people can never get immortality
The evil apprentice Peng Meng never achieved immortality because he didn’t deserve it, while selfless characters like Chang E or Jade Rabbit were both able to achieve it.
In addition to Hou Yi’s love story, there’s another version of the story about how Hou Yi went astray after he won the people’s heart as a hero and a king.
He became cruel, greedy and wanted to live forever, so he asked the Heavenly Queen Mother for the elixir of immortality.
However, the Heavenly Queen Mother knew his intentions, so she gave him only one piece of medicine.
Cheng E knew about the medicine and thought it was wrong for her greedy husband to become immortal and continue to hurt others.
So, she took the medicine herself.
Hou Yi felt depressed and regretted it deeply after his wife left him forever.
In Wu Gang’s story, we learned that we shouldn’t think to achieve our goals without working hard.
No pain, no gain.
The most important virtues are perseverance, patience, and determination.
Wu Gang was stubborn, always tried to get things fast and daydreamed about becoming a God without paying any effort.
The God had him chop the tree nonstop just to make him realize that only when he’s concentrated and persistent he can achieve what he wants.
Selfless devotions and givings bring good rewards
The Jade Rabbit sacrificed himself to help those in need selflessly, which brought itself immortality in the end.
The story can also imply that it’s more blessed to “give” than to receive.
However, only those who are mindless, selfless and kind-hearted to help others deserves those rewards.
With these stories, we teach our children to be kind and give others what we’re capable of.
How Do Chinese Celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival?
Hou Yi, Cheng E, Jade Rabbit and Wu Gang play important roles in Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival and Chinese culture.
As one of the three biggest Chinese national holiday, people celebrate this day with several activities.
As mentioned before, the main core of Mid-Autumn Festival is the family reunion, when family members return home and celebrate together.
On Mid-Autumn Festival, most Chinese people enjoy the full moon, eat mooncake and pomelo, pray for ancestors, set off fireworks, and, nowadays, hold barbeques.
First and foremost, it’s full moon appreciation!
Normally on the day of Lunar August 15th, the moon will be full and bright.
Chinese people would gather under the moonlight, appreciate the full moon while chatting and eating.
Also, people would set out spectacular firework show to celebrate.
Within the family, Chinese would also play sparklers.
Eating Moon Cake, Pomelo, and Barbeque!
Chinese people send presents to their relatives or friends for Mid-Autumn Festival.
A package of mooncakes is the best gift for this day.
Mooncakes can be bought and reserved from convenient stores, cake stores, or even online.
Due to the fact that the Chinese pronunciation for pomelo “柚子”(Y?uzi) is similar to“blessing the children”“佑子”(Y?uzi), and to the fact that this is pomelo’s season, this fruit became the icon of Mid-Autumn Festival.
What’s more, it’s popular to wear the pomelo skin as hats just for fun!
You can have whatever short hairstyle as you want, bowl cut, bob cut, or even medium-length hair.
In Taiwan, barbecue is one of the most popular activities during Mid-Autumn Festival.
This happened after a barbecue sauce commercial had a catchy slogan.
For such an important festival, Chinese people tend to pray to ancestors with mooncake gift box and pomelo, offering them prayers and blessings.
If you have the chance to experience Mid-Autumn Festival in China, watch carefully to see if there’s silhouette of Chang E, Jade Rabbit, or Wu Gang on the moon!
And don’t forget to act like a local, try some mooncakes and pomelo, and design your own hat from a pomelo under the beautiful full moon!
The Mid-Autumn Festival–or zhong qiu jie–is the Chinese celebration when the moon is at its brightest point of the entire year.
Also known as the Moon Festival, this holiday falls on the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar (either September or October).
There is dancing, storytelling, and the enjoyment of an array of foods, mooncakes in particular.
Of course, there is also plenty of time spent gazing at the moon.
Several legends revolve around the Mid-Autumn Festival.
There is a story of the "lady living in the moon,” a moon fairy living in a crystal palace who comes out to dance on the moon's shadowed surface.
This legend dates back to ancient times, to a day when 10 suns appeared at once in the sky.
The Emperor ordered a famous archer to shoot down the nine extra suns.
Once the task was accomplished, the Goddess of Western Heaven rewarded the archer with a pill that would make him immortal.
However, his wife found the pill, took it, and was banished to the moon as a result.
Legend says that her beauty is greatest on the day of the Moon Festival.
According to another legend, on this day the "Man in the Moon" was spotted at an inn, carrying a writing tablet.
When questioned, he said he was recording the names of all the happy couples who were fated to marry and live happily forever after.
Accordingly, just as June is the traditional month for exchanging nuptials in the West, many Chinese weddings are held during the eighth lunar month, with the fifteenth day being the most popular.
Of course, the most famous legend surrounding the Moon festival concerns its possible role in Chinese history.
Overrun by the Mongols in the thirteenth century, the Chinese threw off their oppressors in 1368 CE.
It is said that mooncakes—which the Mongols did not eat—were the perfect vehicle for hiding and passing along plans for the rebellion.
Families were instructed not to eat the mooncakes until the day of the moon festival, which is when the rebellion took place.
(In another version plans were passed along in mooncakes over several years of Mid-Autumn Festivals, but the basic idea is the same).
While baked goods are a common feature at most Chinese celebrations, mooncakes are inextricably linked with the Moon Festival.
One type of traditional mooncake is filled with lotus seed paste.
Roughly the size of a human palm, these mooncakes are quite filling, meant to be cut diagonally in quarters and passed around.
This explains their rather steep price.
A word of caution: the salty yolk in the middle, representing the full moon, is an acquired taste.
More elaborate versions of mooncakes contain four egg yolks (representing the four phases of the moon).
Besides lotus seed paste, other traditional fillings include red bean paste and black bean paste.
Unfortunately for dieters, mooncakes are rather high in calories.
While in the past, mooncakes took up to four weeks to make, automation has speeded up the process considerably.
Today, mooncakes may be filled with everything from dates, nuts, and fruit to Chinese sausages.
More exotic creations include green tea mooncakes, and ping pei or snowskin mooncakes, a Southeast Asian variation made with cooked glutinous rice flour.
Haagen-Daz has even gotten into the act by introducing a line of ice cream mooncakes in Asian markets.
Given the difficulty of making them, most people prefer to purchase their mooncakes instead.
You'll find them at Asian bakeries beginning around mid-August.
Also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival or the Mooncake Festival, the Chinese Moon Festival is a favorite holiday for ethnic Chinese and Vietnamese people around the world.
Perhaps second only to the Lunar New Year in popularity, participants observing the Chinese Moon Festival share fun, often-overpriced cakes (mooncakes) with people they appreciate.
Some are tasty; some are as dense as hockey pucks and get filled with exotic ingredients.
The Chinese Moon Festival is also a joyous time for family, friends, and couples to reunite under a full moon during harvest (September or October).
All take a little time to appreciate the beautiful full moon on what is hopefully the clearest night of the year.
The round shape and completeness of the full moon symbolize reunited pieces.
The Chinese Moon Festival is a time to take a needed break from work; many people have a day or two off and celebrate through the weekend.
Family and friends converge to give thanks and pay homage to the full moon, sometimes with poems.
Mooncakes are gifted, swapped, and shared.
Just as holidays get commercialized in the West, the mooncakes go on sale weeks in advance of the festival.
Each year they become more elaborate and push the limits for ingredients, presentation, and cost.
Businesses often give cases of mooncakes to show appreciation to clients and employees.
Commercialization aside, the festival is a good excuse for couples to enjoy romantic time sitting under the full harvest moon.
Many people choose to celebrate quietly at home among family.
Travelers can enjoy the fun in parks and public spaces, but keep in mind that many shops and businesses may be closed in observance of the public holiday.
Transportation will be busy.
Public parks are lit with special displays and lanterns; there may be stages with cultural shows and parades.
Dragon and lion dances — there is a difference!— are popular during the festival.
Incense is burned in temples to honor ancestors and the moon goddess, Chang'e.
Bright lanterns are hung high from poles while floating, candle-powered lanterns get launched into the sky.
Along with consuming mooncakes, hairy crab is a delicacy available around festival time.
The Jade Rabbit, a creature from folklore who lives on the moon, is a popular symbol during the Chinese Moon Festival.
To honor tradition, some people still make offerings to the moon, although this practice is becoming less common.
The Chinese Moon Festival is designated as a public holiday throughout all regions in China including Macau, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.
Expect all banks and some businesses to be closed at least one day.
Public transportation will be busier than usual.
What's all the hype?
Chinese mooncakes are round, baked, palmsize cakes eaten and gifted during the Chinese Moon Festival — or anytime a rich delicacy is in order.
They're a popular gift, often given in decorative boxes to clients, family members, and important people.
Mooncakes are made with egg yolks and come with a variety of fillings; the most popular are made from bean paste, lotus seeds, fruits, and sometimes even meat.
The cakes are typically round to symbolize the full moon, although some are square.
Many are skillfully decorated.
Writing or patterns on top tell of good fortunes to come.
Regional variations abound.
The boxes for mooncakes are often as beautiful as the cakes inside, making them an attractive gift.
Many mooncakes are sweet but not all.
Some are savory.
Artisans push the shock factor with new creations each year.
Fillings such as sambal, durian, salted duck eggs, and gold flakes up intrigue and the price for a box.
Despite the small size, Chinese mooncakes are often prepared with lard or shortening and are quite "heavy.
" Unless self punishment is a goal, you wouldn't want to eat more than one in a sitting.
Many people choose to cut mooncakes into wedges or quarters to share them with friends over tea.
Given the difficulty of making artisan mooncakes and the far-flung fillings involved, some are surprisingly expensive!
Fillings that made a big splash in the past include unexpected options such as chicken floss, foie gras, ice cream, coffee, and others.
One pricey mooncake variant contains shark fin — an unsustainable option.
Around 11,000 sharks die per hour (roughly three per second), mostly due to finning practices driven by demand in Asia.
The environmental impact is certainly not worth the made-up health benefits — shark fin contains concentrated levels of mercury!
Some mooncakes share the same legacy as fruitcakes in the U.S. at Christmas: they get swapped and appreciated but don't end up consumed.
You probably won't have any trouble finding mooncakes on sale weeks before the actual festival begins.
Mooncakes will be available in every shop and restaurant.
Hotels will have their own in-house creations on display.
Even fast food and ice cream chains get in on the action during the festival.
Known as the Zhongqiu Jie (Middle Autumn Festival) in Mandarin, the Chinese Moon Festival dates back to over 3,000 years.
As with all practices so old, a lot of legends developed over the years; it becomes difficult to understand the original traditions.
Most stories are based on the idea that the goddess Chang'e lives on the moon; however, tales of how she got there diverge widely.
One story suggests that the moon goddess was the wife of a legendary archer who was ordered to shoot down all but one of the suns in the sky.
That's why we only have one sun.
After accomplishing the task, he was given an immortality pill as a reward.
His wife found and took the pill instead, then later flew to the moon where she lives now.
Another Chinese Moon Festival legend states that paper messages inside of mooncakes were used as a way to organize the exact date of a coup against the ruling Mongols during the Yuan Dynasty.
The Mongols were overthrown on the night of the Moon Festival.
Although this legend seems a little more plausible than a goddess living on the moon, little historical evidence suggests that this is how the Mongols were defeated.
China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau have the largest celebrations.
But the festival is especially popular in places around Southeast Asia with large ethnic Chinese populations such as Vietnam, Singapore, and Malaysia.
The Chinese Moon / Mid-Autumn Festival starts on the 15th day of the eighth month as determined by the Chinese lunisolar calendar.
The festival is most often in September, but occasionally ends up in early October.
Dates for the Chinese Moon Festival change annually, but it's always celebrated in the fall.
The fact that the date of Chinese New Year varies within about a month is a clue that it's linked to the new moon.
A rough, and almost infallible guide is that the Chinese New Year follows the second new moon after the winter solstice.
The winter solstice always falls on December 21st, the next new moon is on January 20th 2015, and the second new moon is on February 18th 2015.
Please note that there is a new moon on December 21st, but this does not count for calculation purposes.
However, this does mean that February 19th is about the latest day in the year for the Chinese New Year.
As the new year ends on February 7th 2016 this late begining it makes 2015 slightly shorter than most Chinese 'years'.
The Chinese New Year Calendar - With Its Associated 12 Animals
The lunar Chinese New Year (CNY) calendar below shows which of 12 animals you are!
Naturally the animal depends on the year in which you were born.
Note: if you were born in January or February you need to check if your birthday was before or after the date of that Chinese New Year.
(If it was before this day your animal is the one shown for the previous year).
Unlike western calendars, the Chinese calendar has names that are repeated every 60 years.
Within the 'Stem-Branch' system is shorter 'Celestial' cycle of 12 years denoted by animals.
Furthermore, the Chinese believe that people born in a particular year take on the characteristics of the animal associated with that year.
There was a Chinese boy called L?i, who had a large flock of sheep.
But one day, L?i lost a goat and didn't take care of his fence.
Gradually more goats escaped until, at last, there was only one goat left.
Only then did L?i realise the seriousness of his situation, and belatedly repaired the fence.
From that moment, none of his sheep were ever lost.
L?i's story tells us that we must deal with matters in time, or we would lose a lot.
What L?i Needed for His Sheep - Baa Codes!
The hero of the story, the redoubtable S?ng D?ng B?, a guy with a love of learning and the martial arts, goes to visit a friend who lives outside his city wall.
He enjoys himself and stays late.
The friend advises him to stay over, because the road home has a reputation for being haunted by ghosts, but of course S?ng D?ng B? will have none of this, and starts for home in the dark night.
Of course it's not long before our hero does encounter a ghost, but not a clever one, because he thinks he might be a ghost.
S?ng D?ng B? has fun pretending to be a ghost, and even learns what ghosts are most afraid of: having people spit in their faces!
Now you know why Chinese people love doing that so much!
Finally, with dawn breaking, the ghost is keen to be off, (seems like Chinese ghosts, just like their western cousins, prefer the dark night to the light of day.)
But S?ng D?ng B? holds on to it and won't let it go, and then.
S?ng D?ng B? is no fool, he knows it might turn back into a ghost, so he spits in its face and takes it to market and sells it.
Sheep people simply seek peace.
They are quiet and calm men and women
They enjoy carrying on with life in their own individual way; they are happy to be in the middle of the actions rather than being leaders.
Though shy by nature, they like to be in the company of others watching from the side-lines, allowing others to dazzle.
They are highly creative, enjoying cultural activities, and focus their energy on artistic hobbies.
Sheep often appear easy-going and relaxed, happy to be going with the flow, but inwardly can they can be anxious.
Sheep are nurturers, this is one of the few feminine signs.
They enjoy taking care of other people.
Their personalities are quiet, reserved and soothing.
Those born under the Sheep sign will do better than they realize, partly because they are so good at keeping the peace and partly because they are good at accomplishing the tasks at hand.
The characteristics of the Sheep are modified by one, or more, of these Chinese elements: Wood, Metal, Water, Fire and Earth.
Sheep enjoy being in the middle of a group, consequently, other flock to these Sheep, possibly because they are so compassionate and helpful.
Their sincerity can be taken advantage of and Wood Sheep may get their feelings hurt by undeserving sympathy seekers.
People Born in the Year of the Sheep Michelangelo, King George VI, Jane Austen, Boris Becker, Jamie Foxx, Mel Gibson, Franz Liszt, Michelangelo, Mark Twain, Barbara Walters, Orville Wright and Rudolph Valentino.
The Lantern Festival in China is very old; legend has it that there are many wonderful stories about how the Lantern Festival first began.
One story is that in ancient times, people would go in search of spirits with burning sticks.
They thought the spirits could be seen during a full moon.
Another is about a lonely young girl, in Han times, who tricked an emperor into having a wonderful festival just so she could visit her family.
The emperor apparently had such an excellent time, he decided to make this festival an annual event.
According to one legend, from ancient times, a celestial swan came into the mortal world where it was shot down by a hunter.
The Jade Emperor, the highest god in Heaven, vowed to avenge the swan.
He started making plans to send a troop of celestial soldiers and generals to Earth on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, with orders to incinerate all humans and animals.
However, the other celestial beings disagreed with this course of action, and risked their lives to warn the people of Earth.
As a result, before and after the fifteenth day of the first month, every family hung red lanterns outside their doors and set off firecrackers and fireworks, giving the impression that their homes were already burning.
By successfully tricking the Jade Emperor in this way, humanity was saved from extermination.
By T'ang times, many families simply set aside one evening, during the first full moon after the new year, to honour the moon.
They would sit outside, and gaze up, in awe and delight.
Today, people wear white in honour of the moon, lanterns are hung in the malls and markets, and children carry paper lanterns to school, to light their way to a bright and happy future.
The lantern displays can be found in the town centres, the squares and temples.
In China there is often a lantern competition at the temple.
Traditional lanterns are made of paper.
They can make the lamps turn by the heat circulation from the candle inside.
Today the light of the lamp comes mostly from electricity.
People like to design for the Chinese New Year Lantern Festival by using zodiac animals, historical figures, saint and gods of Taoism or Buddhism.
Certainly, the current year's animal symbol of the Chinese calendar is most popular subject.
Using a computer they can now design the lantern with different movements, the different colours of light and even using the laser light with special visual and sound effects.
The Lantern Festival is also referred to as the Yuan-Xiao Festival.
This is because Chinese eat Yuan-Xiao on this day.
This custom originated from the Eastern Jin Dynasty in the fourth century and then became popular during the Tang and Song Dynasty.
They consist of sweet rice flour and are made into sticky glutinous balls.
These can then be filled in with sesame, red-bean or peanut butter paste.
Usually, they are served with sugar water; although some people still make a salty Tang-Yuan.
The difference between Yuan-Xiao and Tang-Yuan is the way they are made and cooked.
This is because that Chinese in different geographic areas prepare the food in different ways.
The Chinese people call the one they eat on Winter Solstice Day, Tang-Yuan.
The one they eat on the Lantern festival is called Yuan-Xiao.
The traditional food for the Chinese Lantern Festival is Yuanxiao dumplings, named after the lonely palace maid of long ago.
[Some versions of the story have her preparing stuffed dumplings for the God of Fire, as this was one of his favourite foods].
Yuanxiao are made with sticky rice flour.
They can be sweet or savoury; filled with everything from sugar, walnuts, and dried tangerine peel to meat and vegetables.
Incidentally, lanterns are widely used on China Day.
The Chinese masks that you see during the Chinese New Year Lantern Festival are exclusively used during that time of the year only.
The general feeling generated by the Chinese masks during this festive season is that of happiness and joy.
A man ties a New Year wish to a "wishing tree" at the Taoist White Cloud Temple, Beijing, on the day of Chinese New Year
A child in traditional costume takes part in the third day of Chinese New Year celebrations at the Dongyue temple, Beijing, China.
The Lunar New Year will be marked with a week-long holiday.
At the Chinese New Year red is important.
People wear red clothes, they write poems on red paper, and give children 'luck money' in red envelopes.
The symbolism behind the red colour is fire, and fire burns off bad luck.
As for fireworks one belief is that the cracker jacks and sparks frighten away evil spirits.
After the fireworks at the beginning of the celebration of the Chinese new year, comes the more tranquil Lantern Festival on the last day of the festivities.
Most Lantern parades feature a dragon made of silk and bamboo.
The dancers hold the monstrous dragon aloft on sticks.
Their coordination skills make the dragon appear to dance.
This is the Mid-Autumn Festival 中秋節 which is held on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese calendar, which is usually around late September or early October in the Gregorian calendar.
It is a date that parallels the autumnal equinox of the solar calendar, when the moon is supposedly at its fullest and roundest.
The traditional food of this festival is the moon cake, of which there are many different varieties.
See more on Zongqui jie here.
Chinese Tomb Sweeping Day at the beginning of April, is for honoring ancestors and to make sure they are happy in the after world.
Ancestor worship includes cleaning and sweeping of their graves and at the same time bringing offerings of food, normally fruits, buns and sweets, wine, etc.
Cemeteries will be very crowded on this day, and this is where you are likely to see all the commotion.
Burning incense is also part of the tradition.
Chinese will burn incense and pray to their ancestors on this day.
It is also common to burn other offerings, specially "ghost money".
The belief is that by burning something, the essence of the burnt element is transferred to the spirit world, where it can be used by the dead.
It used to be that the most common item being "sent" was money, so the burning of paper money was most popular.
Nowadays, there is quite a variety of items being "sent", from iPads and cellphones to cars and even modern appliances that could be "useful" to the receiver in the other world.
So side by side with the traditional paper money, you see paper replicas of all the different gadgets which are burn and transferred to the deceased.
Check out this short clip showing a typical Ching Ming day in Hong Kong and the different offerings being prepared for the ancestors including ghost money, many food and every day items:
Nowadays, people like to fly kites during the Qing Ming Festival, and as it is the beginning of Spring, it is also a time to plant trees.
The Ching Ming Festival falls during the third lunar month.
You can find the Western calendar date here.
On most days of the year, cemeteries in Hong Kong are studiously avoided but on the Ching Ming Festival, public transport companies have to put on extra services to them, such is the exodus from the city’s streets to its hillside graveyards.
Ching Ming literally translates as ‘clean and bright’, and this is the day that Chinese people sweep the graves of their ancestors.
But the tidy up doesn’t end there: the festival is an important ancestor worship ritual that also requires families to weed graves, touch up headstone inscriptions, make offerings of food and light incense.
Traditionally, many people burn paper offerings at gravesites during the festival for their ancestors to use in the afterlife.
The most popular of these used to be faux cash, but it appears the consumer demands of the earthly realm have crossed over into the hereafter, because people in Hong Kong nowadays also burn paper imitations of mobile phones, laptops, refrigerators, air-conditioners and even luxury cars.
The Dragon Boat Festival originated in China and is known as the four traditional festivals of China together with the Spring Festival, Qingming and Mid-Autumn Festival.
In September 2009, UNESCO officially approved its inclusion in the “List of Representatives of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity”, and the Dragon Boat Festival became China’s first festival to be selected into the world.
There are more than twenty kinds of names in the Dragon Boat Festival.
They were originally the festivals of the ancient ancestors who sacrificed dragon ancestors in the form of dragon boat races.
They originated from the land of Wu Yue.
They believed in the dragon totems and thought they were children of dragons.
The two customs of the Dragon Boat Festival, eating scorpions and dragon boating are all related to the dragon.
The scorpion can be sacrificed to the dragon god in the water, and the race is also a dragon boat.
It is said that Qu Yuan, a poet of the Chu State during the Warring States period, plunged himself into the Luojiang River on the Dragon Boat Festival.
Later, people also used the Dragon Boat Festival as a festival to commemorate Qu Yuan.
China has several major holidays, virtually none of which we celebrate in the West.
The Chinese New Year (or Spring Festival) is increasingly recognized more in the US by non-Chinese, but still barely perceptibly.
Other holidays include Qing Ming Festival (which reveres the dead), Mid-Autumn Festival (which reveres the moon), May Day (international labor day the began in Chicago, but is not recognized in the US on that day) and National Day (when the CCP took over power from the KMT).
The last one is the Dragon Boat Festival, which is the focus of this post.
It focuses on dragon boats, poets, sticky rice and tensions with the government.
All are very poignant pieces of Chinese history.
Chinese holidays have involved histories, most of which are outside the scope of this post.
While there is a lengthy backstory behind Christmas, it’s probably more interesting just to detail elves, presents, Santa, Jesus and an angel or two.
The rest, if you’re interested, is out there.
In short, during the Warring States Period in Chinese history, there were – as you can guess – a bunch of disparate kingdoms vying to become the ultimate rulers of a central government.
Qu Yuan was a minister of high status.
When the Chu royal house aligned with a group he didn’t agree with, he was banished.
For 28 years, he wrote poetry in exile.
Then, the group the Chu aligned with captured the capital of his own people and he committed suicide by drowning himself in a river.
The people, who adored his works, tried to save his body by throwing rice in the water so the fish would eat the grain instead of Qu Yuan’s flesh.
Nowadays, to commemorate his legacy, people make zongzi, a dish made by wrapping rice and a filling inside zong leaf and steaming it.
It can be sweet or savory, but it’s always delicious.
Additionally, people host dragon boat races with dragon dances and music and all sorts of merriment.
A cool aspect of China is how diverse each region is and how distinct the customs are.
Each village or town has a particular tradition not found exactly replicated anywhere else.
In a certain village in Foshan they’ve hosted a ridiculously animated race for years.
In the months leading up to the competitive event, you can see oarsmen practicing out on bodies of water across the city.
While my buddy, Danny, and I crossed the foot bridge over the manmade canal to hit the pub and watch Arsenal play (and probably lose again), we heard drums beating, paddles slapping the water and synchronized exhales.
There were sayings written on red paper everywhere and allusions to the boat races.
Qu Yuan’s image appeared in malls and schools.
People excitedly rumbled on about it.
I was told by many of my Chinese friends we had to go with them to the village, and so we did.
Our buddies picked us up in a packed van and so we went.
As we approached, I noticed that this was the very village I once got super lost in on a long run while training for my marathon.
It was the quintessential modern Chinese village.
Loads of wealth, modest housing, low key clothing.
It had typical southern Chinese architecture, or lingnan style, with gray brick and dark wood.
Roads barely fit a small sedan, and pedestrians and vehicles shared the same space.
There is an orderliness somewhere between midtown Manhattan’s meticulous grid and New Delhi’s what-the-fuck.
We arrived, and after meandering through some narrow streets and a footbridge apparently doubling as one for cars, we walked around.
In steadily misting rain we walked around a jovial, spirited crowd.
There were crowds huddled on bleachers underneath a yellow tarp, dirty droplets dripping down.
Firecrackers sounded off in the distance, beckoning crowds to observe a dragon dance.
Someone banged a gong as the shizi moved in rhythm.
In my peripheral, I caught a dragon boat zooming forward toward an L-turn.
I rushed over to see how on earth they would avoid shattering the bow of the ship, sending everyone in the murky village water like a carnival dunk tank.
Suddenly, ten folks on the right side dipped their oars straight into the water, sinewy biceps strained, while the left side paddled ferociously.
The longboat lurched through the turn just about making it unscathed until thwack!
The dragon figurehead popped off into the canal and the scrapping of wood on stone could be heard over a groaning crowd.
This repeated ceaselessly throughout the day, as a local channel broadcasted the contests on TV.
We grabbed a couple of beers to beat the rain and watched under the shelter of a leaky roof.
As the day wore on, we were noticed as outsiders by quite a few, seeing as a white kid, a brown dude and a black girl were in a Chinese village of thousands.
Some of the younger dragon boaters let us paddle along a bit, butts getting wet in the hull, opaque water washing up over the ship’s edge.
This was an awesome experience, both seeing and participating ever so briefly in a major Chinese holiday.
Part of the joy of living in a foreign country is enjoying festivals you cannot partake in back home.
This was enjoyable, worthwhile.
Thank you.
The Dragon Boat Festival, also known as the Duanwu Festival or Double Fifth Festival, provides the perfect opportunity for family fun.
The holiday is celebrated outdoors during the summer, features exciting dragon boat races and involves themes that are easily accessible for children.
Here is a collection of easy activities, recipes and crafts with step-by-step directions to help your family celebrate an ancient Chinese holiday that’s become a modern international phenomenon.
The Dragon Boat Festival focuses on the themes of patriotism and sacrifice.
The holiday celebrates the patriot poet Qu Yuan, who drowned in the Miluo River during the Warring States period more than 2,000 years ago.
In ancient China, this summertime festival was observed to appease the rain gods and ward off illness.
Today, the Dragon Boat Festival’s growing popularity around the world can be credited in large part to the growth of dragon boat racing as a sport.
When sharing the Dragon Boat Festival story with your kids, focus on the sacrifices made by Qu Yuan and the holiday’s place in China’s agrarian society.
The holiday is one of the three big festivals designated for the living — the others are Chinese New Year and the Mid-Autumn Festival.
The Chinese have raced dragon boats for centuries, as an appeal to the water gods during the sweltering summer months.
It’s only been since the 1970s, however, that modern dragon boating has grown into an international sport with competitions around the world.
Rice dumplings are parcels of glutinous rice stuffed with different savory or sweet fillings and wrapped in bamboo leaves.
They’re eaten during the Dragon Boat Festival in reference to glutinous rice balls villagers tossed into the Miluo River while searching for the poet Qu Yuan.
Celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival provides an effortless opportunity for you to enjoying Chinese culture with your family.
Watching exhilarating dragon boat races from the waterfront under clear summer skies is the perfect backdrop for sharing the traditions of the Dragon Boat Festival.
If you live in a city with a dragon boat celebration, make sure to attend.
Most U.S. cities host Dragon Boat Festival celebrations featuring brightly decorated boats powered by teams of paddlers and manic drumming.
Read my interview with Hans Wu, race director of the San Francisco International Dragon Boat Festival, to know what to expect at the races.
Dragon boat racing has become an international sports phenomenon in the last 40 years.
Today’s there’s a full summer race schedule running from February through October in cities across the United States.
Use our directory to find a race near you.
If you’re interested in trying dragon boat racing for yourself, it’s easy.
Dragon boating is an accessible and fun team sport open to all ages and skill levels, all supported by a welcoming community.
Read about my experience joining the Oakland Renegades to see if it’s for you.
The Dragon Boat Festival’s traditional food, known as zongzi in Mandarin and joong in Cantonese, is a glutinous rice dumpling filled with savory or sweet fillings and wrapped in bamboo leaves.
You’ll find them for sale at a Dragon Boat Festival, as well as throughout Chinatown.
Fortunately, they’re also really fun to make at home with eager kids.
Making rice dumplings yourself at home is a fun family activity and the finished product can be eaten at home or given away as gifts during the festival.
Follow along with this tutorial and learn to make a classic rice dumpling filled with pork, peanuts, sausage and mung beans.
Attending a dragon boat festival outdoors is truly an all-ages experience.
You can use craft projects at home as a way to prepare for the festival’s excitement.
Alternatively, making a toy dragon boat for the pool or bathtub is a fun substitute, if you’re unable to make it out to the races.
Making a toy dragon boat is a terrific way to introduce younger children to the Dragon Boat Festival story.
See how you can make a beautiful boat with just some colorful paper, a few common items from around the house and our printable template.
Prior to the Dragon Boat Festival, it’s a good idea to pick up supplies to make rice dumplings, but that’s all you’ll really need.
You’ll also want to select a few children’s books to help introduce young readers to the holiday.
For a holiday that’s over 2,000 years old, there are surprisingly few children’s books exclusively dedicated to the Dragon Boat Festival.
Fortunately, I’ve found five that do a good job of introducing the holiday, as well as the sport of dragon boat racing.
I hope you have a great time celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival this year with these easy activities, recipes and crafts.
Please comment below if there are additional resources you would like to see added to the site!
The Dragon Boat Festival is a celebration where many eat rice dumplings (zongzi), drink realgar wine (xionghuangjiu), and race dragon boats.
Other activities include hanging icons of Zhong Kui (a mythic guardian figure), hanging mugwort and calamus, taking long walks, writing spells and wearing perfumed medicine bags.
All of these activities and games such as making an egg stand at noon were regarded by the ancients as an effective way of preventing disease, evil, while promoting good health and well-being.
People sometimes wear talismans to fend off evil spirits or they may hang the picture of Zhong Kui, a guardian against evil spirits, on the door of their homes.
Many believe that the Dragon Boat Festival originated in ancient China based on the suicide of the poet and statesman of the Chu kingdom, Qu Yuan in 278 BCE.
The festival commemorates the life and death of the famous Chinese scholar Qu Yuan, who was a loyal minister of the King of Chu in the third century BCE.
Qu Yuan’s wisdom and intellectual ways antagonized other court officials, thus they accused him of false charges of conspiracy and was exiled by the king.
During his exile, Qu Yuan composed many poems to express his anger and sorrow towards his sovereign and people.
Qu Yuan drowned himself by attaching a heavy stone to his chest and jumping into the Miluo River in 278 BCE at the age of 61.
The people of Chu tried to save him believing that Qu Yuan was an honorable man; they searched desperately in their boats looking for Qu Yuan but were unable to save him.
Every year the Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated to commemorate this attempt at rescuing Qu Yuan.
The local people began the tradition of throwing sacrificial cooked rice into the river for Qu Yuan, while others believed that the rice would prevent the fishes in the river from eating Qu Yuan’s body.
At first, the locals decided to make zongzi in hopes that it would sink into the river and reach Qu Yuan's body.
However, the tradition of wrapping the rice in bamboo leaves to make zongzi began the following year.
A dragon boat is a human-powered boat or paddle boat that is traditionally made of teak wood to various designs and sizes.
They usually have brightly decorated designs that range anywhere from 40 to 100 feet in length, with the front end shaped like open-mouthed dragons, and the back end with a scaly tail.
The boat can have up to 80 rowers to power the boat, depending on the length.
A sacred ceremony is performed before any competition in order to “bring the boat to life” by painting the eyes.
The first team to grab a flag at the end of the course wins the race.
The zong zi is a glutinous rice ball with a filling and wrapped in corn leaves.
The fillings can be egg, beans, dates, fruits, sweet potato, walnuts, mushrooms, meat, or a combination of them.
They are generally steamed.
It is said that if you can balance a raw egg on its end at exactly noon on Double Fifth Day, the rest of the year will be lucky.
Celebrated on the 5th day of the 5th month of the lunar calendar, the Dragon Boat Festival also known as Duan Wu Jie can trace its roots back to the Chu State of the Zhou Dynasty.
The Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated the world over by the Chinese.
One of the most popular legends behind the festival is the one about Qu Yuan, a Chu State official and poet.
Qu Yuan was known for his criticism of corruption in the Imperial Court.
He was eventually exiled and began writing poems for which he is still known.
When the Zhou was overthrown by the Qin Dynasty, Qu Yuan was so despondent he threw himself into the Miluo River.
According to legend, villagers in the surrounding area rushed to his rescue and threw rice dumplings (zongzi) into the river to prevent the fish from feasting on his body and fishermen paddled up and down the river in their long boats in search of Qu Yuan while beating on drums to scare away the fish.
Since then, Chinese people have commemorated Qu Yuan by eating zongzi and racing dragon boats egged on by a chorus of loud drum beats.
Zongzi are delicious dumplings usually shaped like a pyramid and wrapped in fresh bamboo or pandan leaves, glutinous rice filled with meat, dates and nuts, and steamed until tender.
Dragon boat racing has also become a popular way of observing the festival.
The Dragon Boat Festival is a significant Chinese festival which is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month.
Its origin was to commemorate the patriotic poet Qu Yuan.
This festival is one of the three major celebrated festivals in Taiwan, together with Chinese New Year and the Moon Festival.
Out of all major Taiwan festivals, Dragon Boat Festival has the longest history with many stories telling its origin.
The most popular one is about the patriotic poet- Qu Yuan.
During the declination of China in the end of the Zhou Dynasty, Qu Yuan served as a minister to the Zhou Emperor.
Qu Yuan was a wise and articulate man well loved by the people.
The fights that he had against the rampant corruption made the other officials envy him.
The officials started spreading rumors of Qu Yuan in front of the emperor and eventually Qu Yuan had lost the emperor’s trust.
Qu Yuan then got exiled when he urged to avoid conflict with the Kingdom of Qing.
He travelled and wrote poems during his exile to.
He threw himself into Milou River after he heard that Zhou was being defeated by the Qing.
During the day of the Dragon Boat festival, there are various beliefs and traditions that ethnic Chinese do, such as racing dragon boats, eating glutinous rice dumplings (Zhongzi), hanging calamus and moxa on the front door, drinking concoctions,displaying portraits of Zhong Kuei, children wearing fragrant sachets, as well as standing an egg at 12:00 noon.
The Dragon Boat Festival is highlighted by the dragon boat races, which was originally meant to the attempts to rescue Qu Yuan.
This lively and colorful tradition continued for centuries.
Today, dragon boat races are held in various Taiwan cities such as Hsinchu, Tainan, Taipei, and Yilan, etc.
Other than enjoying dragon boat races, people eat Zhongzi (rice dumpling), which is a glutinous rice ball wrapped in corn leaves with fillings of egg, beans, walnuts, mushrooms, and meat.
Travelers may find Zhongzi as a common delicacy in Taiwan,taste differently in different area of Taiwan.
On the Dragon Boat Festival, hanging portraits of Zhong Kuei, calamus, and moxa on the front door are believed to keep evils away and bring peace.
Overall, the Dragon Boat Festival is not only a festival to commemorate a patriot, but also a chance for families and friends to get together.
Chinese people like eating, and Chinese culture is justifiably called a food culture.
They have different foods with special meanings for each festival.
For Dragon Boat Festival the Chinese usually eat zongzi and various other foods below, depending on the region
It is a traditional custom for Chinese to eat zongzi, a kind of sticky rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves.
Zongzi are usually made of glutinous rice with meat or some other filling, and wrapped in bamboo leaves in the shape of a triangular pyramid.
They are many different flavors and shapes of zongzi available.
This fan-shaped food is made up of five multi-colored layers, with each layer covered with fried sprinkles of pepper powder.
The layers are pinched into a variety of patterns to make it appealing to eyes.
This dietary custom is said to be trace back to the tradition of making and selling fans during Duanwu Festival in ancient times.
The custom of eating eel on Dragon Boat Festival day prevails in central China's Wuhan region.
Eels are probably eaten simply because they are in season during the festival.
They are fatty and tender, and rich in nutrition.
In East China's Wenzhou area, every family eats a kind of thin pancake at Dragon Boat Festival.
The pancake is made of refined white wheat flour fried in a flat frying pan.
When the cake becomes very thin and translucent, as thin as a piece of silk as the locals describe it, it is done.
Green bean sprouts, leek, shredded meat, and mushrooms are then placed on the pancake, which is then rolled up and eaten as a wrap.
Chinese New Year, the Mid-Fall Moon Festival and the Dragon Boat Day are three major festivals in China.
The Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month of the Chinese calendar.
Chinese call this day as Duan-Wu .
Duan means beginning.
Wu means Horse month in Chinese calendar.
The Horse month usually begins on June 5th or June 6th in the Gregorian calendar.
That means Dragon Boat Festival should be held in June, unless that year has Leap Month in the Chinese lunar calendar.
In China, the Dragon Boat Festival memorializes the Chinese patriotic poet Chiu Yuan (340 BC-278 BC or 343-290 B.C.), who committed suicide by jumping into the river after tying himself with big rock on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month.
Chiu Yuan was the number one advisor of the kingdom of Chu .
But people were jealous his position and said lots of bad words on his back.
The king wouldn't take his advice in the end and was killed by the enemy of neighbor kingdom.
The new king continued to enjoy the luxury life and didn't like Chiu Yuan either.
Later, Chiu Yuan was exiled.
He wrote many patriotic poem after then.
Chiu Yuan met a fisherman, who never cared about the country and quite satisfied his life.
Chiu Yuan thought that the king wouldn't run the country, people only cared about themselves, nobody cared the future of the country and to live is meaningless.
So he killed himself by drowning himself in the river.
Many fishermen tried to rescue him, but the body is never found.
Fishermen worried about fish would eat his body.
So they threw food into the river to feed the fish.
Plus, they tried to scare fish away by splashing the water with their paddles and beating the drums on the long narrow boats.
Then the dragon was added into the story.
Fishermen believed there was a water-dragon under the river.
One man poured down a big jar of strong yellow wine (made of rice).
Later, a drunken dragon-like fish floated on the river.
One piece of Chiu Yuan's clothing was found in-between the whisker of the water-dragon.
The custom of Dragon Boat Race might begin from the southern China.
They selected the 5rh lunar day of the 5th lunar month as the totem ceremony.
The dragon was the main symbol on the totem, because Chinese thought they were son of dragon.
They also made dragon-like canoe.
Later, Chinese connected this custom with Duan-Wu festival.
Since this was the event only in the southern China.
This might be why Dragon Boat Race doesn't that popular in entire China today.
But we can see yearly Dragon Boat Race events in Honk Hong and Taiwan.
The picture shows a person lies on the top of dragon head of the boat to prepare to catch the flag of target to win the race.
Now, the Dragon Boat Race becomes an international event.
This sport is popular in USA, Canada, Europe, Australia, Taiwan, Honk Hong, Singapore etc.
Some organization's events aren't held around the Dragon Boat Festival.
Some are in July, August or September.
You need to check their websites for the schedules.
One saying the fishermen threw bamboo-food into the river for Chiu Yuan.
The fishermen kept the custom on on the 5th day of 5th lunar month every year.
Until Late Han Dynasty (25-220 AD), one outsider came and acclaimed fisherman's behavior, but recommended to wrap the food with leaves and tie with color silky rope, which can scare fish away.
So the Chiu Yuan can unwrap the leaves to eat the food.
Obviously, the Zong-zi, which Chinese eat on the the Dragon Boat Day period, is like the food for Chiu Yuan.
Zong-zi is make of steamed glutinous sweet rice mixing with meat and condiment wrapped in the bamboo leaves.
There are salty, sweet, hot or cold different variety of Zong-Zi today.
You can find Zong-Zi in Chinese restaurants providing Dim-Sum lunch or same Chinese diners in Chinese communities in USA.
The Dragon Boat Day is usually in June, which is Horse month.
Horse hour in astrology is from 11:00 AM to 13:00 PM.
They said that you will be lucky for the coming year if you can make an egg standing up during Horse hour on the Dragon Boat Day.
Parents like to let their children to try to make the egg standing up on the Dragon Boat Day.
Certainly, the standing up egg competition will be held at noon in many places.
They said that it's will be easier to make a standing up egg at noon.
Many try to cheat on the ground, eggshell or inside egg to in order to win the competition.
People had looked for the scientific explanation.
The egg can standup easily is because the Dragon Boat Day is close to the summer solstice, which is the longest day of the year.
The summer solstice occurs when the Earth's axis tilts the most toward the sun, causing the sun to be farthest north at noon.
Sun reaches to the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere on the day of summer solstice.
Before sun travels back to the southern hemisphere, it seems as if the sun stands still.
When the gravitation between sun and earth are pulled each other to the most, an egg can stand up easier.
Actually, the Dragon Boat Day is not close to the summer solstice every year.
Because the lunar leap months, the Dragon Boat Day usually is close to summer solstice every three years.
The 5th lunar month is marked as "Poison" month in Chinese Farmer's Calendar.
This is because the gem, insect, fly, mosquito, and pest are active in this summer month and people is easy to catch infectious disease.
On the Dragon Boat Day, Chinese put the leaves of Acorus and Artemisia on the doors or windows to repel insect, fly, flea and moth away from the house.
Those leaves have anti-poison function and can prevent an epidemic.
The leaves of Acorus are linear, sword-like, glossy, evergreen and lush.
Artemisia belongs to daisy family with fern-like leaves.
In Tan Dynasty (618-907 A.D.), Rebel Huang scouted the target village and prepared the next attack in 5th lunar month.
He saw a woman carrying a boy in her one arm and holding the another boy's hand was running.
Rebel Huang asked her why running.
She said, "We heard Bandit Huang is coming, we need to run for our lives.
" Huang asked again, "Why carrying one in the arm, but holding another with hand?".
The woman said, "The one in the arm is the only son of my husband's elder brother.
The other one is my son.
In case, I cannot run quickly enough, I will drop my son and save my husband brother son.
" Rebel Huang was very touching, then told her that "Go home quickly and put Acorus and Artemisia on your door, then rebel forces won't hurt your family.
" She returned to the village and told some people.
On the 5th day of 5th lunar month, Rebel Huang's forces entered the village, all the families with Acorus and Artemisia on the door were safe.
The custom keeps since then.
Many contagious disease and plague had found in the 5th lunar month in the Chinese history.
Besides putting the Acorus and Artemisia on the doors or windows, Chinese make the incense bag and hang on the neck to prevent from contagious disease and keep evil spirit away.
The incense bag are made by hand.
Chinese put the powder of Acorus and Artemisia with some other fragrance stuff into different kind of sewing bags.
Therefore the incense bag can prevent an epidemic as the leaves of Acorus and Artemisia.
The popular incense bags was 12 horoscope animals.
Today, we can find many different auspicious symbols, many other animals, fish, flower, bird, even the cartoon characters.
Long time ago, Chinese women liked to make incense bag for children.
The 5th lunar month is a bad month.
The 5th day of the month is an inauspicious day, because many famous people died on this day in Chinese history.
One customary book recorded, "if a baby's born on this day, baby boy brings bad luck to dad and baby girl brings bad luck to mom.
" It happened that parent killed the baby born on this day before.
They said that you will become healthier to drink the spring water from the well on the Dragon Boat Day during Horse hour (11.00 AM to 13.00 PM).
The story is from late Ming dynasty.
A general brought his troop to the hill and couldn't find the water for days.
He prayed to the heaven, then struck his sword into the ground and the water spurted out on the 5th day of 5th lunar month at noon.
Once Chinese drank Strong Yellow Wine to clean up the gem in the body on the Dragon Boat Day.
The Strong Yellow Wine is made of rice.
It's a tonic wine and not good for children.
Therefore adult just wipe the children forehead with the Strong Yellow Wine.
They believe that will make children healthier and won't catch the 5th lunar month disease.
Over the past 40 years, the sport of dragon boat racing has grown beyond the Dragon Boat Festival’s official holiday celebration on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month every year.
Today, there’s a full summer race schedule spanning from February through October in cities across the United States.
The celebrations incorporate activities both on land and on the water.
Many of the largest celebrations begin with traditional opening ceremonies that awaken the dragons and bless the racing to come.
From there, paddlers take to their boats and spectators crowd the waterfront amidst a carnival of cultural activities and food.
A day at a dragon boat celebration combines culture, folklore and fierce athletic competition.
Powered by 20 paddlers and a drummer’s rhythmic beat, dragon boat teams compete with the same energy as the townspeople who fought to save Qu Yuan in the Miluo River so many years ago.
Teams span age groups, affiliations and ability levels in this inclusive sport.
In the United States, the largest dragon boat festivals are held in cities like San Francisco and New York, which have historically had the country’s largest Chinese populations, though races now exist almost everywhere there’s a waterway large enough to host them.
The most competitive racing classes ultimately send teams to the World Dragon Boat Racing Championships and the World Club Crew Championships, both sponsored by the International Dragon Boat Federation.
These worldwide competitions for national and club teams have been held in cities around the world like Hong Kong, Auckland, Vancouver and Cape Town.
Dragon Boat Festival, also called Duanwu or Tuen Ng Festival, is a traditional holiday observed annually over 2,000 years in China to commemorate Qu Yuan (340-278 BC), an ancient Chinese patriotic poet.
Originated from south China, Dragon Boat Festival enjoys higher popularity in southern areas, such as Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Guangdong and Fujian Provinces.
Chinese: 端午?[du?n w? ji?] Date: 5th day of 5th lunar month History: more than 2,000 years Traditions: eating Zongzi (sticky rice dumplings), dragon boat race
Defined by Chinese lunar calendar, the date of Dragon Boat Festival falls on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month according to lunar calendar, so the Gregorian date varies every year, and hereunder is the holiday schedule from 2019 to 2024.
Why is the Dragon Boat Festival celebrated?
With a history over 2,000 years, it used to be a hygiene day when people would use herbs to dispel diseases and viruses.
However, the most popular origin is closely related to the great poet Qu Yuan in the Warring States Period (475 – 221BC).
To engrave his death on the fifth day on the fifth lunar month, people celebrate the festival in various ways.
Great people like Wu Zixu and Cao E also died on the same day, so in certain areas, people also commemorate them during the festival.
As a minister in the State of Chu - one of the seven Warring States, Qu Yuan was a patriotic poet who wrote a lot of works to show his care and devotion to his country.
Composing masterpieces like Li Sao (The Lament), he was regarded as one of the greatest poets in Chinese history.
After he was exiled by the king, he chose to drown himself in the river rather than seeing his country invaded and conquered by the State of Qin.
He died on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, thus people decided to commemorate him on that day every year.
Many traditional customs and activities are held on the specified day by people in China and even by people in neighboring Asian countries.
Dragon boat racing and eating Zongzi are the central customs of the festival.
In some regions in China, people also wear a perfume pouch, tie five-color silk thread and hang mugwort leaves or calamus on their doors.
Most Chinese festivals are observed by eating a particular food as a custom, and the Dragon Boat Festival is no exception.
Zongzi, a pyramid-shaped glutinous rice dumpling wrapped in reed leaves, is the special food eaten on the day.
It has various fillings.
In north China, people favor the jujubes as the filling, while the south sweetened bean paste, fresh meat, or egg yolk.
Nowadays, Zongzi already becomes a common food, which can be easily found in supermarkets.
However, some families still retain the tradition to make Zongzi on the festival day.
See How to Make Zongzi.
Dragon boats are thus named because the fore and stern of the boat is in a shape of traditional Chinese dragon.
A team of people works the oars in a bid to reach the destination before other teams.
One team member sits at the front of the boat beating a drum in order to maintain morale and ensure that the rowers keep in time with one another.
Legend holds that the race originates from the idea of the people who rowed their boats to save Qu Yuan after he drowned himself.
Now it has turned to be a sport event not only held in China, but also observed in Japan, Vietnam, and Britain.
The Moon Festival, also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Harvest Moon festival, or the Zhongqui Festival, is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar—or September 24 in 2018.
It’s a day to celebrate family and tradition, so get together with your relatives, do some moon gazing, and enjoy a moon cake—or a few!
中秋快? (Happy Mid-Autumn Festival)!
Buy or bake mooncakes, a traditional Moon Festival treat.
No Moon Festival is complete without mooncakes, small, rich pastries that you can buy from a Chinese bakery or make on your own, if you have time.
They’re meant to be shared and gifted to family and friends, so have plenty!
Plan a dinner of tasty and traditional dishes.
A Moon Festival dinner offers big portions of delicious, symbolic dishes for the whole family to enjoy.
Think about how many people you’ll be inviting over and start to plan your meal accordingly.
Many families also choose to eat out for Moon Festival to avoid the burden of making a meal—it’s up to you!  like roast pork, a whole chicken, fish, vegetables, and rice.
Set up an honor table to present your mooncakes, fruits, and tea.
An honor table is a small end table or even a bench that you’ll place near your dinner table.
Use it to display your ritual offerings, including candles and incense, which you’ll burn to honor ancestors.
You’ll also place your mooncakes, picture pastries tea service, and fruits on the honor table.
Make lanterns to decorate and light up your home.
Moon Festival decorations don’t need to be over the top, but the one thing you can’t do without are lanterns.
Moon Festival lanterns are bright, festive, and often shaped like animals or interesting geometric designs, but you can make your own simple rectangular lanterns.
Creating lanterns as a family in the days beforehand is a great way to foster the spirit of togetherness that this holiday is all about.
Making lanterns is an especially great activity for kids, who can design their own and carry it around on the night of the celebration!
The Moon Festival has been celebrated since the Shang Dynasty, 3,000 years ago.
The festival originates from a folk story about an archer, Hou Yi, who receives an elixir of immortality in return for saving the world.
His wife, Chang’e, drinks the elixir and floats up to the moon, where she turns into a jade rabbit.
The story says that she still lives on the moon, longing for her husband, and reunites with him once a month, when the full moon shines brightly from the strength of their love.
Get together with your family for a meal and a casual celebration.
The Moon Festival is a time for family and togetherness, similar to an American Thanksgiving, and the best way to celebrate is by sharing a meal and catching up with family.
This meal is traditionally made and eaten at home, but some families today choose to eat out to save on time and effort.
Many people also choose to eat outside under the stars, taking advantage of the warm fall weather and using the opportunity to appreciate the moon.
If you’re hosting, make sure to get in touch with your relatives a few weeks beforehand to invite them and confirm that they’re coming.
Specify a time and whether you’d like them to bring any dishes.
If you eat outside, you can set up a blanket on the grass and have a picnic-style dinner.
Set up a bench or small, portable table as your honor table.
If you’re away from your family during the Moon Festival, or if some of your loved ones are away, make sure to call or message to wish each other a happy Moon Festival.
Serve tea and head outside to moon gaze together.
After dinner, serve your family tea and enjoy your dessert of mooncakes, picture pastries, and fruit.
If you ate inside, take your tea and pastries outdoors and sit down together to look at the moon and enjoy each other’s company.
Many families use this time together to reminisce about times past and talk about family members who have passed away or can’t be at the celebration.
Hang your lanterns outside, too.
They’ll give off a soft, pleasant glow while you talk.
Honor ancestors by burning incense.
Family is at the center of the Moon Festival celebration, and ancestors take a place of special honor.
To show your respect to ancestors and family members who have passed away, burn incense and bow 3 times in front of your honor table.
Share family stories with children to help them appreciate tradition.
Families typically allow children to stay up late on the night of the Moon Festival.
Include them in family conversations or read to them from books of Chinese poetry.
You can also let them march around with their colorful lanterns.
Make sure they’re old enough to carry the lanterns without hurting themselves or spilling the candle.
You can also replace the tealight inside with an electric light that looks like a candle, often right down to its sputtering glow.
Check for any Moon Festival celebrations in your area.
Chinese communities often hold special events to commemorate the Moon Festival, including fire dragon dances, lion dances, lantern exhibitions and carnivals.
You can see if any events are being held near you, or even travel to larger celebrations in China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Singapore, and other countries where the holiday is observed.
If you decide to make a trip, be sure to book your tickets and accommodations well in advance.
Large cities known for their celebrations, including Beijing and Hong Kong, will often fill up quickly in the days beforehand.
In many countries, the day after the Moon Festival is considered a holiday, with work and school closed.
Keep this in mind if you’re traveling—you’ll be able to stay up later than usual, but some businesses may take the day off.
If you live near a large city with a Chinatown neighborhood, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to catch some Moon Festival celebrations there.
Ask around or do some research online to see.
An essential part of Chinese Culture, Chinese festivals have traditions which date back thousands of years.
Originally created to celebrate the seasons and harvests, they have evolved to include mythology and folk tales.
Every Chinese holiday is based off the traditional Chinese lunar calendar, so their dates vary every year.
They are an incredible part of Chinese life and a great look into the pageantry of China’s culture and history.
Spring Festival The most important holiday of the Chinese people, Spring Festival begins on the first day of the first lunar month and continues for fifteen days.
On each day of the festival, different traditions are followed and each one is looked forward to for the whole year.
This festival is particularly popular with children, who get presents in the form of Hong Bao, which are red envelopes filled with money.
The entire country decorates itself for the festival and every home, whether it be in a village, or in the city, is decorated and cleaned for the holiday.
The entire country takes on a look and the suspense is almost palatable.
It is a wonderful time to visit China and partake in the festivities.
Spring Festival Decorations & Lantern Festival The fifteenth and final day of the Spring Festival, Lantern Festival is known for its many wonderful lanterns.
Most cities in China have huge lantern displays and traditionally every family make their own lanterns to decorate their house with.
Lanterns are only part of the festival.
Dragon and Lion dances are performed and many fireworks are lit off.
Tomb Sweeping Day Each year, Qingming Jie, or Tomb Sweeping Day is celebrated on the twenty-first day of the second lunary month.
The festival has two main parts.
One part is for the entire family to outside and enjoy spring.
They will go to a park, or the countryside to enjoy the budding trees and flowers.
The second part involves visiting the tombs of their ancestors.
The tombs will be cleaned and tended.
While at the tombs, they will offer alcohol and cigarettes to their ancestors and fireworks and incense will be lit.
Popular in not only China, but around the world, Dragon Boat Festival is famous for its dragon boat races, but in China there is much more to the holiday.
According to tradition, the festival commemorates the death of Qu Yuan, a Zhou Dynasty poet and government official.
He was wrongfully accused of treason and committed suicide by jumping into a river.
The local people loved and admired him and threw rice into the river to feed the fish so that they would not eat his body.
They also rushed out into the river in boats to try to recover his body.
So today people eat Zhongzi, a sticky rice dumpling wrapped in lotus leaves and hold dragon boat races.
Zhongyuan Ghost Festival Celebrated on the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month, Ghost Festival is a day to make offering to ancestors.
It is traditionally believed that on this day, ghosts can return to earth.
On this day, the Chinese people burn incense and paper objects to appease the spirits.
The paper objects that are burned come in the form of money, houses, cars, cell phones, alcohol, etc.
They are burned in the belief that the smoke from the objects can be reformed in heaven into their representative objects and be used by the deceased and therefore they will not both the living.
Mid-Autumn Festival Held on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, Mid-Autumn Festival is a festival for families.
On this day, people eat moon cakes, a small cake filled with meat, vegetables, or fruit.
In the evening, families will go outside to enjoy the full moon together.
Chinese New Year , also known as the Spring Festival, or Chun Jie, Chinese New Year begins on the first day of the first month in the lunar calendar (January or February) and ends with the Lantern Festival on the 15th.
Chinese New Year is the most important festival in Beijing so many temples host fairs, and most businesses close for at least several days.
The Chinese New Year is a time for people to visit with family, so traffic may be especially bad at this time of year.
The annual Lantern Festival takes place on the last day of the Chinese New Year.
The tradition behind this holiday originates in the story of the heavenly Jade Emperor who was angered that a town killed his favourite goose.
The Emperor decided to burn the town to punish it.
However, the townspeople were warned by a sympathetic fairy and decided to burn lanterns so that when the Jade Emperor looked down on the town, he would be fooled into thinking it was already on fire.
Today, on the first full moon of the lunar calendar, the Chinese burn lanterns and celebrate with food, dancing, parades and fireworks.
Every April, families gather to pay their respects to their deceased ancestors and to clean and decorate their grave sites.
Kites may be flown and symbolic money burned to help ancestors in the afterlife.
The name of this festival literally means “holiday on the fifth day of the fifth month”.
It was created to honour the poet Qu Yuan, who is said to have protested against a corrupt emperor by jumping into a river in the third century.
While fishermen were trying to save him, they reportedly threw dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves into the river to divert the fish and to prevent them from eating the man.
Today a traditional part of the celebration is eating zongzi, which are triangular, glutinous rice dumplings wrapped in banana or other leaves.
The festival includes dramatic dragon-boat races.
Mid-Autumn Festival , also known as the Moon Festival, Lantern Festival or the Zhongqiu Festival, this festival celebrating the end of the autumn harvest takes place on the 15th day of the eighth month (in the lunar calendar).
Dances, lighting lanterns and eating “moon cakes” are traditional activities revolving around the main activity: moon watching.
Chinese New Year is also known as Spring Festival or the Lunar New Year.
It's the most important traditional festival in China.
It is usually a time between late January or early February and lasts 15 days from the eve of lunar year until the lantern festival.
Before the Spring Festival, people clean their homes, put red couplets on their front doors, and set off firecrackers.
New Year's Eve and New Year's Day are celebrated as a family affair, a time of reunion.
On the eve of the Spring Festival, a banquet is a must, and the most popular food is Jiaozi (dumpling), which is supposed to bring good fortune.
Fish is also a main dish, which brings prosperity.
People in the south will make New Year's Cake (Nian Gao, "gao" is a homophone of "high", so the meaning of New Year's Cake is being promoted or reaching a higher level in the coming year).
The celebration was traditionally highlighted with a religious ceremony given in honor of Heaven and Earth, the gods of the household and the family ancestors.
On the New Year's Day, everybody wears new clothes and says happy new year (xin nian hao) and good fortune (gong xi fa cai) to each other.
Kids are given red envelopes with money by their relatives.
Lantern Festival is also called Yuanxiao Festival.
It's on the 15th day of the first lunar month, and it's the first full moon after the Spring Festival.
It is customary to eat special sweet dumplings called yuanxiao and enjoy displayed lanterns during this festival.
Yuanxiao are round balls made of glutinous rice flour stuffed with sugar and bean paste fillings, it symbolizes family unity and happiness.
Various types of beautiful lanterns are exhibited on this festive night, fireworks set off, folk shows such as acrobatics, walking on stilts, performing with dragon lanterns, dancing the yangge and other folk dances and playing on swings are displayed.
The custom of enjoying lanterns at this time of the year dates back to the first century, and has been popular since then.
Ching Ming Festival is also known as the Grave-sweeping Festival, "Clear and Bright", is when Chinese families show their respect by visiting the graves of their ancestors.
Graves are cleaned, and wine and fruits are offered to the ancestors.
It usually on the 4th or 5th day of the fourth lunar month.
It also marks the beginning of spring.
Dragon Boat Festival is also known as Duanwu Festival, it falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, and together with Chinese New Year and Moon Festival forms the three major Chinese Festivals.
Since the summer is a time when diseases most easily spread, Dragon Boat Festival began as an occasion for driving off evil spirits and pestilence and for finding peace in one's life.
It is generally believed that the festival originated to memorialize the ancient patriotic poet Qu Yuan.
Dragon Boat Festival is highlighted by the dragon boat races, in which competing teams drive their boats forward rowing to the rhythm of pounding drums.
This lively and colorful tradition has continued unbroken for centuries to the present day.
Qu Yuan, a patriotic statesman who lived in the state of Chu over 2,200 years ago during the Warring States period (476 BC-221 BC), repeatedly offered his king proposals aimed at political corruption.
Subsequently, slandered by treacherous officials, he was exiled.
In 278 BC, the capital of the State of Chu was lost to his enemy and Qu Yuan drowned himself in despair in Miluo River on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month.
Aware of the tragedy, the local people living beside the river went out in the boats to try to find his corpse.
People began throwing balls of sweet rice wrapped in bamboo leaves into the Miluo River to keep the fish from eating the patriot's body.
Over time these rice balls became more elaborate and varied with the addition of pork, peanuts, salted eggs, and other fillings, gradually evolving into the modern day Zongzi (glutinous rice wrapped in a pyramid shape using bamboo or reed leaves).
Every year thereafter on this day people continued to row dragon boats on their local rivers in memory of Qu Yuans' life and death, throwing Zongzi into the river as an offering.
The most popular dish during Dragon Boat Festival is Zongzi.
For warding off evil and disease, some customary practices such as hanging calamus and moxa on the front door, and pasting up pictures of Zhong Kui (a nemesis of evil spirits) are used.
Adults drink Xiong Huang wine and children are given fragrant sachets, both of which are said to possess qualities for preventing evil and bringing peace.
Moon Festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar, it's also called Mid-autumn Festival.
it's a time for family reunion.
In China, the full moon has always represented the gatherings of friends and family.
It's said that this festival originated from the ancient ceremony of Sacrificing to the Moon Goddess.
In Chinese fairy tales, there live on the moon the fairy lady Chang E, her pet Jade Rabbit, and a wood cutter named Wu Gang.
On this full moon night, families will enjoy the moon while eating moon cakes, pomeloes and drinking tea.
Moon cakes are cookies with fillings of sugar, fat, sesame, walnut, the yoke of preserved eggs, ham or other material.
The clear full moon has been depicted by Chinese poets since ancient times.
And the bright moonlight brings warmth and peace to our hearts.
The Ghost Festival (also known as Zhongyuan Festival by Taoists or Yu Lan Pen Festival by Buddhists) is the day to pay respects to the deceased by offering sacrifices.
In Chinese culture, it is thought that all ghosts will come out from the hell on the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month, so the day is called the Ghost Day and the seventh lunar month is the Ghost Month.
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Difference between Ghost Festival and Qingming Festival In China, people also have the custom of offering sacrifices to the deceased on the Spring Festival, Qingming Festival, and the Double Ninth Festival.
But different from these festivals, the Ghost Festival is the day that all ghosts will come out to visit the livings.
Also, people only offer sacrifices to their ancestors and relatives on the above festivals, while during the Ghost Festival, besides ancestors and relatives, people will offer sacrifices to all the ghosts or spirits.
So, it's also called the Hungry Ghost Festival.
The Hungry Ghost Festival is regarded as the most important one among all the festivals that offering sacrifices the deceased.
History and Legend about Hungry Ghost Festival About the history and legends of the ghost festival, there are mainly three ones.
The most popular one is Mulian Rescues His Mother.
The Ghost Festival falls on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month.
In Gregorian calendar, it usually falls on August or September.
The ghost month refers to the 7th lunar month.
The following chart shows the exact date for the festival and the ghost month durations from 2018 to 2021
In China, people think on the Ghost month, the gate of hell will open to allow the ghosts and spirits go back to the living world.
During the month, those have families will visit their families and those alone will roam on the street to seek food and entertainment.
Family members usually offer sacrifice to their deceased ancestors and relatives during the month and on the Ghost day.
They are honored with delicious food three times a day on a table.
The family’s ancestral tablets and photographs will be put on the table with incense burning near them.
People also pay tribute to those unknown wandering ghosts with food and burn joss paper to please the ghosts on the 15th (some places on the 14th) day of the 7th lunar month to avoid the harm by them.
Buddhists and Taoists usually perform ceremonies on the day to help the ghosts ease the sufferings.
They will set altars for them and chant scriptures.
Monks often throw rice or some small foods into the air to distribute them to the ghosts.
On the evening of the Ghost day, people also make lanterns and float them on the river to help their relatives find their way back to home.
The lanterns are usually lotus flower-shaped with light or candles.
Some people also write their ancestors’ name on the lanterns.
As the ghosts and the suffering spirits will come out from the hell to visit their homes during the 7th lunar month (the ghost month), many things should be avoided during this month including the ghost day.
1. Don't stroll at night.
2. Don't swimming.
It is said that the drowned evil ghost might try to drown you in order to find victims for them to rebirth.
3. As the month is considered to be inauspicious, don't move to new houses, start new businesses or marry.
4. Don't hang clothes outside at night.
5. Do not pick up coins or money found on the street and never bring it home.
6. Do not step on or kick the offerings by the roadside.
If you step by accident, you should apologize aloud to make it alright.
7. Do not wear red because ghosts are attracted to red.
8. Don't sing and whistle as these may attract ghosts.
9. Keep away from the walls as it is believed that ghosts like sticking to walls.
10. If you are born during the ghost month, avoid celebrating your birthday at night.
It's better to celebrate during the daytime.
Celebrated by Buddhists and Taoists all over Asia, the Ghost Festival is a holiday that is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the seventh month in the Chinese calendar.
It is believed that on this day the gates of hell are opened and the dead are allowed to walk the earth in search for food.
Therefore, it is very much like Halloween in western civilization, although there is more of a spiritual emphasis placed on this holiday than what the West places on Halloween.
While it is not currently known when the Ghost Festival was created, but it is known that it is rooted in ancient beliefs that are thousands of years old.
This festival combines aspects of ancient Chinese folk religion, Buddhism and Taoism principles.
A common practice on this day is the burning of fake paper money – commonly referred to as ‘hell money’ – on people’s doorsteps.
This is to provide the ghosts with the money they need for their travels across the Earth.
It is also common to see people set out food for these hungry ghosts and performing Chinese operas in public for the entertainment of these entities.
Also during this time, there are many street festivals.
Many people also make sure to attend temple activities during this time for protection against the ghosts that may try to cause them harm.
Where is Ghost Festival celebrated?
The Ghost Festival is a traditional Chinese holiday celebrated on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month.
A solemn holiday, the Ghost Festival represents the connections between the living and the dead, earth and heaven, body and soul.
The entire seventh month of the Chinese calendar is called the Ghost Month, a month in which ghosts and spirits are believed to emerge out from the lower world to visit earth.
The Ghost Festival is the climax of a series of the Ghost Month celebrations.
Activities of the festival include preparing ritual offerings of food, and burning ghost money (or paper money) to please the visiting ghosts and spirits as well as deities and ancestors.
Other activities include burying and releasing miniature paper boats and lanterns on water, which signifies "giving directions to the lost ghosts." 
The Ghost Festival has roots in the Buddhist festival of Ullambana, and also some from the Taoist culture.
In the Tang Dynasty, Ullambana and traditional festivities were mixed and celebrated on one day.
Thus, the Ghost Festival has special meaning for all Buddhists as one of their most important festivals.
The Buddhist origins of the festival can be traced back to a story that originally came from India, but later took on culturally Chinese overtones.
This story, "Mu-lien Saves His Mother from Hell," is an account of a well-to-do merchant who gives up his trade to become a devout follower of Buddhism.
After the merchant attains enlightenment, he thinks of his father and mother, and wonders what happens to them.
He travels over the known Buddhist universe, and finds his father in heaven.
However, his mother has been sent to hell, and has taken on the form of a hungry ghost--it cannot eat because its throat is very thin and no food can pass, yet it always hungers because it has such a large belly.
His mother was greedy with the money he left her.
He had instructed her to kindly host any Buddhist monks that ever came her way, but instead she withheld her kindness and her money.
It was for this reason she was sent to hell.
Mu-lien eventually saves her from this plight by battling various demons and entreating the help of the Buddha.
Buddhists instituted a day after the traditional summer retreat (the fifteenth day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar--usually mid-to-late August) as a day of prayer and offering in which monks can pray and make sacrifices on behalf of dead ancestors or hungry ghosts.
The family members of the deceased essentially pay for this service, and thus their patronage is a form of charity.
The deceased ancestors are pacified and hungry ghosts can eat (the sacrificial foods).
The Mu-lien story ends with this festival and the rescue of his mother from hell.
She ends up being reborn as a pet dog in a well-off household.
~ Ghost Festival ~ Festival Date - 31 AUG 2012 Celebrated on the 15th day of the 7th Lunar month.
On this day it is believed that the "Gates of Hell" are opened and that the dead return to visit their living relatives.
The Chinese feel that they have to satisfy the imprisoned and hungry ghosts in order to get good fortune and luck in their lives.
Historically, families have offered sacrifices of newly harvested grain to departed ancestors on this day, which also coincides with the Buddhist Ullambana, Deliverance, Festival and the Taoist Ghost Festival, called "Chung Yuan" in Taoist terminology.
Since each of these traditions in some way honours the spirits of the departed, the seventh lunar month has come to be known as Ghost Month, celebrated as a time when the "Good Brethren", ghosts from the underworld, come back to earth to feast on the victuals offered by the living.
Over time the Ullambana Festival and Ghost Festival have melded together to become the present day Chung Yuan Putu or "Mid-origin Passage to Universal Salvation.
" The festival is currently celebrated with ceremonies at homes, temples, associations, and guilds.
Prayers are offered to the dead and offerings of food such as chicken, vegetables, fruits, bean curd and white rice are placed at street corners and roadsides to appease the spirits.
This is believed to prevent the wandering spirits from entering their homes and causing disturbances in their households.
Offerings are also made by burning replica money notes, which are also known as ‘hell money’.
Some families also burn paper houses, cars and even paper television or radio sets to give to their dead relatives.
The Chinese feel that these offerings reach the ghosts and help them live comfortably in their world
The 15th day of the month is Ghost Festival, sometimes called Hungry Ghost Festival.
The Mandarin Chinese name of this festival is 中元節 (traditional form), or 中元? (simplified form), which is pronounced "zh?ng yu?n ji?.
" This is the day when the spirits are in high gear.
It’s important to give them a sumptuous feast, to please them and to bring luck to the family.
Taoists and Buddhists perform ceremonies on this day to ease the sufferings of the deceased.
The last day of the month is when the Gates of Hell close up again.
The chants of Taoist priests inform the spirits that it’s time to return, and as they are confined once again to the underworld, they let out an unearthly wail of lament.
If you happen to be in China during Ghost Month, it could be fun to learn these vocabulary words!
While terms like "ghost money" or "ghost month" are only applicable to Ghost Month, other words like "feast" or "offerings" can be used in casual conversation.
In Chinese folk legend, the seventh lunar month is the Ghost Month.
It is said that every year on the first day of the seventh lunar month, the gate of hell will be wide open and the ghosts will come out until the gate is closed on the 30th day of the month.
For the safety of both ghosts and human beings, China has the tradition of worshipping the dead in lunar July since ancient times.
In folk China, people would offer sacrifices on the first, second, fifteenth and last day of the Ghost Month.
There are many taboos in the Ghost Month.
For example, do not wear the clothes with your name, do not pat other people on the shoulder, do not whistle, children and senior citizens should not go out at night.
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Most people in ancient China believed in ghosts and gods.
Legend has it that anyone who dies normally could reincarnate while those who are guilty or die accidentally would become ghosts wandering in the mortal world.
Some evil spirits even seize the opportunity to disturb the living souls, causing their death in disasters and accidents.
As a result, people who die unexpectedly during this period are regarded "have been taken away by ghosts".
People believe that holding sacrifice ceremony for these spirits would help them to escape from hell at an early date and prevent them from disturbing the living beings.
Therefore, Chinese people would hold sacrifice ceremony and burn money at the roadside in the month to worship the ghosts, which become the customs like "setting lanterns" and "worshipping good brothers".
Since the sacrifice ceremony has the meaning of praying for safety, Chinese people also invite theatrical troupes to play for gods and entertain guests at open-air banquets in addition to worshipping the "good brothers" with substantial offerings at the Ghost Festival, also Zhongyuan Festival, which falls on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month.
Nowadays, China encourages frugality; the folk customs are improved and the sacrifice ceremony is simplified.
Ancient Chinese people believed natural and man-made disasters were frequent in the 7th lunar month, during which they had fears.
Hence, the cultural custom of avoid anything in this month is formed.
In modern society, many taboos fail to stand the test of time but some are still unexplainable with science.
Gate of Hell Opened For private houses, the Gate of Hell is open on the first day of the Ghost Month, on which ghosts come out to the mortal world and the sacrifice ceremony, grand or simple, is required.
The grand sacrifice ceremony means offering a good meal while the simple means preparing some fruits and desserts to show respect.
As the saying goes, there is no such thing as a free lunch.
This kind of sacrifice ceremony implies bringing me no trouble once eating my food.
Gate of Heaven Opened For public places, the Gate of Hell is open on the second day of the Ghost Month.
In ancient times, shops and government offices held the sacrifice ceremony one day after the private houses to pray for safety and no mysterious case in the month.
Zhongyuan Festival Zhongyuan Festival, also Ghost Festival, falls on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month.
In the night (early morning and late night), ghosts get together and evil spirits reach the peak.
On this very day, people would burn money and invoke ancestors and ghosts with sacrifice.
Likewise, public places sacrifice on the next day, i.e. the 16th day of the 7th lunar month.
Gate of Hell Closed On the last day of the 7th lunar month, the Gate of Hell is closed and ghosts go back to the hell from vacation.
People offer sacrifice on this day to pray for safety in the rest of days.
Do's and Don'ts
In the Ghost Month, evil spirits reach the peak.
According to the legend of scapegoat, children, senior citizens, weak or sensitive people should not go out at night, or they will be attacked by the evil spirits.
Also, you should keep away from entering the water, especially sea.
In short, you should stay away from risks and supernatural games, especially in the night of Ghost Festival.
Some people often take items to avoid evil spirits with them, such as amulet, prayer beads, coarse salt, glutinous rice, cross and lodestone with particular energy.
It is better to believe the function of these items as long as your normal life is not affected.
For many people, they can feel at ease regardless of the effect.
The Ghost Month is the seventh lunar month of Chinese Lunar Calendar.
The 15th lunar day of the 7th lunar month is the Chinese Ghost Festival.
The Chinese formal name of the Ghost Festival is Chung-Yuan .
The first lunar day of the 7th lunar month is on August 1, 2019.
August 15, 2019, is the 15th lunar day, which is the Chinese Ghost Festival.
The first lunar day of the 8th lunar month is on August 30, 2030.
Therefore, the Ghost Month is from August 1 to August 29 in the China time zone.
Many Chinese families have both Buddhism and Taoism religions.
The spirits jailed in the Hell are called ghosts.
The folklore says the ghosts have a one-month parole and will travel to the towns in the 7th lunar month every year.
People have better to feast them.
People are afraid that ghosts play trick-or-treat game.
That is why the Chinese call the 7th lunar month as the Ghost Month.
To feast the ghosts is from a story of Buddhism.
Moggallana was one of Buddha Shakyamuni's best students.
He had various supernormal powers and owned the divine eyes.
One day, he saw his deceased mother had been born among hungry ghosts.
He went down the Hell, filled a bowl with food to provide for his mother.
Before reaching his mother's mouth, the food turned into burning coals which couldn't be eaten.
Moggallana cried sorrowfully and asked for help from Buddha.
Buddha said the sins of his mother was deep and firmly rooted, it couldn't be forgiven just using the divine power and it's required the combined power of thousand monks to get rid of her sins.
Buddha told Moggallana that, " the 15th day of the 7th lunar month is the Pavarana Day for the assembled monks of all directions.
You should prepare an offering of clean basins full of hundreds of flavors and the five fruits, and other offerings of incense, oil, lamp, candle... to the greatly virtuous assembled monks.
Your present parents and parents of seven generations will escape from sufferings.
" Following Buddha's instructions, Moggallana's mother obtained liberation from sufferings as a hungry host by receiving the power of the merit and virtue form the awesome spiritual power of assembled monks on 15th day of the 7th lunar month.
Today, similar rituals are held in the Buddhism temples on this day for the deliverance of all suffering spirits.
People at home prepare lots of food to worship gods and pray for their spirits of ancestors, and then treat the homeless ghosts.
Some cities will spend weeks to build a multi-story sacrificial altar.
The Taoists will fast and take a bath, wear formal dress and perform the religious ceremony to pray for good luck for spirits on the Chung-Yuan Day.
The lighting decoration of the altar at night is the entertainment for ghosts.
Certainly, Chinese will bring children to there for sightseeing and to learn the traditional culture.
The Hungry Ghost Festival, also known as the Zhongyuan Festival, marks the time of year when tables are turned and the deceased are believed to visit the living.
During the month of the Hungry Ghost Festival, the gates of the afterlife are thrown open and ghosts are free to roam the earth in search of food, entertainment and mischief.
Though the Hungry Ghost Festival gets some acclaim as the “Chinese Halloween,” the holiday actually offers a great opportunity to teach kids about caring for the destitute and less fortunate.
During the duration of Ghost Month, hungry spirits roam the earth in search of mischief and worldly pleasure.
To ease their suffering, the living observe superstitions and make offerings of food, money and entertainment all month long, culminating with an outdoor ghost-feeding ceremony on the night of the Hungry Ghost Festival.
The Hungry Ghost Festival is a time when restless ghosts rise, when makeshift roadside altars glow with burning joss paper and when the living do everything they can to appease the wandering spirits.
It’s one of the two big annual festivals designated for the dead — the other is the Qingming Festival in the spring.
People take actions on the night of the Hungry Ghost Festival, and during the entire Ghost Month, to pacify the spirits looking to cause mischief around them.
It’s assumed that ghosts won’t curse those who make offerings of food, money and material goods in their honor.
Ghosts and goblins, spooky stories and incense make the Hungry Ghost Festival a lot of fun to share with your kids.
It’s a month-long opportunity to follow old superstitions, tell ghost stories and reinforce the importance of family, along with the need to look after the destitute.
Ghost Month culminates with a ghost-feeding ceremony on the night of the Hungry Ghost Festival that’s filled with fire, smoke and ritual offerings.
A ghost-feeding ceremony is all about providing for the wandering souls searching the earth for food, entertainment and mischief.
Planning a ghost-feeding ceremony is a bit like putting together a dinner party for a set of invisible guests under a full moon.
You can use craft projects during the Hungry Ghost Festival to introduce the meaning of ritual paper offerings, in the form of joss paper ingots and floating lanterns.
Burning ceremonial joss paper is meant to calm wandering spirits, while floating lanterns light a path home at the end of the holiday.
The Hungry Ghost Festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month.
This day falls in July or August in our Western calendar.
In southern China, the Hungry Ghost Festival is celebrated by some on the 14th day of the seventh lunar month.
The people there are said to have begun celebrating the festival a day earlier during a time of long warfare to avoid being attacked by enemies during the inauspicious day.
The Hungry Ghost Festival is one of several traditional festivals in China to worship ancestors.
Others include the Spring Festival, the Qingming Festival, and the Double Ninth Festival.
In Jiangxi Province and Hunan Province, the Hungry Ghost Festival is considered to be more important than the Qingming Festival and the Double Ninth Festival.
The Taoist name for the Hungry Ghost Festival is the Zhongyuan Festival (中元?), and Buddhists call it the Yulanpen Festival.
They perform special ceremonies to avoid the wrath of the ghosts such as putting the family’s ancestral tablets on a table, burning incense, and preparing food three times that day.
The main ceremony is usually held at dusk.
People put the family’s ancestral tablets and old paintings and photographs on a table and then burn incense near them.
Plates of food are put out for the ghosts on the table, and the people may kowtow in front of the memorial tablets and report their behavior to their ancestors to receive a blessing or punishment.
People also feast on this night, and they might leave a place open at the table for a lost ancestor.
They want to feed the hungry ghosts who have been wandering the land since the beginning of Hungry Ghost Month.
It is thought that after two weeks of activity, they must be very hungry.
The Lantern Festival, also known as the Yuan Xiao Festival, welcomes the lunar year’s first full moon.
It’s a dazzling holiday that wraps up Chinese New Year’s annual Spring Festival with a night of sparkling lights.
Mark Your Calendars Lantern Festival 2019 is February 19, 2019.
It takes place every year between February 5 and March 5 on the 15th day of the 1st lunar month.
Here’s a simple guide to the holiday that sends people back to their daily routines fortified by the Spring Festival’s good luck for the year ahead.
The Lantern Festival celebration dates back some 2,000 years to lanterns hung in Buddhist temples by monks during the Han Dynasty.
By imperial decree, temples, homes and palaces across China adopted the practice of hanging brightly-lit lanterns on the 15th night of the year’s 1st lunar month.
Once the Lantern Festival passes, there’s no need to fear Chinese New Year taboos and it’s appropriate to take down Chinese New Year decorations.
Outside of China, you’re likely to see Lantern Festival celebrations in communities that also commemorate Chinese New Year.
It’s common to see street festivals and toned-down versions of the giant outdoor lantern exhibitions found in cities across China.
The Chinese words for the lunar year’s first month yuan and night xiao explain the Lantern Festival’s alternate name, the Yuan Xiao Festival.
The glutinous rice balls known as tang yuan are the Lantern’s Festival’s iconic food.
These round balls, most commonly filled with sweet sesame or red bean paste, resemble the shape of the full moon and symbolize family togetherness and happiness.
It’s most fun to simply stroll the neighborhood at night taking in the lanterns displayed outside homes, arranged in parks and hung along streets.
Red globes are most traditional, though you’ll see everything from geometric shapes to dragons and other animals.
Shopkeepers and other lantern owners attach paper slips to their lanterns with riddles written on them referencing Chinese poems or folk tales.
If you’re clever enough to crack the code, you may win a prize.
The Lantern Festival takes place every year between February 5 and March 5 on the 15th day of the 1st lunar month.
There is no time off granted for the Lantern Festival.
The 15th day of the 1st lunar month is the Chinese Lantern Festival because the first lunar month is called yuan-month and in the ancient times people called night Xiao.
The 15th day is the first night to see a full moon.
So the day is also called Yuan Xiao Festival in China.
According to the Chinese tradition, at the very beginning of a new year, when there is a bright full moon hanging in the sky, there should be thousands of colorful lanterns hung out for people to appreciate.
At this time, people will try to solve the puzzles on the lanterns and eat yuanxiao (元宵) (glutinous rice ball) and get all their families united in the joyful atmosphere.
There are many different beliefs about the origin of the Lantern Festival.
But one thing for sure is that it had something to do with celebrating and cultivating positive relationship between people, families, nature and the higher beings they believed were responsible for bringing/returning the light each year.
One legend tells us that it was a time to worship Taiyi, the God of Heaven in ancient times.
The belief was that the God of Heaven controlled the destiny of the human world.
He had sixteen dragons at his beck and call and he decided when to inflict drought, storms, famine or pestilence upon human beings.
Beginning with Qinshihuang, the first emperor to unite the country, all the emperors ordered splendid ceremonies each year.
The emperor would ask Taiyi to bring favorable weather and good health to him and his people.
Wudi of the Han Dynasty directed special attention to this event.
In 104 BC, he proclaimed it as one of the most important celebrations and the ceremony would last throughout the night.
They clean it all up in the morning.
Another legend associates the Lantern Festival with Taoism.
Tianguan is the Taoist god responsible for good fortune.
His birthday falls on the 15th day of the first lunar month.
It is said that Tianguan likes all types of entertainment, so followers prepare various kinds of activities during which they pray for good fortune.
There are many stories on how this festival was created.
One other story is about a maid.
In the Han Dynasty, Mr. Eastern was a favorite advisor of the emperor.
One winter day, he went to the garden and heard a little girl crying and getting ready to jump into a well to commit suicide.
Mr. Eastern stopped her and asked why.
She said she was a maid in the emperor's palace and her name was Yuan-Xiao.
She never had the chance to meet her family after she started working at the palace.
She missed them so much every 12th lunar month.
If she couldn't have the chance to show her filial piety in this life, she would rather die.
Mr. Eastern promised her to find a way so she could reunion with her family.
Mr. Eastern left the palace and set up a fortune-telling stall on the street and disguised himself as a fortuneteller.
Because of his reputation, many people asked for their fortunes.
But every one got the same prediction - a severe fire accident on the 15th lunar day.
The rumor spread quickly.
Everyone was worried about the future and asked Mr. Eastern for help.
Mr. Eastern said, "On the 13th lunar day, the God of Fire will send a fairy lady in red to burn down the city.
If you see a lady in red wearing green pants riding a black horse on that day, you should ask for her mercy.
" On that day, Yuan-Xiao pretended to be the red fairy lady.
When people asked for her help, she said, "I'm the messenger of the God of Fire and came to check on the city and I'm going to set up fire on 15th.
This is an order from Jade Emperor.
He will watch from the heavens.
I will give you a copy of the imperial decree from the God of Fire.
You should go to ask your emperor to find a way out.
" After she left, people went to the palace to show the emperor the decree which reads "The capital city is in trouble.
Fire burns on the palace, and fire from Heaven burns all night long on the 15th.
" The emperor of Han Dynasty was very shocked.
He called and asked Mr. Eastern for advice.
After pondering for a while, Mr.
Eastern said, "I heard that the God of Fire likes to eat Tang-Yuan (Sweet dumpling).
Does Yuan-Xiao often cook Tang-Yuan for you?
On the 15th lunar day, let Yuan-Xiao make Tang-Yuan.
Your Majesty will take charge of the worshipping ceremony and you will give an order to every house to prepare Tang-Yuan to worship the God of Fire at the same time.
Also, deliver another order to ask every house in the city to hang red lantern and explode fire crackers.
Lastly, everyone in the palace and people outside the city should carry their lanterns on the street to watch the lantern decoration and fireworks.
If everything goes this way, the Jade Emperor would be deceived.
Then everyone can avoid the fire accident." 
The emperor happily followed the plan.
Lanterns were everywhere in the capital city on the night of the 15th lunar day.
People were walking on the street.
Fire crackers kept making lots of noise.
It looked like the entire city was on fire.
Yuan-Xiao's parents went into the palace to watch the lantern decorations, and Yuan-Xiao made a big lantern and wrote her name on the lantern.
They happily reunited together after her parents called her name.
Everybody was safe during the night.
The emperor of Han Dynasty had a new order that people should do the same thing every year.
Since Yuan-Xiao cooked the best Tan-Yuan, people called the day Yuan-Xiao Festival.
Young people were chaperoned in the streets in hopes of finding love.
Matchmakers acted busily in hopes of pairing couples.
The brightest lanterns were symbolic of good luck and hope.
As time has passed, the festival no longer has such implications.
Those who do not carry lanterns often enjoy watching informal lantern parades.
In addition to eating tangyuan (simplified Chinese: ??; traditional Chinese: 湯圓; pinyin: t?ngyu?n), another popular activity at this festival is guessing lantern riddles (which became part of the festival during the Tang Dynasty), which often contain messages of good fortune, family reunion, abundant harvest, prosperity and love.
Until the Sui Dynasty in the sixth century, Emperor Yangdi invited envoys from other countries to China to see the colorful lighted lanterns and enjoy the gala performances.
By the beginning of the Tang Dynasty in the seventh century, the lantern displays would last three days.
The emperor also lifted the curfew, allowing the people to enjoy the festive lanterns day and night.
It is not difficult to find Chinese poems which describe this happy scene.
In the Song Dynasty, the festival was celebrated for five days and the activities began to spread to many of the big cities in China.
Colorful glass and even jade were used to make lanterns, with figures from folk tales painted on the lanterns.
However, the largest Lantern Festival celebration took place in the early part of the 15th century.
The festivities continued for ten days.
Emperor Chengzu had the downtown area set aside as a center for displaying the lanterns.
Even today, there is a place in Beijing called Dengshikou.
In Chinese, Deng means lantern and Shi is market.
The area became a market where lanterns were sold during the day.
In the evening, the local people would go there to see the beautiful lighted lanterns on display.
Today, the displaying of lanterns is still a big event on the 15th day of the first lunar month throughout China.
Chengdu in Southwest China's Sichuan Province, for example, holds a lantern fair each year in Culture Park.
During the Lantern Festival, the park is a virtual ocean of lanterns!
Many new designs attract countless visitors.
The most eye-catching lantern is the Dragon Pole.
This is a lantern in the shape of a golden dragon, spiraling up a 27-meter-high pole, spewing fireworks from its mouth.
Cities such as Hangzhou and Shanghai have adopted electric and neon lanterns, which can often be seen beside their traditional paper or wooden counterparts.
The Lantern Festival marks the first full moon of the new lunar year and the close of the Chinese New Year.
In a ritual dating back thousands of years to the Han dynasty, traditional lanterns as depicted in today’s Doodle are released into the night sky bearing messages of prosperity, unity, and love.
Lanterns are often red, the color of good fortune.
Some might even contain riddles, which may win the fortunate ones a small prize — a favorite pastime of little children over generations.
In observance of the festival, families feast on tangyuan (small rice balls filled with sweet red bean paste, fruit, and nuts) that are thought to bring happiness and good luck in the new year.
The round shape of the tangyuan symbolizes unity and togetherness.
Celebrations around the world include lion and dragon dances, stilt-walking, parades, and fireworks.
Modern and traditional worlds combine as electric and neon lanterns float beside their paper or wooden counterparts, creating yet another beautiful memory of a lamp-lit sky for the year ahead.
單句
Chinese New Year, also called Spring Festival, has more than 4,000 years of history.
Being one of the traditional Chinese festivals, it is the grandest and the most important festival for Chinese people.
It is also the time for the whole families to get together, which is similar with Christmas Day to the westerners.
Originating during the Shang Dynasty (about 17th - 11th century BC), it celebrates family reunion and hopes the advent of spring and flowers blossoming rich with full of colorful activities.
People from different regions and different ethnic groups celebrate it in their unique ways.
單句
 In ancient traditions, it was one of the few nights in ancient times without a strict curfew.
 Young people were chaperoned in the streets in hopes of finding love.
 Matchmakers acted busily in hopes of pairing couples.
 The brightest lanterns were symbolic of good luck and hope.
 As time has progressed, however, the festival no longer has such implications nowadays.
 Those who do not carry lanterns often enjoy watching informal lantern parades.
 In addition to eating tangyuan ( pinyin: t?ngyu?n), another popular activity at this festival is guessing lantern riddles (which became part of the festival since Tang Dynasty), which often contain messages of good fortune, family reunion, abundant harvest, prosperity and love.
單句
 Chinese Duanwu Festival (or Dragon Boat Festival) has been emphasized by the Chinese government as one of the traditional holidays and the citizen will be given one-day off.
 Two major activities will be: Dragon Boat races and eating of zongzi (pyramid-shaped rice wrapped in reed or bamboo leaves).
 Come and learn the history and story of this festival and also wrap your own zongzi, the glutinous rice pudding with the ingredients such as beans, lotus seeds, chestnuts, pork fat and the golden yolk of a salted duck egg, etc.
 Venue: China Culture Center, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China.
 Mid-Autumn Festival - Wikipedia The Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋節) is a harvest festival celebrated notably by the Chinese and Vietnamese people.
 It relates to Chuseok (in Korea) and Tsukimi (in Japan).
Jiaozi (Chinese: 餃子; [t?ja?u.ts?] (listen)) are a kind of Chinese dumpling, commonly eaten in China and other parts of East Asia.
 They are one of the major dishes eaten during the Chinese New Year and year-round in the northern provinces.
 Though considered part of Chinese cuisine, jiaozi are popular in other parts of Asia and in Western countries.
Jiaozi typically consist of a ground meat and/or vegetable filling wrapped into a thinly rolled piece of dough, which is then sealed by pressing the edges together.
 Finished jiaozi can be boiled (shu? ji?o), steamed (zh?ng ji?o) or pan-fried (ji?n ji?o) and are traditionally served with a black vinegar and sesame oil dip.
 They can also be served with soup as well.
 Traditionally, jiaozi were thought to be invented during the era of the Eastern Han (AD 25–220)[1][2] by Zhang Zhongjing [3] who was a great practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine.
 Jiaozi were originally referred to as "tender ears" (Chinese: 嬌耳; pinyin: jiao'er) because they were used to treat frostbitten ears.
 Zhang Zhongjing was on his way home during wintertime, when he found many common people had frostbitten ears, because they did not have warm clothes and sufficient food.
 He treated these poor people by stewing lamb, black pepper, and some warming medicines in a pot, chopped them, and used them to fill small dough wrappers.
 He boiled these dumplings and gave them with the broth to his patients, until the coming of the Chinese New Year.
 In order to celebrate the New Year as well as recovering from frostbitten ears, people imitated Zhang's recipe to make Jiao'er.
 Other theories suggest that jiaozi may have derived from dumplings in Western Asia.
 In the Western Han dynasty (206 BC – AD 9) jiaozi (餃子) were called jiaozi (角子).
 During the Three Kingdoms period (AD 220–280), the book Guangya by Zhang Yi mentions jiaozi.
 Yan Zhitui during the Northern Qi dynasty (AD 550–577) wrote: "Today the jiaozi, shaped like a crescent moon, is a common food in the world.
" Six Dynasties Turfan tombs contained dumplings.
 Later in the Tang dynasty (AD 618–907), jiaozi become more popular, called Bian Shi (扁食).
 Chinese archaeologists have found a bowl of jiaozi in the Tang dynasty tombs in Turpan.
 7th or 8th century dumplings and wontons were found in Turfan.
Jiaozi may also be named because they are horn-shaped.
 The Chinese word for "horn" is jiao (Chinese: 角; pinyin: ji?o), and jiaozi was originally written with the Chinese character for "horn", but later it was replaced by the specific character 餃, which has the food radical on the left and the phonetic component ji?o (交) on the right.
At the same time, jiaozi look like yuan bao silver or gold ingots used as currency during the Ming dynasty, and as the name sounds like the word for the earliest paper money, serving them is believed to bring prosperity.
Many families eat these at midnight on Chinese New Year's Eve.
 Some cooks will even hide a clean coin inside a jiaozi for the lucky to find.
Nowadays, jiaozi are eaten year-round, and can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
 They can be served as an appetizer, a side dish, or as the main course.
 In China, sometimes jiaozi is served as a last course during restaurant meals.
 As a breakfast dish, jiaozi are prepared alongside xiaolongbao at inexpensive roadside restaurants.
 Typically, they are served in small steamers containing ten pieces each.
 Although mainly serving jiaozi to breakfast customers, these small restaurants keep them hot on steamers and ready to eat all day.
 Jiaozi are always served with a soy sauce-based dipping sauce that may include vinegar, garlic, ginger, rice wine, hot sauce, and sesame oil.
 They can also be served with soup as well.
The Lantern Festival or the Spring Lantern Festival is a Chinese festival celebrated on the fifteenth day of the first month in the lunisolar Chinese calendar.
 Usually falling in February or early March on the Gregorian calendar, it marks the final day of the traditional Chinese New Year celebrations.
 As early as the Western Han Dynasty (206 BCE-CE 25), it had become a festival with great significance.
During the Lantern Festival, children go out at night carrying paper lanterns and solve riddles on the lanterns (simplified Chinese: 猜??; traditional Chinese: 猜燈謎; pinyin: c?id?ngm?; Jyutping: caai1 dang1 mai4).
In ancient times, the lanterns were fairly simple, and only the emperor and noblemen had large ornate ones.
In modern times, lanterns have been embellished with many complex designs.
For example, lanterns are now often made in the shape of animals.
 The lanterns can symbolize the people letting go of their past selves and getting new ones, which they will let go of the next year.
 The lanterns are almost always red to symbolize good fortune.
There are several beliefs about the origin of the Lantern Festival.
 However, its roots trace back more than 2000 years ago and is popularly linked to the reign of Emperor Ming of Han at the time when Buddhism was growing in China.
Emperor Ming was an advocate of Buddhism and noticed Buddhist monks would light lanterns in temples on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.
 As a result, Emperor Ming ordered all households, temples and the imperial palace to light lanterns on that evening.
From there it developed into a folk custom.
 Another likely origin is the celebration of "the declining darkness of winter" and community's ability to "move about at night with human-made light," namely, lanterns.
 During the Han Dynasty, the festival was connected to Ti Yin, the deity of the North Star.
Another legend about the origins of Lantern Festival involves a maid named Yuan-Xiao.
 In the Han Dynasty, Dongfang Shuo was a favorite adviser of the emperor.
 One winter day, he went to the garden and heard a little girl crying and getting ready to jump into a well to commit suicide.
 Shuo stopped her and asked why.
 She said she was Yuan-Xiao, a maid in the emperor's palace and that she never had a chance to see her family since she started working there.
 If she could not have the chance to show her filial piety in this life, she would rather die.
 Shuo promised to find a way to reunite her with her family.
 Shuo left the palace and set up a fortune-telling stall on the street.
 Due to his reputation, many people asked for their fortunes to be told but everyone got the same prediction - a calamitous fire on the fifteenth lunar day.
 The rumor spread quickly.
 Everyone was worried about the future and asked Shuo for help.
 Shuo said that on the thirteenth lunar day, the God of Fire would send a fairy in red riding a black horse to burn down the city.
 When people saw the fairy they should ask for her mercy.
 On that day, Yuan-Xiao pretended to be the red fairy.
 When people asked for her help, she said that she had a copy of a decree from the God of Fire that should be taken to the emperor.
 After she left, people went to the palace to show the emperor the decree which stated that the capital city would burn down on the fifteenth.
 The emperor asked Yangshuo for advice.
 Yangshuo said that the God of Fire liked to eat tangyuan (sweet dumplings).
 Yuan-Xiao should cook tangyuan on the fifteenth lunar day and the emperor should order every house to prepare tangyuan to worship the God of Fire at the same time.
 Also, every house in the city should hang red lantern and explode fire crackers.
 Lastly, everyone in the palace and people outside the city should carry their lanterns on the street to watch the lantern decorations and fireworks.
 The Jade Emperor would be deceived and everyone would avoid the disastrous fire.
 The emperor happily followed the plan.
 Lanterns were everywhere in the capital city on the night of the fifteenth lunar day.
 People were walking on the street.
 Fire crackers kept making lots of noise.
 It looked like the entire city was on fire.
 Yuan-Xiao's parents went into the palace to watch the lantern decorations and were reunited with their daughter.
 The emperor decreed that people should do the same thing every year.
 Since Yuan-Xiao cooked the best tangyuan, people called the day Yuan-Xiao Festival.
 Eaten during the Lantern Festival, tangyuan '??' (South China) or yuan xiao '元宵' (North China) is a glutinous rice ball typically filled with sweet red bean paste, sesame paste, or peanut butter.
 Actually, tangyuan is different from yuanxiao due to different manual making and filling processes.
However, they are very similar in shape and taste, so most people do not distinguish them for convenience and consider them as the same thing.
The Chinese people believe that the round shape of the balls and the bowls in which they are served symbolize family togetherness, and that eating tangyuan or yuanxiao may bring the family harmony, happiness and luck in the new year.
Until the Sui Dynasty in the sixth century, Emperor Yangdi invited envoys from other countries to China to see the colorful lighted lanterns and enjoy the gala performances.
By the beginning of the Tang Dynasty in the seventh century, the lantern displays would last three days.
 The emperor also lifted the curfew, allowing the people to enjoy the festive lanterns day and night.
 It is not difficult to find Chinese poems which describe this happy scene.
 In the Song Dynasty, the festival was celebrated for five days and the activities began to spread to many of the big cities in China.
 Colorful glass and even jade were used to make lanterns, with figures from folk tales painted on the lanterns.
 However, the largest Lantern Festival celebration took place in the early part of the 15th century.
 The festivities continued for ten days.
 Emperor Chengzu had the downtown area set aside as a center for displaying the lanterns.
 Even today, there is a place in Beijing called Dengshikou.
 In Chinese, deng means lantern and shi is market.
 The area became a market where lanterns were sold during the day.
 In the evening, the local people would go there to see the beautiful lighted lanterns on display.
Lion dance (simplified Chinese: 舞?; traditional Chinese: 舞獅; pinyin: w?sh?) is a form of traditional dance in Chinese culture, in which performers mimic a lion's movements in a lion costume Asiatic lions found in nearby India are the ones depicted in the Chinese culture.
As Taiwan plays a vital role in the global ICT industry, it has been regarded as “a high-tech island” in the world.
Besides, with the help of numerous Tibetan Buddhist followers and locals enthusiastic about Tibetan culture, the Tibetan religion, art, and culture have been developed and thrived on this island, thus creating an enormous religious power which not only purifies people’s minds, but engages in a positive conversation on self-reflection and self-improvement with modern civilization in pursuit of technological innovation.
For the related lunar festivals celebrated on the same day, see Tsukimi (Japan) and Chuseok (??/North and South Korea).
Mooncakes, a rich pastry typically filled with sweet-bean or lotus-seed paste, are traditionally eaten during the festival.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is also known by other names, such as:
Moon Festival or Harvest Moon Festival, because of the celebration's association with the full moon on this night, as well as the traditions of moon worship and moon viewing.
Zh?ngqi? Ji? (中秋?), is the official name in Mandarin.
Lantern Festival, a term sometimes used in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia, which is not to be confused with the Lantern Festival in China that occurs on the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese calendar.
Reunion Festival, in earlier times, a woman in China took this occasion to visit her parents before returning to celebrate with her husband and his parents.
Children's Festival, in Vietnam, because of the emphasis on the celebration of children.
The festival celebrates three fundamental concepts that are closely connected:
Gathering, such as family and friends coming together, or harvesting crops for the festival.
It is said the moon is the brightest and roundest on this day which means family reunion.
Consequently, this is the main reason why the festival is thought to be important.
Thanksgiving, to give thanks for the harvest, or for harmonious unions.
Praying (asking for conceptual or material satisfaction), such as for babies, a spouse, beauty, longevity, or for a good future
Traditions and myths surrounding the festival are formed around these concepts, although traditions have changed over time due to changes in technology, science, economy, culture, and religion.
It's about well being together.
The Chinese have celebrated the harvest during the autumn full moon since the Shang dynasty (c.1600–1046 BCE).
For the Baiyue peoples, the harvest time commemorated the dragon who brought rain for the crops.
The celebration as a festival only started to gain popularity during the early Tang dynasty (618–907 CE).
One legend explains that Emperor Xuanzong of Tang started to hold formal celebrations in his palace after having explored the Moon-Palace.
The term mid-autumn (中秋) first appeared in Rites of Zhou, a written collection of rituals of the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BCE).
As for the royal court, it is dedicated to the goddess Taiyinxingjun(太陰星君T?iy?n x?ng j?n );.
And current still in taoism and Chinese folk religion
Empress Dowager Cixi (late 19th century) enjoyed celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival so much that she would spend the period between the thirteenth and seventeenth day of the eighth month staging elaborate rituals.
Houyi helplessly looking at his wife Chang'e flying off to the moon after she drank the elixir.
An important part of the festival celebration is moon worship.
The ancient Chinese believed in rejuvenation being associated with the moon and water, and connected this concept to the menstruation of women, calling it "monthly water".
The Zhuang people, for example, have an ancient fable saying the sun and moon are a couple and the stars are their children, and when the moon is pregnant, it becomes round, and then becomes crescent after giving birth to a child.
These beliefs made it popular among women to worship and give offerings to the moon on this evening.
In some areas of China, there are still customs in which "men do not worship the moon and the women do not offer sacrifices to the kitchen gods."
In China, the Mid-Autumn festival symbolizes the family reunion and family reunion, and on this day, all families will appreciate the moon in the evening, because it is the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar, when the moon is at its fullest.
There is a beautiful myth about the Mid-Autumn festival, that is Chang 'e flying to the moon.
The Chinese New Year, the Lantern, Mooncake and the Qingming Festivals explained, and where to go if you are hankering for food associated with these celebrations.
The richness and grandeur of China’s history and culture are on full display in the festivals and holidays that Chinese people celebrate throughout the year.
These festivals are observed by Chinese communities all over the world, including the Chinese American community here in New York City.
Here are brief descriptions of four of China’s major festivals, and how they are celebrated here, in Manhattan’s Chinatown.
Dragons are believed to ward off evils spirits.
The Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, is the biggest Chinese festival both socially and economically.
Its origin can be traced to the Shang Dynasty (1600 BC -1046 BC).
The celebration of Chinese New Year serves a dual societal purpose.
First, it is a religious and social guide to enforce the power of the Shang Dynasty by appeasing one’s ancestors through participating in time-honored rituals.
These rituals include a detailed cleaning of one’s home – as a means to rid yourself of the bad qi or bad energy that had accumulated throughout the year – and ritual sacrifices of paper goods and foods.
Firecrackers were set off to ward off evil spirits.
Elders gave out money to children in red envelopes as a means to bring good life and longevity.
The second purpose of the festival is to send a signal to the farmers that spring is arriving.
Food plays an important role in Chinese New Year.
Dumplings are vital to the New Year feast; their significance lays in their shape, which is similar to the shape of a Chinese golden nugget.
Sticky rice or nian gao is a traditional staple during this holiday because the shape of the grains resembles pieces of gold.
The hope is that it will raise the level of prosperity and success, both in one’s career and livelihood.
Noodles are eaten during the festival to bring about longevity.
Fish is vital to the festival’s cuisine as fish in mandarin Chinese is “yu”, which can also mean plentiful or abundant.
Eating fish is believed to bring about an abundance of food for the whole year.
On the Gregorian calendar that most Western nations use, the Chinese New Year can be anywhere from late January to mid-February.
The Lantern Festival is the Chinese festival celebrated on the 15th day of the first month of the lunar calendar.
The festival falls on the first full moon of the New Year, celebrating the return of spring and the end of the Chinese New Year.
The festival can be traced back to the Eastern Han Dynasty (25 AD – 220 AD).
Emperor Hanming Di, a supporter of Buddhism, heard that monks liked to light lanterns on the 15th day of the first lunar month.
Liking this idea, he decided that all temples, households, and palaces should light lanterns on the same evening.
Lighting and appreciating lanterns is seen as a way to express good wishes for the future of one’s family.
Dragon dancing is held at the closing of the Chinese New Year as a means to ward off evil spirits and to usher in good fortune and safety in the coming year.
The dragons move from shop to shop, collecting cabbages and red envelopes.
During this holiday, it is customary to eat tang yuan or yuan xiao.
These are round soup balls for which the festivity is named.
They are made from glutinous rice flour, with different fillings inside, usually sweet.
Most common fillings are peanuts with brown sugar, sweet black sesame paste, and sweet red bean.
The tang yuan is generally steamed and served in fermented sweet water.
The round shape of the balls symbolizes wholeness and togetherness, both of which are said to express best wishes for the family’s future.
The Lantern Festival celebration is usually held anytime from early February to early March.
The Sweeping of the Tombs Festival is observed either on the third or fourth day of April.
It is a day to remember one’s ancestors, when families visit the tombs of their departed forefathers and loved ones to clean the place and offer sacrifices.
The festival dates back to the Zhou Dynasty (1046 BC – 256 BC), when emperors and wealthy officials started honoring their ancestors and offered sacrifices by praying for continued blessings of prosperity, peace, and plentiful harvest.
Sweeping the tomb is not just limited to sweeping, but also includes the removal of weeds, adding fresh soil, and removing any fallen branches from and near to the tomb.
Customarily, when one first approaches the tomb, one needs to bow three times as a sign of respect.
People burn incense on the tomb and paper money in a bin beside the tomb in the belief that doing so would make the family’s ancestors prosperous in heaven.
Rice wine is poured over the soil of the tomb and food (typically fruits, meats, and rice) are placed on the tomb to bring prosperity to their ancestors in heaven.
Kite-flying is a traditional activity, done by both young and old alike, both during the day and at night.
In the evening, little, colored lanterns are attached to the kite.
The lanterns make the flying kites look like twinkling stars.
Kite-flying is believed to bring in good luck and drive away diseases.
Traditional Sweeping of the Tombs Festival food are sweet green rice balls, peach blossom porridge, qingming cakes and eggs.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated on the 15th day on the eight month of the lunar calendar, usually on the night of the full moon between early September to early October of the Gregorian calendar.
The festival celebrates the fullness of the moon.
Moon worshiping dates back to the Shang Dynasty (1600 BC -1046 BC).
Chinese emperors believed that worshiping and providing sacrifices to the moon would bring a plentiful harvest for the following year.
By the Tang Dynasty (618 AD – 907 AD), officials would hold big parties while commoners would drink wine and gaze at the moon.
Mooncakes have become synonymous with the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Moon cakes are made from egg-based pastry skin with a sweet, dense, filling.
In Chinese culture, the roundness of the mooncakes symbolizes prosperity and togetherness for the whole family.
Giving mooncakes to friends and family members is considered an act of expressing love and best wishes.
Traditional mooncake fillings are lotus seed paste, sweet red bean, five nuts (nuts used differ from region to region, but are typically walnuts, pumpkin seeds, peanuts, sesame seeds and almonds), egg yolk, and jujube paste.
Chuseok (in Korea), Tsukimi (in Japan), Uposatha of Ashvini/Krittika (similar festivals that generally occur on the same day in Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand)
"Mid-Autumn Festival" in Traditional (top) and Simplified (bottom) Chinese characters
Chuseok (??/秋夕; Autumn Eve), Korean variant of the Mid-Autumn Festival celebrated on the same day in the lunar calendar.
Tsukimi (月見; Moon-Viewing), Japanese variant of the Mid-Autumn Festival celebrated on the same day in the lunar calendar.
Offerings are also made to a more well-known lunar deity, Chang'e, known as the Moon Goddess of Immortality.
The myths associated with Chang'e explain the origin of moon worship during this day.
One version of the story is as follows, as described in Lihui Yang's Handbook of Chinese Mythology:[16]
In the ancient past, there was a hero named Hou Yi who was excellent at archery.
His wife was Chang'e.
One year, the ten suns rose in the sky together, causing great disaster to the people.
Yi shot down nine of the suns and left only one to provide light.
An immortal admired Yi and sent him the elixir of immortality.
Yi did not want to leave Chang'e and be immortal without her, so he let Chang'e keep the elixir.
However, Peng Meng, one of his apprentices, knew this secret.
So, on the fifteenth of August in the lunar calendar, when Yi went hunting, Peng Meng broke into Yi's house and forced Chang'e to give the elixir to him.
Chang'e refused to do so.
Instead, she swallowed it and flew into the sky.
Since she loved her husband and hoped to live nearby, she chose the moon for her residence.
When Yi came back and learned what had happened, he felt so sad that he displayed the fruits and cakes Chang'e liked in the yard and gave sacrifices to his wife.
People soon learned about these activities, and since they also were sympathetic to Chang'e they participated in these sacrifices with Yi.
“when people learned of this story, they burnt incense on a long altar and prayed to Chang ‘e, now the goddess of the moon, for luck and safety.
The custom of praying to the moon on Mid-Autumn Day has been handed down for thousands of years since that time.
"[17] actually, As chang 'e and hou yi's sad and beautiful love story spread, Chinese people also long for chang 'e to bless lovers, so that they can be happy together.
And ancient China also has the custom of appreciating lanterns and guessing riddles on the Mid-Autumn night.
According to legend, a man can get a lantern by guessing riddles and give it to a woman he likes.
If the woman also has the sentiment to the man, then may return presents the handkerchief, is really very romantic!
Handbook of Chinese Mythology also describes an alternate common version of the myth:[16]
After the hero Houyi shot down nine of the ten suns, he was pronounced king by the thankful people.
However, he soon became a conceited and tyrannical ruler.
In order to live long without death, he asked for the elixir from Xiwangmu.
But his wife, Chang'e, stole it on the fifteenth of August because she did not want the cruel king to live long and hurt more people.
She took the magic potion to prevent her husband from becoming immortal.
Houyi was so angry when discovered that Chang'e took the elixir, he shot at his wife as she flew toward the moon, though he missed.
Chang'e fled to the moon and became the spirit of the moon.
Houyi died soon because he was overcome with great anger.
Thereafter, people offer a sacrifice to Chang'e on every lunar fifteenth of August to commemorate Chang'e's action.
The festival was a time to enjoy the successful reaping of rice and wheat with food offerings made in honor of the moon.
Today, it is still an occasion for outdoor reunions among friends and relatives to eat mooncakes and watch the moon, a symbol of harmony and unity.
During a year of a solar eclipse, it is typical for governmental offices, banks, and schools to close extra days in order to enjoy the extended celestial celebration an eclipse brings.
[18] The festival is celebrated with many cultural or regional customs, among them:
Burning incense in reverence to deities including Chang'e.
Performance of dragon and lion dances, which is mainly practiced in southern China[2] and Vietnam.
A notable part of celebrating the holiday is the carrying of brightly lit lanterns, lighting lanterns on towers, or floating sky lanterns.
[2] Another tradition involving lanterns is to write riddles on them and have other people try to guess the answers (simplified Chinese: ??; traditional Chinese:燈謎; pinyin: d?ng m?; literally: 'lantern riddle').
It is difficult to discern the original purpose of lanterns in connection to the festival, but it is certain that lanterns were not used in conjunction with moon-worship prior to the Tang dynasty.
[11] Traditionally, the lantern has been used to symbolize fertility, and functioned mainly as a toy and decoration.
But today the lantern has come to symbolize the festival itself.
[11] In the old days, lanterns were made in the image of natural things, myths, and local cultures.
[11] Over time, a greater variety of lanterns could be found as local cultures became influenced by their neighbors.
As China gradually evolved from an agrarian society to a mixed agrarian-commercial one, traditions from other festivals began to be transmitted into the Mid-Autumn Festival, such as the putting of lanterns on rivers to guide the spirits of the drowned as practiced during the Ghost Festival, which is observed a month before.
[11] Hong Kong fishermen during the Qing dynasty, for example, would put up lanterns on their boats for the Ghost Festival and keep the lanterns up until Mid-Autumn Festival.
In Vietnam, children participate in parades in the dark under the full moon with lanterns of various forms, shapes, and colors.
Traditionally, lanterns signified the wish for the sun's light and warmth to return after winter.
[20] In addition to carrying lanterns, the children also don masks.
Elaborate masks were made of papier-m?ch?, though it is more common to find masks made of plastic nowadays.
[3] Handcrafted shadow lanterns were an important part of Mid-Autumn displays since the 12th-century L? dynasty, often of historical figures from Vietnamese history.
[3] Handcrafted lantern-making declined in modern times due to the availability of mass-produced plastic lanterns, which often depict internationally recognized characters such as Pok?mon's Pikachu, Disney characters, SpongeBob SquarePants, and Hello Kitty.
“The round moon cakes are symbols of the great family reunion just like the round.
”(Lemei) Moon cakes are becoming more and more popular, and the variety of flavors has turned them into gifts for friends and relatives.
Typical lotus bean-filled mooncakes eaten during the festival
Making and sharing mooncakes is one of the hallmark traditions of this festival.
In Chinese culture, a round shape symbolizes completeness and reunion.
Thus, the sharing and eating of round mooncakes among family members during the week of the festival signifies the completeness and unity of families.
[21] In some areas of China, there is a tradition of making mooncakes during the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
[22] The senior person in that household would cut the mooncakes into pieces and distribute them to each family member, signifying family reunion.
[22] In modern times, however, making mooncakes at home has given way to the more popular custom of giving mooncakes to family members, although the meaning of maintaining familial unity remains.
Although typical mooncakes can be around a few centimetres in diameter, imperial chefs have made some as large as 8 meters in diameter, with its surface pressed with designs of Chang'e, cassia trees, or the Moon-Palace.
[18] One tradition is to pile 13 mooncakes on top of each other to mimic a pagoda, the number 13 being chosen to represent the 13 months in a full lunar year.
[18] The spectacle of making very large mooncakes continues in modern China.
According to Chinese folklore, a Turpan businessman offered cakes to Emperor Taizong of Tang in his victory against the Xiongnu on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month.
Taizong took the round cakes and pointed to the moon with a smile, saying, "I'd like to invite the toad to enjoy the h?(胡) cake.
" After sharing the cakes with his ministers, the custom of eating these h?cakes spread throughout the country.
[24] Eventually these became known as mooncakes.
Although the legend explains the beginnings of mooncake-giving, its popularity and ties to the festival began during the Song dynasty (906–1279 CE).
Another popular legend concerns the Han Chinese's uprising against the ruling Mongols at the end of the Yuan dynasty (1280–1368 CE), in which the Han Chinese used traditional mooncakes to conceal the message that they were to rebel on Mid-Autumn Day.
[19] Because of strict controls upon Han Chinese families imposed by the Mongols in which only 1 out of every 10 households was allowed to own a knife guarded by a Mongolian guard, this coordinated message was important to gather as many available weapons as possible.
Cassia wine is the traditional choice for "reunion wine" drunk during Mid-Autumn Festival
Imperial dishes served on this occasion included nine-jointed lotus roots which symbolize peace, and watermelons cut in the shape of lotus petals which symbolize reunion.
[18] Teacups were placed on stone tables in the garden, where the family would pour tea and chat, waiting for the moment when the full moon's reflection appeared in the center of their cups.
[18] Owing to the timing of the plant's blossoms, cassia wine is the traditional choice for the "reunion wine" drunk on the occasion.
Also, people will celebrate by eating cassia cakes and candy.
In some places, people will celebrate by drinking osmanthus wine and eating osmanthus mooncakes.
Food offerings made to deities are placed on an altar set up in the courtyard, including apples, pears, peaches, grapes, pomegranates, melons, oranges, and pomelos.
[28] One of the first decorations purchased for the celebration table is a clay statue of the Jade Rabbit.
In Chinese folklore, the Jade Rabbit was an animal that lived on the moon and accompanied Chang'e.
Offerings of soy beans and cockscomb flowers were made to the Jade Rabbit.
Nowadays, in southern China, people will also eat some seasonal fruit that may differ in different district but carrying the same meaning of blessing.
In Taiwan, the Mid-Autumn Festival is a public holiday.
Outdoor barbecues have become a popular affair for friends and family to gather and enjoy each other's company.
[38] As of 2016, Taipei City designated 15 riverside parks to accommodate outdoor barbecues for the public.
The traditional Chinese holidays are an essential part of harvests or prayer offerings.
The most important Chinese holiday is the Chinese New Year (Spring Festival), which is also celebrated in Taiwan and overseas ethnic Chinese communities.
All traditional holidays are scheduled according to the Chinese calendar (except the Qing Ming and Winter Solstice days, falling on the respective Jie qi in the Agricultural calendar).
Lantern parade and lion dance celebrating the first full moon.
This day is also the last day of new year celebration.
This is Tourism Day in Taiwan
Eat Chinese pancakes (Chun bing, 春餅) and noodles, clean the house.
Also known as Dragon Raising its Head This is Earth God's Birthday in Taiwan
Qingming Festival (Tomb Sweeping Festival, Tomb Sweeping Day, Clear and Bright Festival)
Visit, clean, and make offerings at ancestral gravesites, spring outing
Dragon boat race, eat sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaves Zongzi (粽子).
This festival commemorates the ancient poet Qu Yuan; drink yellow rice wine, related to the White Snake Lady legend
15th night of the seventh month (14th in parts of southern China)
Burn fake paper money and make offerings to ancestors and the dead to comfort them in the afterlife and keep them from troubling the living.
Autumn outing and mountain climbing, some Chinese also visit the graves of their ancestors to pay their respects.
Chinese New Year (or generally referred to as Lunar New Year globally) is the Chinese festival that celebrates the beginning of a new year on the traditional Chinese calendar.
The festival is usually referred to as the Spring Festival in mainland China, and is one of several Lunar New Years in Asia.
Observances traditionally take place from the evening preceding the first day of the year to the Lantern Festival, held on the 15th day of the year.
The first day of Chinese New Year begins on the new moon that appears between 21 January and 20 February.
In 2020, the first day of the Chinese New Year will be on Saturday, 25 January, initiating the Year of the Rat.
Chinese New Year is associated with several myths and customs.
The festival was traditionally a time to honour deities as well as ancestors.
Within China, regional customs and traditions concerning the celebration of the New Year vary widely, and the evening preceding Chinese New Year's Day is frequently regarded as an occasion for Chinese families to gather for the annual reunion dinner.
It is also traditional for every family to thoroughly clean their house, in order to sweep away any ill-fortune and to make way for incoming good luck.
Another custom is the decoration of windows and doors with red paper-cuts and couplets.
Popular themes among these paper-cuts and couplets include that of good fortune or happiness, wealth, and longevity.
Other activities include lighting firecrackers and giving money in red paper envelopes.
For the northern regions of China, dumplings are featured prominently in meals celebrating the festival.
It often serves as the first meal of the year either at mid-night or as breakfast of the first day.
Chinese New Year is observed as a public holiday in some countries and territories where there is a sizable Chinese and Korean population.
Since Chinese New Year falls on different dates on the Gregorian calendar every year on different days of the week, some of these governments opt to shift working days in order to accommodate a longer public holiday.
In some countries, a statutory holiday is added on the following work day when the New Year falls on a weekend, as in the case of 2013, where the New Year's Eve (9 February) falls on Saturday and the New Year's Day (10 February) on Sunday.
Depending on the country, the holiday may be termed differently; common names are "Chinese New Year", "Lunar New Year", "New Year Festival", and "Spring Festival".
For New Year celebrations that are lunar but are outside of China and Chinese diaspora (such as Korea's Seollal and Vietnam's T?t), see the article on Lunar New Year.
For other countries where Chinese New Year is celebrated but not an official holiday, see the table below.
The first 3 days.
Usually, the Saturday before and the Sunday after Chinese New Year are declared working days, and the 2 additionally gained holidays are added to the official 3 days of holiday, so that people have 7 consecutive days, including weekends.
Divided into 3 days, the first day is the Wan chai (Thai: ???????; pay day), meaning the day that people go out to shop for offerings, second day is the Wan wai (???????; worship day), is a day of worshiping the gods and ancestral spirits, which is divided into three periods: dawn, late morning and afternoon, the third day is a Wan tieow (?????????; holiday), is a holiday that everyone will leave the house to travel or to bless relatives or respectable people.
And often wear red clothes because it is believed to bring auspiciousness to life.
Red couplets and red lanterns are displayed on the door frames and light up the atmosphere.
The air is filled with strong Chinese emotions.
In stores in Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan, and other cities, products of traditional Chinese style have started to lead fashion trend[s].
Buy yourself a Chinese-style coat, get your kids tiger-head hats and shoes, and decorate your home with some beautiful red Chinese knots, then you will have an authentic Chinese-style Spring Festival.
In many households where Buddhism or Taoism is prevalent, home altars and statues are cleaned thoroughly, and decorations used to adorn altars over the past year are taken down and burned a week before the new year starts, to be replaced with new decorations.
Taoists (and Buddhists to a lesser extent) will also "send gods back to heaven" (Chinese: 送神; pinyin: s?ngsh?n), an example would be burning a paper effigy of Zao Jun the Kitchen God, the recorder of family functions.
This is done so that the Kitchen God can report to the Jade Emperor of the family household's transgressions and good deeds.
Families often offer sweet foods (such as candy) in order to "bribe" the deities into reporting good things about the family.
Prior to the Reunion Dinner, a prayer of thanksgiving is held to mark the safe passage of the previous year.
Confucianists take the opportunity to remember their ancestors, and those who had lived before them are revered.
Some people do not give a Buddhist prayer due to the influence of Christianity, with a Christian prayer offered instead.
The first day is for the welcoming of the deities of the heavens and earth, officially beginning at midnight.
It is a traditional practice to light fireworks, burn bamboo sticks and firecrackers and to make as much of a din as possible to chase off the evil spirits as encapsulated by nian of which the term Guo Nian was derived.
Many Buddhists abstain from meat consumption on the first day because it is believed to ensure longevity for them.
Some consider lighting fires and using knives to be bad luck on New Year's Day, so all food to be consumed is cooked the days before.
On this day, it is considered bad luck to use the broom, as good fortune is not to be "swept away" symbolically.
Most importantly, the first day of Chinese New Year is a time to honor one's elders and families visit the oldest and most senior members of their extended families, usually their parents, grandparents and great-grandparents.
For Buddhists, the first day is also the birthday of Maitreya Bodhisattva (better known as the more familiar Budai Luohan), the Buddha-to-be.
People also abstain from killing animals.
Some families may invite a lion dance troupe as a symbolic ritual to usher in the Chinese New Year as well as to evict bad spirits from the premises.
Members of the family who are married also give red envelopes containing cash known as lai see (Cantonese dialect) or angpow (Hokkien dialect/Fujian), or hongbao (Mandarin), a form of blessings and to suppress the aging and challenges associated with the coming year, to junior members of the family, mostly children and teenagers.
Business managers also give bonuses through red packets to employees for good luck, smooth-sailing, good health and wealth.
Incense is burned at the graves of ancestors as part of the offering and prayer rituals.
The second day of the Chinese New Year, known as "beginning of the year" (?年;開年; k?ini?n), was when married daughters visited their birth parents, relatives and close friends.
(Traditionally, married daughters didn't have the opportunity to visit their birth families frequently.)
During the days of imperial China, "beggars and other unemployed people circulate[d] from family to family, carrying a picture [of the God of Wealth] shouting, "Cai Shen dao!
" [The God of Wealth has come!].
"Householders would respond with "lucky money" to reward the messengers.
Business people of the Cantonese dialect group will hold a 'Hoi Nin' prayer to start their business on the 2nd day of Chinese New Year so they will be blessed with good luck and prosperity in their business for the year.
In those communities that celebrate Chinese New Year for 15 days, the fourth day is when corporate "spring dinners" kick off and business returns to normal.
Other areas that have a longer Chinese New Year holiday will celebrate and welcome the gods that were previously sent on this day.
This day is the god of Wealth's birthday.
In northern China, people eat jiaozi, or dumplings, on the morning of powu (Chinese: 破五; pinyin: p?w?).
In Taiwan, businesses traditionally re-open on the next day (the sixth day), accompanied by firecrackers.
It is also common in China that on the 5th day people will shoot off firecrackers to get Guan Yu's attention, thus ensuring his favor and good fortune for the new year.
The fifteenth day of the new year is celebrated as "Yuanxiao Festival" (元宵?;元宵節; Yu?n xi?o ji?), also known as "Shangyuan Festival" (上元?;上元節; Sh?ng yu?n ji?) or the Lantern Festival (otherwise known as Chap Goh Mei (十五暝; Sh?w?m?ng; 'the fifteen night') in Fujian dialect).
Rice dumplings tangyuan (??;湯圓; tang yu?n), a sweet glutinous rice ball brewed in a soup, are eaten this day.
Candles are lit outside houses as a way to guide wayward spirits home.
This day is celebrated as the Lantern Festival, and families walk the street carrying lighted lantern.
A reunion dinner (ni?n y? f?n) is held on New Year's Eve during which family members gather for a celebration.
The venue will usually be in or near the home of the most senior member of the family.
The New Year's Eve dinner is very large and sumptuous and traditionally includes dishes of meat (namely, pork and chicken) and fish.
Most reunion dinners also feature a communal hot pot as it is believed to signify the coming together of the family members for the meal.
Most reunion dinners (particularly in the Southern regions) also prominently feature specialty meats (e.g. wax-cured meats like duck and Chinese sausage) and seafood (e.g. lobster and abalone) that are usually reserved for this and other special occasions during the remainder of the year.
In most areas, fish (?;魚; y?) is included, but not eaten completely (and the remainder is stored overnight), as the Chinese phrase "may there be surpluses every year" (年年有余;年年有餘; ni?nni?n y?u y?) sounds the same as "let there be fish every year.
" Eight individual dishes are served to reflect the belief of good fortune associated with the number.
If in the previous year a death was experienced in the family, seven dishes are served.
Red packets for the immediate family are sometimes distributed during the reunion dinner.
These packets contain money in an amount that reflects good luck and honorability.
Several foods are consumed to usher in wealth, happiness, and good fortune.
Several of the Chinese food names are homophones for words that also mean good things.
The Lantern Festival or the Spring Lantern Festival is a Chinese festival celebrated on the fifteenth day of the first month in the lunisolar Chinese calendar.
Usually falling in February or early March on the Gregorian calendar, it marks the final day of the traditional Chinese New Year celebrations.
As early as the Western Han Dynasty (206 BCE-CE 25), it had become a festival with great significance.
During the Lantern Festival, children go out at night carrying paper lanterns and solve riddles on the lanterns.
In ancient times, the lanterns were fairly simple, and only the emperor and noblemen had large ornate ones.
In modern times, lanterns have been embellished with many complex designs.
For example, lanterns are now often made in the shape of animals.
The lanterns can symbolize the people letting go of their past selves and getting new ones, which they will let go of the next year.
The lanterns are almost always red to symbolize good fortune.
The festival acts as an Uposatha day on the Chinese calendar.
It should not to be confused with the Mid-Autumn Festival; which is sometimes also known as the "Lantern Festival" in locations such as Singapore and Malaysia.
The Lantern Festival has also become popular in Western countries, especially in cities with a large Chinese community.
There are several beliefs about the origin of the Lantern Festival.
However, its roots trace back more than 2000 years ago and is popularly linked to the reign of Emperor Ming of Han at the time when Buddhism was growing in China.
Emperor Ming was an advocate of Buddhism and noticed Buddhist monks would light lanterns in temples on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.
As a result, Emperor Ming ordered all households, temples and the imperial palace to light lanterns on that evening.
From there it developed into a folk custom.
Another likely origin is the celebration of "the declining darkness of winter" and community's ability to "move about at night with human-made light," namely, lanterns.
During the Han Dynasty, the festival was connected to Ti Yin, the deity of the North Star.
There is one legend that states that it was a time to worship Taiyi, the God of Heaven in ancient times.
The belief was that the God of Heaven controlled the destiny of the human world.
He had sixteen dragons at his beck and call and he decided when to inflict drought, storms, famine or pestilence upon human beings.
Beginning with Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, who named China, all the emperors ordered splendid ceremonies each year.
The emperor would ask Taiyi to bring favorable weather and good health to him and his people.
Yet another common legend dealing with the origins of the Lantern Festival speaks of a beautiful bird that flew down to earth from heaven, which was hunted and killed by some villagers.
This angered the Jade Emperor in Heaven because the bird was his favorite one.
Therefore, he planned a storm of fire to destroy the village on the 15th lunar day.
The Jade Emperor's daughter heard of this plan, and warned the villagers of her father’s plan to destroy their village.
The village was in turmoil because nobody knew how should they escape their imminent destruction.
However, a wise man from another village suggested that every family should hang red lanterns around their houses, set up bonfires on the streets, and explode firecrackers on the 14th, 15th, and 16th lunar days.
This would give the village the appearance of being on fire to the Jade Emperor.
On the 15th lunar day, troops sent down from heaven whose mission was to destroy the village saw that the village was already ablaze, and returned to heaven to report to the Jade Emperor.
Satisfied, the Jade Emperor decided not to burn down the village.
From that day on, people celebrate the anniversary on the 15th lunar day every year by carrying lanterns on the streets and exploding firecrackers and fireworks.
The Ghost Festival, also known as the Hungry Ghost Festival, Zhongyuan Jie (中元?), Gui Jie (鬼?) or Yulan Festival (盂?盆?) is a traditional Buddhist and Taoist festival held in certain Asian countries.
According to the Chinese calendar (a lunisolar calendar), the Ghost Festival is on the 15th night of the seventh month (14th in southern China).
In Chinese culture, the fifteenth day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar is called Ghost Day and the seventh month in general is regarded as the Ghost Month (鬼月), in which ghosts and spirits, including those of the deceased ancestors, come out from the lower realm.
Distinct from both the Qingming Festival (or Tomb Sweeping Day, in spring) and Double Ninth Festival (in autumn) in which living descendants pay homage to their deceased ancestors, during Ghost Festival, the deceased are believed to visit the living.
On the fifteenth day the realms of Heaven and Hell and the realm of the living are open and both Taoists and Buddhists would perform rituals to transmute and absolve the sufferings of the deceased.
Intrinsic to the Ghost Month is veneration of the dead, where traditionally the filial piety of descendants extends to their ancestors even after their deaths.
Activities during the month would include preparing ritualistic food offerings, burning incense, and burning joss paper, a papier-m?ch? form of material items such as clothes, gold and other fine goods for the visiting spirits of the ancestors.
Elaborate meals (often vegetarian meals) would be served with empty seats for each of the deceased in the family treating the deceased as if they are still living.
Ancestor worship is what distinguishes Qingming Festival from Ghost Festival because the latter includes paying respects to all deceased, including the same and younger generations, while the former only includes older generations.
Other festivities may include, buying and releasing miniature paper boats and lanterns on water, which signifies giving directions to the lost ghosts and spirits of the ancestors and other deities.
The seventh month of the lunar calendar marks the Ghost Month in Taiwan.
During this month, the gates of the underworld are open and spirits are allowed to visit their family, loved ones and or just roam around.
The 15th of the month is Zhong Yuan Pudu Festival, or Ghost Festival.
While being Taoist, the festival also has Buddhist roots.
Since Ghost Month does mark the month when ghosts can roam amongst the living, this is a month that is often avoided for any wedding or childbirth.
However, while in western society spirits are often viewed as malicious, in Buddhist Taoist culture, they are but passed away spirits that have not reincarnated yet.
All deceased, good or bad, will become a spirit.
While there are many festivals paying respects to the different deities and spirits, the special bit about the Ghost Festival is that it also pays respect to those spirits without any family.
When a person passes away, it is up to the survived family to pay respects and provide food to the deceased.
When this doesn’t happen, the spirits will considered homeless and their throats will shrink to the size of a needle.
Any food that they attempt to eat will catch on fire in their mouths.
During the Ghost Month, the Buddhist Gods will permit extinguish the fire and grow their throats, allowing them to feast.
As a sign of respect, you never refer to the spirits as ghosts (gwei: 鬼), instead they are referred to as good brothers (hao song di: 好兄弟)
Since this is a tribute to all the spirits in the area, typically temples would hold a large gathering having everyone put their tributes on the tables.
Then a Taoist or Buddhist priest (depending on the temple) will speak out a mantra and invite the spirits to feast.
Below are some interesting tributes special for the spirits
A bento box or a plate of typical home cooked meal is offered as tribute to the Di Ji Zhu.
This is often times also done for companies (especially factories) to ensure job functions go smoothly and without any accidents.
For the spirits, it is also expected to bring out a basin filled with water, towel, toothbrush and toothpaste to allow the spirits to clean themselves.
Probably the most bizarre are the burlesque shows meant to be entertainment for the deceased.
Typically seen only in rural parts of Taiwan, a stage will be set up near the temple and burlesque and pole dancers will perform.
The first row will be left empty to ensure the spirits have front row seats.
While Taiwan is known for its sky lanterns during the Lantern Festival, the release of water lanterns is also an age old and gorgeous tradition.
There are two types of water lanterns: lily lanterns and house lanterns.
Lily Lanterns come from the Buddhist tradition and is used to guide homeless spirits to the afterlife.
House Lanterns are typically for each household to guide any spirits of a family that have deceased to reincarnate.
The family name will often be found on the lanterns.
The lanterns are placed in the water then lit on fire as they go out to the water.
The further they go, the more blessings the one offered the tribute will receive.
Modern day, there are usually scuba divers around to make sure the lanterns travel out into the water.
Note: The most famous water lantern release is in Japan, called T?r? nagashi.
These are released during the Bon Festival, similarly to guide souls to the spirit world.
Mo Fa Ah Ma (Grandma and Her Ghosts) is a movie made in 1998 that centers around Taiwan’s Ghost Festival.
Using it as a vessel to understand the Taiwanese culture and superstitions around spirits.
Also, it’s just a cute movie about a young boy and his ah ma.
The Ghost Festival, also known as the Hungry Ghost Festival, Zhongyuan Jie (中元節), Gui Jie (鬼節) or Yulan Festival (traditional Chinese: 盂蘭盆節; simplified Chinese: 盂?盆?; pinyin: Y?l?np?nji?; Cantonese Jyutping: jyu4 laan4 pun4 zit3) is a traditional Buddhist and Taoist festival held in certain East Asian countries.
According to the Chinese calendar (a lunisolar calendar), the Ghost Festival is on the 15th night of the seventh month (14th in parts of southern China).
In Chinese culture, the fifteenth day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar is called Ghost Day and the seventh month in general is regarded as the Ghost Month (鬼月), in which ghosts and spirits, including those of deceased ancestors, come out from the lower realm.
Distinct from both the Qingming Festival (or Tomb Sweeping Day, in spring) and Double Ninth Festival (in autumn) in which living descendants pay homage to their deceased ancestors, during Ghost Festival, the deceased are believed to visit the living.
On the fifteenth day the realms of Heaven and Hell and the realm of the living are open and both Taoists and Buddhists would perform rituals to transmute and absolve the sufferings of the deceased.
Intrinsic to the Ghost Month is veneration of the dead, where traditionally the filial piety of descendants extends to their ancestors even after their deaths.
Activities during the month would include preparing ritualistic food offerings, burning incense, and burning joss paper, a papier-m?ch? form of material items such as clothes, gold and other fine goods for the visiting spirits of the ancestors.
Elaborate meals (often vegetarian meals) would be served with empty seats for each of the deceased in the family treating the deceased as if they are still living.
Ancestor worship is what distinguishes Qingming Festival from Ghost Festival because the latter includes paying respects to all deceased, including the same and younger generations, while the former only includes older generations.
Other festivities may include, buying and releasing miniature paper boats and lanterns on water, which signifies giving directions to the lost ghosts and spirits of the ancestors and other deities.
The timing and origin story of the modern Ghost Festival, however, ultimately derives from the Mahayana scripture known as the Yulanpen or Ullambana Sutra.
The sutra records the time when Maudgalyayana achieves abhij?? and uses his new found powers to search for his deceased parents.
Maudgalyayana discovers that his deceased mother was reborn into the preta or hungry ghost realm.
She was in a wasted condition and Maudgalyayana tried to help her by giving her a bowl of rice.
Unfortunately as a preta, she was unable to eat the rice as it was transformed into burning coal.
Maudgalyayana then asks the Buddha to help him; whereupon Buddha explains how one is able to assist one's current parents and deceased parents in this life and in one's past seven lives by willingly offering food, etc., to the sangha or monastic community during Pravarana (the end of the monsoon season or vassa), which usually occurs on the 15th day of the seventh month whereby the monastic community transfers the merits to the deceased parents, etc.
The Ghost Festival is held during the seventh month of the Chinese calendar.
It also falls at the same time as a full moon, the new season, the fall harvest, the peak of Buddhist monastic asceticism, the rebirth of ancestors, and the assembly of the local community.
During this month, the gates of hell are opened up and ghosts are free to roam the earth where they seek food and entertainment.
These ghosts are believed to be ancestors of those who forgot to pay tribute to them after they died, or those who were never given a proper ritual send-off.
They have long needle-thin necks because they have not been fed by their family, or as a punishment so that they are unable to swallow.
Family members offer prayers to their deceased relatives, offer food and drink and burn hell bank notes and other forms of joss paper.
Joss paper items are believed to have value in the afterlife, considered to be very similar in some aspects to the material world, People burn paper houses, cars, servants and televisions to please the ghosts.
Families also pay tribute to other unknown wandering ghosts so that these homeless souls do not intrude on their lives and bring misfortune.
A large feast is held for the ghosts on the fourteenth day of the seventh month, when people bring samples of food and place them on an offering table to please the ghosts and ward off bad luck.
Lotus-shaped lanterns are lit and set afloat in rivers and out onto seas to symbolicly guide the lost souls of forgotten ancestors to the afterlife.
In some East Asian countries today, live performances are held and everyone is invited to attend.
The first row of seats are always empty as this is where the ghosts sit.
The shows are always put on at night and at high volumes as the sound is believed to attract and please the ghosts.
Some shows include Chinese opera, dramas, and in some areas, even burlesque shows.
Traditionally Chinese opera was the main source of entertainment but the newer shows, concerts, dramas, wars and so forth are referred to as Getai.
These acts are better known as "Merry-making".
For rituals, Buddhists and Taoists hold ceremonies to relieve ghosts from suffering, many of them holding ceremonies in the afternoon or at night (as it is believed that the ghosts are released from hell when the sun sets).
Altars are built for the deceased and priests and monks alike perform rituals for the benefit of ghosts.
Monks and priests often throw rice or other small foods into the air in all directions to distribute them to the ghosts.
During the evening, incense is burnt in front of the doors households.
Incense stands for prosperity in Chinese culture, so families believe that there is more prosperity in burning more incense.
During the festival, some shops are closed as they want to leave the streets open for the ghosts.
In the middle of each street stands an altar of incense with fresh fruit and sacrifices displayed on it.
Fourteen days after the festival, to make sure all the hungry ghosts find their way back to hell, people float water lanterns and set them outside their houses.
These lanterns are made by setting a lotus flower-shaped lantern on a paper boat.
The lanterns are used to direct the ghosts back to the underworld, and when they go out, it symbolizes that they have found their way back.
Concert-like performances are a prominent feature of the Ghost Festival in Singapore and Malaysia.
Those live concerts are popularly known as Getai in Mandarin or Koh-tai in Hokkien Chinese.
They are performed by groups of singers, dancers, entertainers and opera troops or puppet shows on a temporary stage that is set up within a residential district.
The festival is funded by the residents of each individual district.
During these Getai the front row is left empty for the special guests—the ghosts.
It is known to be bad luck to sit on the front row of red seats, if anyone were to sit on them, they would become sick or similarly ailed.
In Singapore, people would pray to ghosts/spirits or ancestors with offerings & others outside their homes for the start of the 7th month.
Most patriotic events were held on 7th Month for Singapore, which includes general and presidential elections, the Olympics and the National Day Parade.
This is where the number of outings were minimised.
In Indonesia, the festival popularly known as Cioko, or Sembahyang Rebutan in Indonesian, (Scrambling prayer).
People gather around temples and bring an offering to a spirit who died in an unlucky way, and after that, they distribute it to the poor.
The way people scramble the offerings is the origin of the festival name.
Traditionally, it is believed that ghosts haunt the island of Taiwan for the entire seventh lunar month, when the mid-summer Ghost Festival is held.
The month is known as Ghost Month.
The first day of the month is marked by opening the gate of a temple, symbolizing the gates of hell.
During the month, people avoid surgery, buying cars, swimming, moving house, marrying, whistling and going out or taking pictures after dark.
It is also important that addresses are not revealed to the ghosts.
Ch?gen (中元), also Och?gen (?中元), is an annual event in Japan on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month, when people give gifts to their superiors and acquaintances.
Originally it was an annual event for giving gifts to the ancestral spirits.
Ghost Month (August): All of Taiwan observes Ghost Month during August.
During Ghost Month, the doors to Heaven and Hell open to the world of the living.
You will see stores full to the brim with stacks of yellow paper money, which are burned in small metal furnaces outside homes and shops all day long.
Food and drink offerings are also offered up to the ghosts.
Many Kinmenese are superstitious and adhere to certain rules to avoid getting on the bad side of the ghost.
For example, during this month, some people believe that hanging laundry outside to dry will cause a ghost to inhabit the clothes and then possess the wearer.
Mid-Autumn Festival/Moon Festival (September): The Mid-Autumn Festival is an important tradition in China and Taiwan.
It celebrates the harvest, and is a time for family members to get together and express gratitude and ask for future blessings.
There are several myths and stories associated with the festival that can offer insight into Taiwanese culture.
You will likely receive moon cakes from your school, your neighbors and your friends, and get invited to an outdoor barbecue!
Double Ten (October 10): This holiday celebrates the Wuchang Uprising of October 10, 1911, which led to the end of the Qing Dynasty and the formation of the R.O.C.
A few ETAs are selected from each site to attend the national 10/10 celebration in Taipei, but it is not widely celebrated on Kinmen.
New Year's Eve (December 31): On the day of, there is a concert and fireworks at the Jincheng gym, as well as smaller family and neighborhood gatherings.
Chinese New Year (Usually around February): Chinese New Year is arguably the most important holiday in Taiwanese culture.
School gets out for several weeks, so many ETAs take it as an opportunity to travel.
The entire island gets decorated in red and lit with lanterns.
Lantern Festival (February): Leading up to the Lantern Festival, you will start seeing beautiful and creative lanterns go up all over the island.
The Confucius Temple in the Jincheng Old Street hosts a lantern contest with submissions from every elementary school on the island, as well as other intricate lantern displays.
There is also a big lantern lighting ceremony, performances, and festivities in front of the temple.
Tomb Sweeping Day (April 5): On Tomb Sweeping Day (清明節), families gather together and visit their ancestral graves to tidy up, remember, pray, and offer food and drink to the spirits.
Dragon Boat Festival (June): Dragon Boat Festival, or 端午節, is celebrated in China and Taiwan.
It commemorates the life and death of Chinese scholar Qu Yuan and falls on the 5th day of the 5th month of the lunar calendar.
Two major customs associated with the festival are the consumption of zongzi (粽子) and dragon boat racing.
ETAs in the past have formed dragon boat teams and participated in racing events.
The Dragon Boat Festival (traditional Chinese: 端午節; simplified Chinese: 端午?) is a traditional holiday originating in China, occurring near the summer solstice.
The festival now occurs on the 5th day of the 5th month of the traditional Chinese calendar, which is the source of the festival's alternative name, the Double Fifth Festival.
The Chinese calendar is lunisolar, so the date of the festival varies from year to year on the Gregorian calendar.
In 2017, it occurred on 30 May; in 2018, on 18 June; and, in 2019, on 7 June.
The English language name for the holiday, "Dragon Boat Festival", possibly translates into two alternative Chinese names for the holiday, 龍船節 (L?ngchu?nji?) and 龍舟節 (L?ngzh?uji?).
The official Chinese name of the festival is "端午節" (simplified Chinese: 端午?; traditional Chinese: 端午節; pinyin: Du?nw?ji?) on the mainland,[2] Taiwan, and "Tuen Ng Festival" for [3] Hong Kong, Macao[4], Malaysia and Singapore[5].
This is pronounced variously in different Chinese languages.
In Mandarin, it is romanized as Du?nw?ji? on the mainland and Taiwan; in Cantonese, it is romanized as Tuen1 Ng5 Jit3 on Hong Kong and Tung1 Ng5 Jit3 on Macao.
All of these names (lit."Opening the Fifth") refer to its original position as the first fifth-day (午日, W?r?) in the fifth month (五月, W?yu?) of the traditional Chinese calendar, which was also known as 午 (W?).
People's Republic of China use "Dragon Boat Festival" as the official English translation of the holiday,[6][7] while Hong Kong calls it the "Tuen Ng Festival"[5] and Macao calls it "Dragon Boat Festival (Tun Ng)" in English[8] and Festividade do Barco-Drag?o (Tung Ng) in Portuguese.
The fifth lunar month is considered an unlucky month.
People believed that natural disasters and illness are common in the fifth month.
In order to get rid of the misfortune, people would put calamus, Artemisia, pomegranate flowers, Chinese ixora and garlic above the doors in the fifth of May.
Since the shape of calamus forms like a sword and with the strong smell of the garlic, it is believed that they can remove the evil spirits.
Other origin of Dragon Boat festival : Before the Qin Dynasty (221-206 B.C.), the fifth month of the lunar calendar was regarded as a bad month and the fifth day of the month as a bad day, and known as the Dragon Boat festival nowadays.
Poisonous animals will appear starting from this days such as snakes, centipedes and scorpions as well as that people may get sick easily after this day.
Therefore, during the Dragon Boat Festival, people try any way to avoid bad luck.
For example, people paste pictures of the five poisonous creatures on the wall and stick needles in them.
People also make paper cuttings of the five creatures and wrapped these around the wrists of their children.
Big ceremonies and performances developed from these practices in many areas, making the Dragon Boat Festival a day for getting rid of disease and bad luck.
Decorating doors by hanging wormwood and calamus plants is an important ritual of the Dragon Boat Festival.
People believe that doing so will drive evil spirits and diseases away.
The story best known in modern China holds that the festival commemorates the death of the poet and minister Qu Yuan (c.340–278 BC) of the ancient state of Chu during the Warring States period of the Zhou Dynasty.
A cadet member of the Chu royal house, Qu served in high offices.
However, when the king decided to ally with the increasingly powerful state of Qin, Qu was banished for opposing the alliance and even accused of treason.
During his exile, Qu Yuan wrote a great deal of poetry.
Twenty-eight years later, Qin captured Ying, the Chu capital.
In despair, Qu Yuan committed suicide by drowning himself in the Miluo River.
It is said that the local people, who admired him, raced out in their boats to save him, or at least retrieve his body.
This is said to have been the origin of dragon boat races.
When his body could not be found, they dropped balls of sticky rice into the river so that the fish would eat them instead of Qu Yuan's body.
This is said to be the origin of zongzi.
Despite the modern popularity of the Qu Yuan origin theory, in the former territory of the Kingdom of Wu, the festival commemorated Wu Zixu (died 484 BC), the Premier of Wu.
Xi Shi, a beautiful woman sent by King Goujian of the state of Yue, was much loved by King Fuchai of Wu.
Wu Zixu, seeing the dangerous plot of Goujian, warned Fuchai, who became angry at this remark.
Wu Zixu was forced to commit suicide by Fuchai, with his body thrown into the river on the fifth day of the fifth month.
After his death, in places such as Suzhou, Wu Zixu is remembered during the Dragon Boat Festival.
Although Wu Zixu is commemorated in southeast Jiangsu and Qu Yuan elsewhere in China, much of Northeastern Zhejiang including the cities of Shaoxing, Ningbo and Zhoushan celebrates the memory of the young girl Cao E (曹娥, AD 130–144) instead.
Cao E's father Cao Xu (曹盱) was a shaman who presided over local ceremonies at Shangyu.
In 143, while presiding over a ceremony commemorating Wu Zixu during the Dragon Boat Festival, Cao Xu accidentally fell into the Shun River.
Cao E, in an act of filial piety, decided to find her father in the river, searching for 3 days trying to find him.
After five days, she and her father were both found dead in the river from drowning.
Eight years later, in 151, a temple was built in Shangyu dedicated to the memory of Cao E and her sacrifice for filial piety.
The Shun River was renamed Cao'e River in her honour.
Modern research suggests that the stories of Qu Yuan or Wu Zixu were superimposed onto a pre-existing holiday tradition.
The promotion of these stories might be encouraged by Confucian scholars, seeking to legitimize and strengthen their influence in China.
The stories of both Qu Yuan and Wu Zixu were recorded in Sima Qian's Shiji, completed 187 and 393 years after the events, respectively, because historians wanted to praise both characters.
Another theory, advanced by Wen Yiduo, is that the Dragon Boat Festival originated from dragon worship.
Support is drawn from two key traditions of the festival: the tradition of dragon boat racing and zongzi.
The food may have originally represented an offering to the dragon king, while dragon boat racing naturally reflects reverence for the dragon and the active yang energy associated with it.
This was merged with the tradition of visiting friends and family on boats.
Another suggestion is that the festival celebrates a widespread feature of east Asian agrarian societies: the harvest of winter wheat.
Offerings were regularly made to deities and spirits at such times: in the ancient Yue, dragon kings; in the ancient Chu, Qu Yuan; in the ancient Wu, Wu Zixu (as a river god); in ancient Korea, mountain gods (see Dano).
As interactions between different regions increased, these similar festivals eventually merged into one holiday.
Dragon boat racing has a rich history of ancient ceremonial and ritualistic traditions, which originated in southern central China more than 2500 years ago.
The legend starts with the story of Qu Yuan, who was a minister in one of the Warring State governments, Chu.
He was slandered by jealous government officials and banished by king.
Out of disappointment in the Chu monarch, he drowned himself into the Miluo river.
The common people rushed to the water and tried to recover his body.
In commemoration of Qu Yuan, people hold dragon boat races yearly on the day of his death according to the legend.
They also scattered rice into the water to feed the fish, to prevent them from eating Qu Yuan's body, which is one of the origins of zongzi.
A notable part of celebrating Dragon Boat Festival is making and eating zongzi with family members and friends.
People traditionally wrap zongzi in leaves of reed, lotus or banana forming a pyramid shape.
The leaves also give a special aroma and flavor to the sticky rice and fillings.
Choices of fillings vary depending on regions.
Northern regions in China prefer sweet or dessert-styled zongzi, with bean paste, dates and nuts as fillings.
Southern regions in China prefer savory zongzi, with a variety of fillings including marinated pork belly, sausage and salted duck eggs.
The reason why the Chinese eat zongzi on this special day is because they are considered as a symbol of luck, as the pronunciation of zong is very similar to the pronunciation of zhong (中).
This character has a positive connotation, used in words such as 中? (winning a prize or a mini prize).
 'Wu' (午) in the name 'Duanwu' in Chinese has similar pronunciation as the number 5 in multiple dialects, and thus many regions have traditions of eating food that is related to the number 5.
Realgar wine or xionghuang wine is a Chinese alcoholic drink that is made from Chinese yellow wine dosed with powdered realgar, a yellow-orange arsenic sulfide mineral(it is also known as "rice wine").
Realgarly, it is often used as a pesticide against mosquitoes and other biting insects during the hot summers, and as a common antidote against poison in ancient Asia.
In some regions of China, parents braid silk threads of 5 colors and put them on the their children's wrists, on the day of the Dragon Boat Festival.
People believe that this will help keep bad spirits and disease away.
Other common activities include hanging up icons of Zhong Kui (a mythic guardian figure), hanging mugwort and calamus, taking long walks, and wearing perfumed medicine bags.
Other traditional activities include a game of making an egg stand at noon (this "game" implies that if someone succeeds in making the egg stand at exactly 12:00 noon, that person will receive luck for the next year), and writing spells.
All of these activities, together with the drinking of realgar wine or water, were regarded by the ancients and some today as effective in preventing disease or evil, while promoting health and well-being.
In the early years of the Republic of China, Duanwu was celebrated as the "Poets' Day" due to Qu Yuan's status as China's first known poet.
The Taiwanese also sometimes conflate the spring practice of egg-balancing with Duanwu.
The sun is considered to be at its strongest around the time of summer solstice, as the daylight in the northern hemisphere is the longest.
The sun, like the Chinese dragon, traditionally represents masculine energy, whereas the moon, like the phoenix, traditionally represents feminine energy.
The summer solstice is considered the annual peak of male energy while the winter solstice, the longest night of the year, represents the annual peak of feminine energy.
The masculine image of the dragon was thus associated with the Dragon Boat Festival.
單句
Festival Food: Rice Glue Ball, Zongzi and Moon Cake Spring Festival, Dragon Boat Festival and Mid Autumn Festival are the three important festivals in China.
 People eat different food on these festivals.
 They are rice glue ball, zongzi and moon cake.
The glutinous rice dumplings, or zongzi, are eaten on the Dragon Boat Festival, or the fifth day of the fifth lunar month.
 It is wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves.
 People in different regions use different materials to make it.
 In east China, like Suzhou, Jiaxing and Ningbo, the fillings would be bean paste, chestnut, jujube paste or fresh meat.
 In north China, it would be jujube or preserved fruit.
As a kind of food for festivals, zongzi has been eaten for a long time.
 The folklore goes that people ate it to commemorate a patriotic poet, Qu Yuan.
 It is said that in the 3rd century B. C. , the poet committed suicide because his country had been invaded.
 People commemorated him by throwing glutinous rice, stored in bamboo tube, into the river.
 Later they wrapped it with reed leaves and strings.
 That's how the food developed.
 Some people give it as a present when visiting friends and relatives on the Dragon Boat Festival.
The Mid Autumn Festival falls on the fifteenth day of the eight lunar months.
 People eat moon cakes for family gathering.
 The cake is round, like the full moon, with fillings inside.
 There are some patterns on the surface of the cake.
 During the mid autumn festival, people would place some cake and fruit.
Moon cakes are different in different regions.
 Those made in Beijing, Suzhou, some areas of south Guangzhou and Chaozhou in Guangzhou are most famous.
 The fillings can be made of sugar, jujube paste, bean, ham, fruit, or cream, etc.
 It is also one of the presents that people can take with them when visiting friends and relatives on Mid Autumn Festival.
The Chinese year is marked by a variety of festivals.
 Festival dates are calculated using the lunar calendar, so do not fall on the same day each year in the Western calendar.
 Three of the main festivals are described below.
First month: Spring Festival (Chinese New Year), chun jie 春?
Celebrated on the first day of the first lunar month, the spring festival is the most important festival of the year.
 During the festival, people hold family reunions and honour their ancestors.
 Fire crackers, believed to ward off evil spirits, herald the New Year, and auspicious couplets written on red paper adorn the entrances of houses.
 The Dragon and Lion dance is also performed.
 It is customary to give children money wrapped in a red envelope.
 The Spring Festival comes to an end on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month with the Lantern Festival (deng jie ??).
 Chinese people believe that the lanterns help guide lost spirits toward judgment and reincarnation.
 Traditional rice balls (called yuanxiao 元宵 in the north and tangyuan ?? in the south) are eaten during the Lantern Festival; symbolic of family reunion, harmony and happiness.
Fifth month: Dragon Boat Festival, duanwu jie 端午?
The Dragon Boat Festival, celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, commemorates the death of Qu Yuan (屈原, c. 340 -278 BC), a great poet and minister of the state of Chu in southcentral China during the Warring States period.
 Legend says that he drowned himself in the Miluo River in protest at his banishment for opposing court corruption.
 On hearing the news, local fishermen jumped in their boats and raced to rescue him; said to be the origin of the festival’s ‘dragon boat’ races.
 Rice dumplings wrapped in leaves (zongzi 棕子), are eaten during the festival.
Eighth month: Mid-Autumn festival, zhongqiu jie 中秋?
Held on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, this festival is a time for family reunions and remembering distant relatives.
 It is also known as the Moon Festival.
 On the evening of the MidAutumn Festival, the full moon appears larger and brighter than at any other time of the year and gatherings of the full family symbolically reflecting the moon’s fullness take place.
 It is traditional to eat moon cakes (yuebing 月?) which are pastries, round or rectangular in shape, made from lotus seed paste and often filled yolks of salted duck eggs or other fillings. 
 Even though Taiwan is not a part of mainland China, many of the Taiwanese people are from the Han ethnic group and speak Mandarin.
 They also adhere to many of the cultural customs of their mainland counterparts.
 While Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival, is a large event in Chinese communities throughout the world, the holiday is quite extravagant in Taiwan.
 Chinese New Year is a public holiday according to legislation passed by the Taiwanese government.
he Spring Festival, or chunjie (春?), begins on the first day of the first month according to the Chinese lunar calendar.
 The festival continues until the conclusion of the holiday season on the 15th day of the same month.
 The Spring Festival is a time for family reunions and festivities.
 Many travelers from across the world also travel to Taiwan to celebrate Chinese New Year.
Taiwan has a very unique atmosphere during the Spring Festival.
 Since most of the Taiwanese population is Chinese, many of the shops in Taiwan close during the Spring Festival.
 This causes many business districts of Taiwan to be quiet and empty.
 While commercial areas of Taiwan become calm during the Chinese New Year holiday season, neighborhoods and communities become festive and energized.
 Large festivals are held in many villages, cities, and towns.
 Chinese New Year markets are also erected in the centers of communities.
 These become hubs for social gatherings and commercial transactions during the holiday season.
 Although many Taiwanese shops close during the Spring Festival, most hotels and restaurants stay open.
 This is primarily due to the fact that Taiwan experiences a massive influx of travelers during the Chinese New Year celebrations.
 Most Taiwanese people believe that it would be foolish to pass on the opportunity to earn some quick profits during a peak moment for the tourism industry in Taiwan.
 Because of this, many tourist attractions also remain open during Spring Festival.
Many Taiwanese people celebrate the Spring Festival with various traditional Chinese customs and traditions.
 Since Chinese New Year is one of the most vibrant holidays in Taiwan, all celebrations are oriented around having fun with family and friends.
If you’re familiar with Chinese New Year celebrations in mainland China, you probably know that northern China celebrates the New Year with dragon dances and southern China use lion dances.
 In Taiwan, the dragon of the north and the lion of Canton are both used in Spring Festival celebrations.
 This is likely due to the fact that the first Chinese people to come to Taiwan were from various areas of China.
 This caused people to bring their family and regional customs to Taiwan.
 This represents the fact that Taiwan is a melting pot for Chinese cultures.
While many East Asian holidays are not oriented around food, the Chinese New Year feast is one of the most anticipated occasions in Taiwan.
 Prior to this event, family members, and sometimes friends, will gather in a central location to reunite after a year of work or schooling.
 Together, Taiwanese families will enjoy a large meal of traditional Chinese foods.
 Some of the most popular dishes include pork dumplings, rice, steamed fish, chicken, and noodles.
 This also proves that Taiwan consists of many different Chinese cultures.
 In mainland China, noodles are almost exclusively consumed in Beijing, Shandong, and other northern areas of China.
 Rice is the staple in the diets of people in Canton and southern China.
 While enjoying the feast with their family members, Taiwanese people only speak about positive subjects.
 Chinese traditions state that speaking about misfortune during the Spring Festival will bring poor luck throughout the upcoming year.
In Taiwan, many people purchase gifts for their friends and family members during the Spring Festival.
 The types of items gifted depends largely on age and significance of the recipient, but gifts are often practical.
 For example, a mother may gift cooking supplies to her adult daughter.
 Festival foods and crafts are also often purchased during the Spring Festival.
 All of the items are available in the many Chinese New Year markets that are established during the festival season.
 There are many Taiwanese festivals that allow people to celebrate certain aspects of the Spring Festival.
In the northern Taiwan’s city of Pingxi, the Sky Lantern Festival is one of the most popular events.
 During this festival, thousands of Kongming, or flying paper lanterns, are released into the sky to send wishes to the gods.
 These lanterns are named after Zhuge Liang, a brilliant Shu strategist who fought Cao Cao during the Three States period of China.
 During his time, Zhuge Liang used the lanterns for military communication.
 Other major events in Taiwan include the Bombarding Master Handan Festival in Taitung and the Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival in Tainan.
Chinese New Year is a public holiday in Taiwan that allows people to reconnect with their families and enjoy a wide range of festivities.
For centuries, the Taiwanese have continued to practice the traditional customs and holidays of their forebears from mainland China.
 Without a doubt, Chinese New Year is considered the most important of the traditional festivals, as can be seen by the people’s commitment to reunite with their families and continue this legacy when the time arrives.
 One of the greatest things about being Taiwanese-American is my opportunity to enjoy the holiday both abroad and in Taiwan, the experiences of which I will share here.
 Taiwan is a land of religions, ceremonies and spirituality drawn from Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism, as well as Tribal and Chinese folk religions.
 Taiwan is an island, so we have a lot of coastline to explore.
 Diverse coastal scenery includes sandy beaches, coral reefs, majestic cliffs and unique rock formations.
 As far as activities, we'll take you surfing, snorkeling, scuba diving, wind surfing, and of course swimming.
 The Dragon Boat Festival, or Duanwu Festival, is celebrated every year on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month.
While seeing family and friends, watching the dragon boat races and eating rice dumplings make for fond memories, the holiday actually celebrates a very somber occasion.
 Qu Yuan, a famous Chinese scholar, who lived in the third century BCE and served the king of Chu, was smart – perhaps too smart.
 His peers, tired of his wisdom, accused him of crimes that he didn’t commit.
 Exiled and distraught, Qu Yuan composed many hateful and sorrowful poems before drowning himself at the age of 61.
Chu citizens jumped in their boats to search for him, but it was to no avail.
 Dragon boat races are held to this day in order to remember this failed attempt.
 Teams go against one another and try to reach a flag first, but before the race begins, each boat must have its dragon’s eyes painted in order to bring the boat to life.
 After failing to save Qu Yuan, citizens took to throwing rice into the river in which he had drowned.
 They wrapped the rice in leaves with hopes that it might keep the fish from eating his body.
 While no one today still hopes of saving Qu Yuan’s body, the rice wrapped in leaves has become a tradition and is eaten during the festival.
 The food is called Zongzi.
The Dragon Boat Festival, meant to honor the dead and be enjoyed by the living, has other fun traditions that are observed.
 For instance, it has been said that if you can balance a raw egg on its end at noon on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, you will have good fortune for the remainder of the year.
 Zongzi is wrapped in triangle or rectangle shapes in bamboo or reed leaves, and tied with soaked stalks or colorful silky cords.
The flavors of zongzi are usually different from one region to another across China.
 According to Chinese custom, the seventh month of the lunar calendar is Ghost Month.
 On the first day of the seventh lunar month, the gates of the Hell are opened and it is believed that ghosts from the underworld are allowed a month of freedom and haunt in the living world.
 During the eerie month, there are also some taboos that people follows.
 For example, to avoid whistling, swimming, surgery, buying cars and hanging clothes up to dry, going out at night.
 It is also important that addresses and name are not revealed to the ghosts.
 These taboos seems illogical but people always try best to follow the rules as we really want to avoid any trouble that’s ghost-related.
Chungyuan PuDu(中元普渡) is held on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month, we call Ghost Festival or Chungyuan Festival(中元節).
 Incense and food are offered to the ghost to avoid them visiting homes and spirit paper money is also burnt as an offering.
 Believers also think that the food for the ghost will bring them good luck if they eat it.
 Numerous traditional activities are held around Taiwan during Ghost Month, the best-knownings are releasing Water Lanterns in Keelung and Chiang Gu(搶孤) in Yilan Toucheng.
 The purpose of releasing Water Lanterns in custom is to help light the way for the lost spirits in the water, call the spirits to come on land to enjoy the offerings and pray for the early reincarnation of these spirits.
 It is also said that the farther a lanterns, the better the fortune that the clan it represents will enjoy in the coming year.
 Chiang Gu(搶孤) is a pole-climbing competitions for the food offerings.
 The competitor need to climb a pole with 12 feet height and oil spreading on the surface by the fastest speed they can.
 It is always the liveliest scene during Ghost Month.
 On the 29th day of the seventh lunar month, the last day of the seventh lunar month, the Ghost month will be the end and we said “Closing of the ghost gate".
 People will prepare cooked food outside the doors of their homes as a farewell dinner for the lonely ghosts.
 However, some lonely ghosts might be unwilling to return to the underworld.
 Temples will invite ChungKuei who is a deity who protects humans from evil to escort the ghost and keep people safe and peace.
 No matter you believe the ghosts or not.
 Hope this article will help you understand Taiwanese culture more and enjoy the interesting story.
The Lantern Festival ( yu?nxi?oji?) or (Yuanxiao Festival), also known as the Shang Yuan Festival ( pinyin: sh?ngyu?nji?) is a Chinese festival celebrated on the fifteenth day of the first month in the lunar year in the Chinese calendar.
 It is not to be confused with the Mid-Autumn Festival, which is also sometimes known as the "Lantern Festival" in locations such as Singapore, and Malaysia.
 During the Lantern Festival, children go out at night to temples carrying rabbit-shaped lanterns ( pinyin: t?zid?ng) and solve riddles on the lanterns ( pinyin: c?id?ngm?).
 It officially ends Chinese New Year.
During Emperor Qianlong’s reign in the Qing dynasty, Guangji Temple was the center of belief forneighboring villages, and the villagersformed the Song-JiangBattle Array for the Temple’s fair and festival.
A dancing lion always performsa dance before the Song-Jiang Formation sets off.
Given that the lion dance art and imposing power of the Song-Jiang Formations from the villages of the Qianzhenarea always outmatch those from other areas, it has eventually won the fame of “the Best Lion Dance”.
As entertainmentduring the spare time of busy farm work, farmers used to use the bamboo dustpan as the lion’s head whenperforming the lion dance, forming a unique lion dance culture.
In 1935, the “Si Shi Jia ” (Lion Dance Festival) was officially named after the former name of theShijia region (now combined under the Qianzhen District) .
Centering on Guangji Temple, Qianzhen District has been driving the “One SpecialtyPer District” campaign in accordance with the City Government’s policy.
The 2004 and 2005 “Lion Dance Championship” was hosted by Guangji Temple.
Mid-Autumn Festival, also called “Moon Festival”, is celebrated in Taiwan and elsewhere in East Asia to mark the fall harvest and, to some, to offer traditional worship to the moon.
It comes on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Han Chinese calendar and falls on the full moon of either September or October on the Western calendar.
Ethnic Chinese have been observing this holiday since at least the 10th Century B.C., and it has been extremely popular since the Tang Dynasty of the 7th through 10th Centuries A.D.
Today, it is a day of joining together to feast and fellowship with family and friends, as much as a time when farmers give thanks at local temples for the recent harvest.
Many also go to temples to pray for specific requests, such as to marry one’s desired partner, to give birth to a child, or to live a long, prosperous life.
There are many ancient myths and fables connected to Mid-Autumn Festival.
These are often told to young children this time of year, but adults “are allowed to” listen in too if they wish.
You may hear about the sun and moon being married and the stars being their children, about the full moon being pregnant and the crescent moon having shrunk after giving birth.
You will easily encounter the legend of Chang’e, but it’s hard to say which version, for there are many.
One version has Chang’e the wife of a cruel emperor who is planning to drink a magic elixir that will make him live forever.
To prevent everlasting oppression, she drinks the elixir herself and then flies off to become the moon goddess.
Unlike China, Taiwan is not known for paper lantern displays during Mid-Autumn Festival, these being mostly put out on the 15th day of Chinese New Year, but travellers will still find much to do, such as the following:
Go moon gazing.
You don’t have to worship the moon to look at it and enjoy its “effulgence.”
In Taipei, some of the best moon-gazing spots are the Danshui Fishing Wharf and Daan Park.
Outside of Taipei, try Sizhi Bay or Wuling Farm near Taichung.
The moon, you will find, is quite beautiful to behold, and some years the moon is extra large, when in the closest point of its orbit to Earth, or blood red, during a full lunar eclipse.
Eat mooncakes, which are so commonly eaten this time of year that Mid-Autumn Festival’s alternate name is “Mooncake Festival.
” Mooncakes are always round, like the moon, but the come in endless varieties.
Traditional flavours have the taste of roast pork and five kinds of seeds or nuts.
Sometimes, they hide a duck egg or yolk inside.
You will find there are also a plethora of newer flavours, such as green tea or chocolate.
Have a barbecue, like the locals will be doing.
Many will set up the grill on the sidewalk that fronts their home, but others will go to parks to feast on things like roast boar, pomelos, mooncakes (of course), and perhaps, cassia wine.
In Taipei, there are some 20 riverside parks to barbecue at, some of the best being Dajia Riverside Park and Huazhong Riverside Park.
If in Taiwan during Mid-Autumn Festival, you will find there are many enjoyable events to participate in that will help you better understand Taiwanese culture.
The fifteenth day, also called "the Lantern Festival or shang yuan festival", every family to organise dishes, drink for the New Year.
To make new balls, amusement activity reached a climax.
From the Chinese New Year began in the 15 all over, continuous activity, firmness with amusement lamp, lion dance which is, some in the first month, two from the start activities.
LongDeng and the lions before Posting, will come to advance, to give a red envelope after they eat, snacks.
LongDeng, the lions, except to houses, but also to the performance of the village temple and the ancestral temple to the gods and ancestral happy New Year.
After the Spring Festival on the first market time, each LongDeng, ship lamp, the lamp, want to set performance, called "open market".
Fifth for Dragon Boat Festival, every family to buy meat, kill ducks, rice dumplings, fruit unto the feast.
Do m Dragon boat is a large sections such, in many places in the outside of work will be home for the holiday.
August 15 Mid-Autumn festival, commonly known as the "BaYueJie", is also a large sections such.
Eat moon cakes, moon, a reunion.
Families getting hitched to drink, buy pork, kill chickens, ducks, fruit unto the feast.
Do m The Mid-Autumn evening, a family reunion after dinner to celebrate the feast, eat moon cakes.
The Dragon Boat Festival began as an occasion to drive off evil spirits and to find peace in life and today it is a key event with thousands gathering to watch the excitement.
Teams compete to the sound of beating drums and rowers win by grabbing the flag at the end of the course.
Many traditional customs accompany the festivities such as the drinking of Hsiung Huang wine and children are given fragrant sachets, both of which are thought to ward off evil spirits.
A culinary highlight of the festival is eating the traditional dish Zongzi which are glutinous rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves.
The calendar will also feature the Ghost Festival on 09 September in Keelung.
Traditionally, it is believed that ghosts haunt the island of Taiwan for the entire seventh lunar month from dawn on the first day of the month, when the gates of the netherworld open, ending on the 29th day of the month, when the gates close.
The Ghost Festival combines the Buddhist Ullambana Festival and the Taoist Ghost Festival, both of which honour dead spirits.
Highlights of the event include folk-art performances, the opening of the gates of hell and the release of burning water lanterns.
During the festival, families make offerings to their ancestors and ghosts of the underworld.
Other calendar highlights include the Taiwan Cycling Festival on 11 November taking place in Yilan, Hualien and Taitung countries.
Since its debut in 2010 the festival has brought together world-renowned cyclists for a top-class international event.
The two main events are the Formosa 900 and the Taiwan KOM, however there are a number of smaller cycling events also taking place for amateur cyclists.
As we enter the month of June, we find ourselves already in the middle of the year.
However, according to the Chinese lunar calendar, the fifth month just begins and the Chinese people are preparing to celebrate another traditional festival-the Dragon Boat Festival.
Sometimes if Mid-Autumn Festival is near National Day, Mid-Autumn Festival may be in the golden week.
There are large firework displays in the cities.
The ancestors are given due reverence at the festival.
When guests arrive they should bring along food or a gift; these can take the form of packets of 'lucky paper money' in red envelopes.
Fish and Jiaozi (dumplings) are often eaten, the character for fish yu ?sounds the same as the character yu余meaning 'surplus; abundance' so a dish of fish has a lucky connotation.
The entrance to a house is often decorated with two couplets written in calligraphy on red paper on either side of the entrance.
Traditional fairs are held outside temples selling all sorts of small gifts and decorations during the holiday.
The Lantern festival is on the first full moon after the New Year and marks the very end of the Spring Festival.
Lanterns are lit and in places very long paper dragons parade the streets.
The lanterns lit the way for the ancestral spirits to go home to their tombs after joining the family for the festivities.
Great creativity was used in lantern design, which can include moving parts; some towns had riddles painted on them to entertain the people.
Tangyuan (glutinous rice balls) are eaten and fir branches placed above doors.
The traditional lion dance was originally tied to just this festival but now are seen more generally throughout the year.
In the countryside diseases were removed by making a procession out of the village, with many firecrackers scaring away and taking the illness with it.
Children, often in scary masks, used to put on little stage shows and pantomimes.
The seventh month of the traditional Chinese calendar is associated with ghosts.
The Hungry Ghost festival in the middle of the seventh month is the main festival but some people also mark the start of the month - Ghost Gate.
The ghost month is considered unlucky, spirits wander around for the whole month and so new projects and enterprises should not be started.
One superstition of relevance is to avoid sticking chopsticks vertically into the ricebowl as this invites in the ghosts.
It is a minor festival and not a public holiday.
This festival is held on the 15th day (full moon) of the 7th lunar (ghost) month.
It is also known as the Mid-year festival (中元?zh?ng yu?n ji?).
Traditionally the sufferings of ancestors are appeased by making offerings of food or incense at the ancestral shrine.
Prayers are said for spirits who have no families to venerate them.
Paper flags are hung over doorways to keep out the hungry ghosts.
The Autumn Moon Festival takes place at full moon in the 8th lunar month (15th day), it marks the end of harvest.
Lanterns are lit and moon cakes are cooked and consumed in large numbers.
It celebrates Chang'e the goddess of the moon and particular the romance with the archer god Houyi.
Traditionally, spirits of the dead came forth to feast on the fruits of summer harvest.
People would climb hills and mountains to watch the rising of the full moon with the greeting 看月亮K?n yu?liang‘Look at the bright moon!’
The night before the Chinese New Year, Chinese families like many other parts of the world gather around to enjoy some time together.
They celebrate it by eating a special New Year’s Eve dinner and after, they would talk and play some games till midnight.
The dinner served on New Year’s Eve is a reunion dinner and is considered the most important meal of the year for Chinese families.
Lantern Festival in China is a festival celebrated on the fifteenth day of the first month in the lunisolar year in the lunar calendar marking the last day of the lunar New Year celebration.
Falling on the 5th day of the 5th month according to Chinese lunar calendar, the Dragon Boat Festival is one of great significance.
It has been held annually for more than 2,000 years and is notable for its educational influence.
The festival commemorates the patriotic poet Qu Yuan (340-278 BC), and also acts as a chance for Chinese people to build their bodies and dispel diseases.
Many legends circulate around the festival but the most popular is the legend of Qu Yuan.
Chinese mid-autumn festival (中秋?, Zh?ngqi? ji?) is the second biggest festival a the Chinese New Year.
It is held on the 15th of August according to the Chinese Lunar calendar.
Lasting 3 to 7 days, depending on the year and where it falls in the calendar.
In China and the surrounding regions, people get a day off for the festival if it falls on weekdays.
Other countries have different ways of celebrating that that may not grant a festival day.
There are many legends behind the Mid-Autumn festival but the most popular one is surrounded by romance, sacrifice, and honor.
The story is beautiful, romantic and inspirational.
It starts with a young woman named Chang E (嫦娥, Ch?ng’?).
She was an immortal who was cast down to earth to live in a poor farm family.
At that time, there were 10 suns in the sky that kept getting hotter and hotter.
Chang E became friends with a young hunter from the village named Hou Yi.
Chang E convinced the young hunter that he was the strongest and bravest archer around so that he would shot down 9 of the 10 suns in order to save his village.
After doing so, the two married and became king and queen.
Obsessed with immortality, Hou Yi ordered to concoct an elixir.
It was a pill and Chang E swallowed it either accidentally or purposefully and fled.
Her angry husband attempted to shoot her down as she floated to the moon where she stayed and lived the rest of her life.
She is also the Goddess of the Moon.
She and her husband, Hou Yi are also part of the reason for the Ying and Yang of Chinese culture facts because her husband eventually settled into life on the sun.
There’s another version of the story that Hou Yi didn’t go astray after he became a king.
And Hou Yi asked for the elixir because he wanted to live with his beloved wife Chang E forever.
In fact, when Chinese children are told the stories about Hou Yi, most of them heard of “Hou Yi is a good man who loves his wife so much” version.
There are a total of four famous myths about Chinese mid-autumn festival that Chinese children have heard since they are little, including the story of Hou Yi, Chang E, Jade Rabbit and Wu Gang chopping the tree.
Read complete four stories in Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival Myths and The Meaning Behind them.
The moon festival or Mid-Autumn festival surrounds the moon and Chang-E.
So, the majority of the activities are focused toward those two things.
But some of the activities are family oriented and are meant to be enjoyed at the home around family and friends.
The activities are as follows; 
There is a symbol of sacrifice that is made by setting up a feast for the Moon Goddess using mooncakes and other traditional foods.
Appreciate the moon- this is significant because it symbolizes family reunion.
The children make colorful lanterns as decorations.
Making an effort of having a family dinner, is a big part of the festival.
The Mid-Autumn/Moon Festival is usually when most families plan a family reunion with distant relatives.
Giving gifts is a tradition as well as an activity done at the festival.
It depends on the region you are celebrating in.
As it is not just a traditional Chinese festival, the Moon festival is also a public holiday.
So many people, not just festival goers travel short distances as a way to make their own traditions by going on a short train ride.
They usually sold out the train tickets solid for the 3-day holiday.
Lastly and most popular among younger people, is shopping during the festival as there are plenty of discounts and sales.
You can participate in different activities depending on the region you are celebrating in.
Traditions no matter what country you are from or celebrating in are important to the culture and understanding of a people from different ethnic backgrounds.
Following in the Chinese tradition for the Mid-Autumn festival, the major offerings for the sacrificial ceremony are mooncakes.
Eating and sacrificing moon cakes tradition started during the Yuan Dynasty (1271 – 1368 AD) .
It started as a way to pass messages or notes between leaders and subordinates.
They passed out the mooncakes with the messages inside as gifts during the mid-autumn festival.
And thus, the tradition began of gift giving and mooncakes.
In addition, the more popular mooncake tradition, each region or area that celebrates the festival, hold their own special tradition.
In Taiwan, besides moon appreciation and eating mooncakes, Taiwanese people eat pomelo (柚子 Y?uzi), and most special, barbecue!
Barbecue can be the most iconic and unique mid-autumn activities.
Also, children would wear on the skin of the pomelo as a hat just for fun!
Pomelo is an iconic fruit for the mid-autumn festival in Taiwan.
Make your children (or pet) a new hat with the skin of pomelo on the mid-autumn festival!
Attending the Mid-Autumn festival will bring a plethora of tradition and activities that are sure to please the senses.
Every region has a unique tradition and Chinese superstitions which are special to them.
2017 This year’s festival begins on Wednesday, October 4, 2017.
The festival will be a 7-day event that the people attending will get a 3-day public holiday as well as the weekend to celebrate.
This occurs about every 3 years; on the day of the month when the moon is at the brightest and roundest.
This symbolizes togetherness and brings families together to celebrate the rice harvest.
It’s a good luck, togetherness festival that the whole family can enjoy.
Mooncakes are a staple at the Mid-Autumn festival.
Every home celebrating uses them as a sacrifice to the moon in honor of the festival.
Traditional mooncakes are little round cakes.
You can even make them from scratch or buy from a bakery.
They have a filling that varies from an egg yolk filling to berries and nuts.
They are delicious and also have lots of calories.
A dessert many Chinese families in China look forward to.
On top of the mooncakes, there are also a lot of other variety of food at a Moon Festival.
Red Dates with War, Osmanthus (flower) Blossom Syrup which is usually a feast.
The feast setting is usually on a table under the direct moonlight or if it is cloudy in a place which has the direct moonlight.
These foodies are for the appreciation of the moon, the rice harvest and the moon goddess, Chang E.
No matter where the festival is celebrated, it is always accompanied with bright colors, great smells, and amazing food.
It is a staple holiday in Chinese culture, that most families use as a family reunion.
The 3-day festival is a way to thank and appreciate the moon goddess and her blessings as well as the Rice Harvest.
Get out there and celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, it is almost here and the perfect way to spend the weekend with family.
I hope you have fun Chinese language learning through the Chinese Culture!
Chinese New Year is celebrated in the first month of the Chinese calendar.
Chinese New Year starts on the first and ends on the fifteenth day and is the most important holiday in China.
Chinese New Year is celebrated with family and friends.
Because most Chinese people work away from their family this will result in large migrations throughout the entire country.
Chinese New Year will be celebrated on February 16th.
Most factories in China will be closed in week 7 and 8.
Orders placed after week 3 may be delayed as a result.
Fast turnaround orders will not be directly affected.
Will a delay cause issues in your production process?
Let us know so we can work with you to find a solution.
In 2019 Chinese New Year will be celebrated on February 5th.
Most factories will be closed in week 6 and 7.
Stunningly beautiful lanterns from cities as wide apart as New York, London and Beijing.
Chinese traditional festivals, with various forms and rich contents, are an essential part of the Chinese nation’s long history and culture.
The formation of popular festivals is a process of long-term accumulation and cohesion of the history and culture of a nation or country.
The composition of the ancient traditional celebrations of the Chinese is related to the original beliefs, sacrificial culture, celestial phenomena, calendar, and other humanities and natural, cultural contents.
They cover philosophy, humanities, history, astronomy, and other aspects, and contain deep and rich cultural connotations.
The traditional Chinese festivals developed from the time of ancient ancestors clearly record the vibrant and colorful social life and cultural content of the Chinese nation, and also accumulate extensive and profound historical and cultural connotations.
Chinese traditional festivals mainly include Spring Festival, Lantern Festival, Dragon Head-up Festival, Qingming Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Qixi Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, Double Ninth Festival and New Year’s Eve.
The Spring Festival, the Lunar New Year, is the first year of the year, in the traditional sense of the “New Year’s Day.
” Commonly known as New Year, New Year, New Year, New Year, New Year, New Year, New Year, New Year, etc., verbally also known as the year, celebration, New Year, New Year.
Spring Festival has a long history, which evolved from the first year of prayer in ancient times.
During the Spring Festival, various activities were held throughout the country to celebrate the Spring Festival, which was full of joyful and joyous atmosphere.
These activities were mainly composed of old new cloth, welcome to the jubilee, worship God and ancestor worship, and pray for the harvest year.
The celebrations during the Spring Festival are extremely rich and varied, including lion dancing, floating colors, dragon dancing, god-wandering, boating, annual events, temple fairs, flower shopping, flower lanterns, gongs and drums, firecrackers, fireworks, spring festival, stilts, dry boat racing, Yangko twisting and so on.
Lantern Festival, also known as the Lantern Festival, the Little January Festival, the Lantern Festival or the Lantern Festival, is the fifteenth day of the first lunar month every year.
The custom of Lantern Festival has been based on the custom of watching lanterns warmly and festivally since ancient times.
Traditional customs include going out to enjoy the moon, lighting lamps, guessing riddles, eating Lantern Festival and pulling rabbit lanterns.
In addition, in many places, traditional folk performances such as dragon lanterns, lions, stilts, boating, Yangko twisting and Taiping drum playing have been added to the Lantern Festival.
Dragon Head-up Festival, also known as “Spring Farming Festival,” “Farming Festival” and “Spring Dragon Festival,” is a traditional Chinese folk festival.
Every year on the second day of February in the lunar calendar, it is said that the day when the Dragon rises is a traditional festival in China.
Celebrate “Dragon’s Day” to honor the dragon and pray for rain, so that God bless the harvest.
February 2, in southern China, is the birthday of the land god, known as “Land Birthday.
” To “warm the life of the land god,” some places have the custom of holding “Land Fair.
” Families collect money to celebrate the birthday of the land god, burn incense and sacrifice to the land temple, beat gongs and drums, and set off firecrackers.
Chinese people believe that the dragon is a lucky thing, and the dominant weathering rain, and the lunar calendar “February 2nd Dragon Rise” is the day when the Dragon wants to ascend to heaven.
Qingming Festival, also known as Ta Qing Festival and Xing Qing Festival, is at the turn of mid-spring and late spring.
Qingming Festival is a traditional spring festival.
Tomb-sweeping and ancestor-remembering is a beautiful tradition left by the Chinese nation for thousands of years.
It is not only conducive to promoting filial piety and family ties, awakening the collective memory of the family, but also developing the cohesion and identity of family members and even the nation.
Dragon Boat Festival, the fifth day of May in the lunar calendar, is one of the four traditional festivals in China.
Up to now, various customs and activities of the Dragon Boat Festival are still prevalent.
There are many customs of the Dragon Boat Festival.
Although there are different laws in different places, dumplings making and dragon boats competition are common customs.
Every year around the Dragon Boat Festival, many special festival activities, such as wrapping dumplings, hanging mugwort and calamus, dragon boat, nine lions worship elephants, and drought dragons, are carried out all over the country.
They have both traditional customs and innovative elements, which can be described as unique and colorful.
Qixi Festival, the seventh day of the seventh lunar month.
On this day, women will visit their intimate friends, worship the weaver girl, consult the scarlet girl, and beg for luck.
“Qixi Festival” is the earliest love festival in the world.
It is a traditional folk custom to sit and watch the morning glory and the Vega Star on the night of Qixi.
Countless loved men and women in the world will pray for their happy marriage this evening.
The Mid-Yuan Festival, namely the half-sacrifice of ancestors in July, is also called Shigu, ghost festival, Zhaigu and local official festival.
The festival customs mainly include sacrificing ancestors, setting out river lanterns, sacrificing dead souls, burning paper ingots, etc.
Folk sacrifices to ancestors, offering sacrifices to ancestors with new rice, and reporting Qiucheng to ancestors are a kind of traditional cultural festival in memory of ancestors.
Its cultural core is to respect ancestors and do filial piety.
Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival, began in the early Tang Dynasty, prevailed in the Song Dynasty, to the Ming and Qing Dynasties, has become one of the traditional Chinese festivals with the same name as the Spring Festival.
Since ancient times, the Mid-Autumn Festival has the customs of offering sacrifices to the moon, observing the moon, worshipping the moon, eating moon cakes, drinking osmanthus wine and so on.
It has been handed down for a long time.
The Mid-Autumn Festival, with the reunion of the full moon as a sign of people’s gathering, pins on homesickness, hoping for a bumper harvest and happiness and becomes a vibrant and precious cultural heritage.
New Year’s Eve, originally meant “New Year’s Eve,” refers to the end of the year in addition to the old cloth new day, the past year to this end in addition to the new year.
New Year’s Eve is of particular significance in the hearts of Chinese people.
On the most important day at the end of this year, wanderers who wander farther away are also rushing home to reunite with their families, saying goodbye to the old age in the sound of firecrackers, and greeting the new spring with fireworks all over the sky.
On the day of New Year’s Day, the people paid particular attention to it.
Every household was busy or cleaning the courtyard, removing the old cloth and the new cloth, decorating the lanterns, welcoming the ancestors home for the New Year, and offering sacrifices to New Year’s Cake, Three Vegetables and Three Teas and Five Wines.
The Chinese believe that death is not the end, that ghosts and spirits co-exists with human beings at all times, only noticed when they are disquiet, and need to be put to rest.
It’s no surprise that the Chinese have many demon slaying deities.
The god that has by far enjoyed the most popularity, and endured the test of time, is Zhong Kui.
You may think that as Chinese New Year comes to an end, there isn’t much else you can comfortably tap into to enjoy until the next one.
That is not the case.
Chinese life, even in the 21st century, is closely connected to their traditional festivals, of which there is a full calendar all year round.
Here are five more you can look forward to after Spring Festival.
Summer is here again, with Dragon Boat Festival to mark it.
This year, instead of delivering my culture tweets, I’ve put together an article, so that people interested to look further can read more about it.
After all, Dragon Boat Festival is China’s major traditional summer festival, and probably the second most well-known celebratory event after Spring Festival.
Tomb-sweeping Day is a festival that descendants offer sacrifices to ancestors,the traditional activity is to pay respects to the dead person at his tomb.
It’s on April 4th and lasts 3 days.
It’s said that the origin of Tomb-sweeping Day can trace back to the ancient periods.
The emperor,generals,and the prime ministers etc had the ceremony of worship to the dead emperor on April 4th,later folk followed and commemorated their dead relatives on this day.
Ages followed and became a fixed custom of Chinese nation.
According to the old tradition, people will carry food and fruit, drink,paper money and other items and put the food in front of the grave of relatives，fire the paper money,add new soil for the grave and fold a few Liu branches in the new green insert in the grave,then kowtow and worship,finally eat the food and go home.
Besides sweeping the bomb in this period,there are also a series of custom sports activities in Guilin like hiking, swing, playing Cuju,inserting Liu and so on.
In addition,one or two days before the Tomb-sweeping Day,Guilin people will also prepare Tzung Tzu, glutinous rice cake, mugwort leaf Baba, lotus root and water chestnut cake etc.
This festival,which has both bitter tears of worship and the sound of laughter of spring outing,is a distinctive holiday.
The Mid-Autumn festival,which is also called Moon festival,originate from the ancient people's worship of the moon,legend has it that on August 15th the moon will be full round around the year and because it’s both in the middle of autumn and August,so it’s called the Mid-Autumn festival.
And full moon symbolizes reunion and entrust with the people's thought of love to relatives especially those who are away from home.
Otherwise,people like to present moon cakes to relatives,colleagues,or neighbors etc to send their braw blessings before the festival.
And on the night of this day,relatives get together to enjoy the glorious full moon with eating moon cakes and fruits,meanwhile reposing their endless love to life and the desire for a better life.
During the Mid-Autumn festival many places in Guilin will hold varied activities for citizens,such as theme park visiting,lantern riddles,knowledge contest about the Mid-autumn festival,praying moon with grapefruit incense etc.
When it comes to grapefruit incense,almost no one knows its origin,however long time ago.
The New Year celebration actually lasts for 15 days and finishes on the Lantern Festival on 2nd March 2018!
Our moon is especially beautiful at this time of year.
Mostly we don’t much notice the rising and setting of the moon, but astronomical events do tend to force it on our attention in September-October.
Chinese love an excuse for families to get together, as we have noted before, and eat special food and have fun.
They have many festival days, often based on the traditional farming calendar.
Moon Festival, also known as Mid-Autumn Festival, is the time of the second.
In September university tutors in England who have international students from Taiwan may be pleasantly surprised to receive unexpected presents, for the 28th of September is celebrated in Taiwan as National Teachers’ Day.
The role of teaching is honoured in Chinese society, although as so often with respected occupations everywhere, that does not mean that teachers are well-paid or powerful.
On this day pupils show their respect and thanks to their teachers for their education, and this is usually well-deserved since education in Taiwan, as in many Asian countries, is generally excellent.
Children may also perform little ceremonies or concerts.
The Hungry Ghost Month (鬼月, Gu? Yu?) is a traditional Buddhist and Taoist holiday held in Asian countries during the seventh lunar month.
This is usually celebrated in August or September, depending on the lunar calendar.
The highlight of the month is the Hungry Ghost Festival, which this year is held on Saturday 11th Augus.
A great day for Chinese families, and one of the most popular Chinese festivals, takes place today on April 4th It’s called ‘Tomb Sweeping Day’.
It’s also called ‘Clear Brightness Festival’ or Qing Ming, and it has many meanings for Chinese people.
Qing Ming combines two important traditions of Chinese life.
Respect for ancestors is an ancient tradition, and Tomb Sweeping Festival dates back at least 2500 years.
It is celebrated in various ways throughout Chinese communities in Asia.
It is a public holiday which can involve everyone in a community
15 days after the first day of the new lunar calendar (Chinese New Year’s Day) greets us with another, widely celebrated festival – The Lantern Festival, or Spring Lantern Festival.
The Lantern Festival is the second most significant celebration in the lunar calendar (after Chinese New Year) and is a celebration of the coming of light.
There are other, varying beliefs surrounding Lantern Festival but the one that I like to follow is the belief surrounding the escape from the darkness of.
We have selected two beautiful legends from the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival.
Both stories are about beautiful ladies.
The first one is a bit sad and is about a lady called Chang E.
The second one is a happy story about a princess called Nong Yu.
You can find Nong Yu’s story in our book Dragon Tales: Stories of Chinese Dragon.
It is called ‘A Good Son in-law’.
The Moon Goodness: Chang E
Mid-Autumn Festival, or otherwise known as ‘Moon Festival’ is the harvest festival celebrated by Chinese during the 8th Month of the Chinese Calendar.
It is interesting to find that eastern and western calendars differ, for example; According to Chinese lunar calendar, the 8th month is the second month of Autumn.
In the UK Autumn begins in September (the 9th month for westerners).
Moon Festival is generally celebrated on 15th day of the 8th month.
This is because it is calculated to be the middle.
Friday 17th August 2018 marks the date of The Qixi Festival.
This Chinese festival celebrates the annual meeting of the cowherd and weaver girl in Chinese mythology.
It falls on the seventh day of the 7th month on the Chinese lunar calendar and is now more commonly known as ‘Chinese Valentines day, or Double Seventh Festival (On double Seventh day).
The festival originated from the tale of The Weaver Girl and Cowheard, a romantic legend of two lovers, Zhin? (the Weaver Maid) and Niulang.
The New Year starts on the first new moon after the sun enters the constellation of Aquarius.
This system helps to keep the lunar calendar in step with the solar calendar.
The traditional farmers’ work calendar divides the year into twenty-four fortnightly periods starting from New Year.
Did you know that the most important meal of the whole year for Chinese people is the family reunion dinner on Chinese New Year’s Eve when every member of the family tries to.
Also known as the Lunar New Year, it falls on the first day of the lunar calendar.
In fact, the origin of this highly celebrated festival is rather interesting.
According to the ancient Chinese legend, there was a beast named “Nian” that liked to hunt and eat humans in the Spring.
Since the beast was very fierce, it remained a serious threat to the village.
Fortunately, an elderly fellow happened to discover that Nian actually feared the sizzling sound of burning firecrackers and got extremely irritated by the red color.
In order to prevent Nian from entering the village again, people stuck red papers at their doors and set off firecrackers whenever the beast came near the village.
After the great effort in driving Nian away, the beast never showed his face again.
In order to celebrate their survival, people made great feasts during Spring regularly and they called that “Guo Nian”, meaning the threat caused by Nian was finally passed.
At present, it remains a tradition for the Chinese to celebrate Chinese New Year.
On New Year's Eve, family members would have a big meal together and say their blessings to everyone.
Red packets (lucky money inserted in red envelopes) are given to children on New Year's Day and it is customary for people to wear new clothes and shoes on this special day of the year.
This special occasion marks the end of the Lunar New Year and it takes place on the fifteen day of the first month according to the lunar calendar.
Legend said that some townsmen accidentally killed the goose that belonged to the Emperor of the Heaven.
The emperor was furious and planned to burn the entire town down.
A kind-hearted fairy taught the people in that town to hang lanterns everywhere to avoid the upcoming disaster and they followed her advice.
With the lanterns on, it looked like the town was on fire.
Thinking that his goose already got avenged, the Emperor of the Heaven decided to abandon his original destruction plan.
In order to show their appreciation to the fairy, people continued to hang lanterns the same time every year; besides, lion and dragon dancing and riddle solving also became parts of the celebration components.
Nowadays, besides watching the lion and dragon dancing performances, hanging lanterns and solving riddles, the Chinese eat special dumpling made of sweet black sesames in celebration of the festival.
In fact, the sweet dumpling- eating tradition could be dated back to the Han Dynasty (206 BC- 221 AD).
The sweet dumplings are also called “Yuan Xiao and they were believed to be named after a palace maid during Emperor Wu Di's reign.
Since the dumpling-eating tradition is deep-rooted, the Lantern Festival is also known as Yuan Xiao Jie.
This festival takes place during the fifth term of the lunar calendar.
It is established to tribute Jie Zitui, one of the loyal officials of the Jin Kingdom during the Spring and Autumn period (770-475 BC).
According to Chinese history, the King of the Jin Kingdom had a kind-hearted and talented son named Chong Er.
Fearing that he would succeed the throne, the emperor's concubine accused him of treason and Chong was forced to flee together with some officials.
They escaped and managed to hide themselves in the mountains, but found no food.
After starving for a few days, Jie Zitui cut his flesh out for Chong to eat.
Chong burst into tears and promised to be a dutiful ruler once he returned to the Jin Kingdom.
After being in exile for three long years, Chong was able to return to his motherland following the wicked concubine's death.
He rewarded all his followers, but forgot all about Jie.
When Chong finally located the Jie the loyal official, he refused to accept any rewards.
In order to force Jie out of his residence, Chong ordered some soldiers to set the place on fire.
However, there was still no sign of Jie.
Three days later, the loyal official and his mother's bodies were discovered.
Chong wept in regret and ordered the whole Kingdom to mourn and show respect to Jie.
In addition, a decree was passed to forbid cooking with fire a day before Jie's death; that was the reason why the Qing Ming Festival is also known as the Cold Food Festival (Hanshi Jie).
Currently, Chinese usually visit their ancestors' graves during the Qing Ming Festival to pay respect.
In addition, they will sweep and clean the grave, remove excessive weeds, burn ceremonial currencies and repair gravestone engravings.
The celebration is on the fifth of the fifth month of the lunar calendar in the honor of the patriotic poet Qu Yuan.
He was an official of the imperial court in the state of Chu during the Warring States Period (475-221 BC).
At that particular stage, the aggressive ruler of the state of Qin was planning to conquer the six other warring states and unify China.
Qu advised the Chu ruler to avoid direct conflict with the state of Qin, but the ruler refused to listen.
Due to the false accusations made by Qu's political rivalries, the Chu King started to distrust Qu and dismissed him from the imperial court.
The patriotic poet drowned himself in the river after receiving the news that the state of Chu was defeated by the state of Qin.
Most of the commoners in the state of Chu loved Qu dearly; they raced down the river in dragon boats and threw rice dumplings into the waters to prevent fishes from eating the poet's body.
From that day on, people hold dragon boat races and eat rice dumplings to honor Qu.
It is still customary to celebrate this special occasion with dragon boat races and rice dumplings.
One difference is that dragon boat racing has developed into a popular sport.
Those who are into the sport practice regularly in preparation of various competitions prior to or during the festival.
The Chinese usually have family reunions during the Moon Festival on the 15th of the 8th lunar month.
This tradition was held because of a famous Chinese folktale regarding a beautiful maiden named Chang E.
Once upon a time, there were ten suns up in the sky in China.
People suffered from severe heat and drought.
A young man called Houyi shot nine suns down to save the village and became the hero of the villagers.
Because of their gratitude and admiration of Houyi, they even elected him as their King and arranged the prettiest maiden of the village, Chang E to be his Queen.
Unfortunately, Houyi turned out to be an evil ruler.
Besides imposing harsh decrees, he also ordered the imperial court officials to research on longevity medications so that he could remain young and at the same time enjoy a longer life.
Feeling discontented, Chang E broke into the imperial clinic and attempted to destroy the longevity pills.
Unfortunately, before she could make any damage, imperial guards passed by the clinic and she tried to escape.
Fearing that the pills would be returned to Houyi if she got arrested, she swallowed all of them while during her escape.
Magically, she had the ability to fly all of a sudden and headed to the moon without hesitating.
From then on, rumors said Chang E settled down on the moon and lived happily with the moon rabbit.
In celebration of the moon festival, families usually hold reunion parties to stay close.
Children love playing lanterns and everyone is offered at least a slice of moon cake.
It is just very relaxing and enjoyable when you can spend time with your close kin chatting and viewing the beautiful full moon up in the sky.
The Chinese New Year holiday comes to its climax with the Yuan Xiao (元宵?—yu?n xi?o ji?), or Lantern Festival.
Began over 2000 years ago, the festival has developed many meanings.
It celebrates family reunions and society.
It features ancient spiritual traditions.
Some also call this the “true” Chinese Valentine’s Day.
The many activities include moon gazing, lighting lanterns, riddles, lion dances and eating rice balls.
According to the lunar calendar, the festival takes place on January 15.
The Spring Festival is a time reserved for families.
There is the reunion dinner on New Year’s Eve, visits (拜年—b?i ni?n) to in-laws on the 2nd day and neighbors after that.
Stores reopen on the 5th and society basically goes back to normal.
But on the 15th, everyone—regardless of age or gender—go out onto the streets to celebrate.
Though the Lantern Festival symbolizes reunions (more on that later), it’s also a time of socializing and freedom.
In Ancient China, women usually weren’t allowed out the house.
But on this night, they can stroll freely, lighting lanterns, playing games and interacting with men.
The wild and romantic stories are why some say the Lantern Festival is the true Chinese Valentine’s Day, rather than Qixi (七夕).
On a more serious side, the Lantern Festival also has religious aspects.
It was important in ancient Chinese paganism, and also modern day Buddhism and ethnic minority cultures.
The general consensus is that the festival began more than 2000 years ago in the Western Han dynasty.
Emperor Wu (?武帝—h?n w? d?) designated this day for worship rituals for Taiyi (太一神—t?i y? sh?n), one of the universe’s sovereigns.
Intense power play and unrest came after his reign.
The new emperor was Emperor Wen (?文帝—h?n w?n d?).
To celebrate the return of peace, he made the 15th a national holiday.
Every household would light candles and lanterns.
It became known as ?元宵(n?o yu?n xi?o).
“Nao” can be interpreted as having fun, or going wild with excitement.
Emperor Ming of the later Eastern Han was a devout Buddhist.
He heard that on the 15th, monks would light candles for the Buddha.
He ordered the palace and temples to light candles, and for the citizens to hang lanterns.
Both events combined and eventually developed into the Lantern Festival we know today.
The duration of celebrations varied throughout history.
Nowadays, the festival technically isn’t a national holiday, so there aren’t any days off.
The best period for Lantern Festival lovers would be the Ming dynasty.
It lasted around 1 month!
A famous variation is the Kongming lantern (孔明?—k?ng m?ng d?ng).
They represent hope, success and happiness.
In the past, people used these lanterns to signify they were safe after an attack.
Now, they are used for wishes.
Also known as the sky lantern (天?—ti?n d?ng), it sounds similar to 添丁 (ti?n ding), which means “adding children”.
Lanterns would be gifted to newlyweds or couples without children to pass on the blessings.
Pregnant women would receive a pair of small lanterns to wish health and safety on both mother and child.
Some regions also burn lanterns to determine the gender of their future child from the shape of the ashes.
Every holiday has its own set of activities.
There’s more to this festival than lanterns!
In the city of Fengyang, swings play a major role.
A popular saying there is, “Swing on the Lantern Festival, no aches or pains the entire year."
The ancient Chinese would often get together with some friends, drink wine and write poetry.
Plays on words and riddles were a favorite pastime.
During this festival, people would write riddles on the lanterns.
These small games are popular with everyone.
They require you to be clever and think outside the box.
According to many love stories, you can catch the attention of your crush through this game!
Dragon dance has a history almost as long as Chinese culture itself.
The performers create impressive formations to the beat of Chinese drums and cymbals.
Lion dances can be seen in any festive event, from holidays to weddings and store openings.
The lion is intricately designed, with movable eyes and mouths.
Sometimes, the lion will open its mouth and demand food and red pockets.
Other times, they roll around and play like oversized kittens.
Chinese stilt performances are an ancient act.
They stem from Chinese opera and the performers sing and dance while on stilts.
Depending on their character, they have difference costumes and heights.
The trademark food of the Lantern Festival is called yuan xiao, just like the festival itself.
It’s also known as t?ng yuan (??) in the South, and one of the many tasty Chinese New Year desserts.
They are glutinous rice dumplings with sweet fillings made of syrup, red bean paste, black sesame paste or more.
They can be steamed or fried, but usually boiled and served in hot water.
They represent family reunions because tang yuan sounds similar to “reunion” (??—tu?n yuan).
Some businessmen also call these balls 元? (yu?n b?o), meaning gold or silver ingots.
Despite being a night of revelry, the Lantern Festival is also a night for families.
Before Chinese New Year finally ends, the family should reunite again.
Take a break from the celebrations and relax with your family.
Reconnect under the moon.
Enjoy firework shows and performances while eating a bowl of yuan xiao.
For the festival associated with mooncakes sometimes called Lantern Festival, see Mid-Autumn Festival.
In ancient times, the lanterns were fairly simple, for only the emperor and noblemen had large ornate ones; in modern times, lanterns have been embellished with many complex designs.
For example, lanterns are now often made in shapes of animals.
The Lantern Festival is also known as the Little New Year since it marks the end of the series of celebrations starting from the Chinese New Year.
單句
An Australian started a conversation with me recently at an airport lounge in Paris after we discovered our flight was delayed for five hours.
A couple of minutes into our conversation I was struck by a question he asked: "Are you an 'ABC'?" a terminology that I wouldn't expect a Westerner to know unless he has had some close encounters with Chinese nationals.
He later explained that he learned the term 'ABC' from colleagues of various Chinese backgrounds while working at Silicon Valley in California.
This conversation reminded me of my own identity crisis when I was growing up in San Jose, California.
My family immigrated to the US when I was 13 years of age.
I lived in California through high school, university and later pursued a graduate degree in the US.
I remember I was always bothered by this question of identity when I was growing up: "Are you Taiwanese, American, Chinese American or…?"
I am not an ABC but I desperately wished I was one while growing up.
My logic behind it was that if I were an ABC then I would naturally be fluent in the English language and I would not have to flip through the dictionary for every other
English word in my textbooks.
I also thought it would have been easier to make friends and have a better social life at school.
The desire to be 'Americanized' or to have an 'American' identity was great because I believed it was the only way to fit in and to be accepted.
I used to reply, "I grew up in America, but I'm originally from Taiwan" to show that I was 'Westernized', but I now proudly reply to the question with the answer of, "No, I am not an ABC, I'm Taiwanese."
Allow me to share with you what makes an ABC and the other subgroups of Taiwanese with American influences.
ABC means American-born Chinese.
ABC's are second, third or even fourth generation Chinese, born of Chinese immigrant parents living in America.
The first significant number of Chinese immigrants arrived during the California Gold Rush in the mid1800s.
They were mostly from Guangdong province in China and immigrated to America seeking labor.
From the late 1950s until the 1970s, many Taiwanese began to move to the United States, especially after the ban on Asian immigration was lifted in 1965.
The first group of Taiwanese immigrants was mainly educated Taiwanese scholars, most of whom had graduated from National Taiwan University (the island's most prestigious), with science or engineering backgrounds.
At the time there were no proper post-graduate degrees in universities in Taiwan, thus they could only pursue further education and research overseas.
Due to the prestige and fame of US universities as well as the good US diplomatic relations Taiwan enjoyed with the States back then, most Taiwanese students chose to continue their studies in America.
Many later settled permanently in the United States and held occupations such as doctors, scientists, researchers, engineers, and professors.
The second wave of Taiwanese immigration to the United States began when Taiwan lost the United Nations seat to China and the US withdrew recognition of the ROC in favor of China in 1979.
A large group of Taiwanese moved away due to the political and economic uncertainty of Taiwan's new position.
From mid-1980s onward, many of those who moved to the US were from affluent and well educated families seeking to broaden the international view of their children.
The descendents of these Taiwanese and Chinese immigrants alike are referred to as 'ABC's'.
Regardless of whether ABC's are descendents of early Chinese immigrants from the mid-1800s, or second- or third- generation descendents of Taiwanese arriving in the US since late 1950s, ABC's have their own subculture.
They are native English speakers, and some speak the mother tongue (to a varying degree of fluency) of their parents, but many do not know how to read or write Chinese.
If they live on the east or west coast of the US, where there are strong Chinese communities, they are generally sent to attend weekend classes to learn Chinese and to maintain a good connection with Chinese culture.
ABC's by and large are well-educated, energetic, adventurous and independent.
They tend to hold good positions in all industries.
In contrast to the ABC's, there is another group of returning Taiwanese who are strongly influenced by American culture.
This 'Returning Taiwanese' group consists of Taiwanese families who immigrated to the US when their children were either in elementary school or of middle school age in the 1970s and early 1980s.
In many cases, splitting the household was a common strategy seen among these immigrant families from Taiwan where the mother moved with the children to the US while the father stayed behind in Taiwan to work and earn money to support the family in their new home.
Another group that falls under this Returning Taiwanese group is called xiaoli xuesheng (小留學生, literally 'young students studying abroad').
These are children who went to the US alone, without their parents, often staying in a boarding school or with a relative who lives in the US and can act as a guardian.
Returning Taiwanese, including both immigrant families and young students, have often lived or worked in the States for at least seven to twenty (or more) years.
Their prime education was in the US school system and they are greatly influenced by the American mindset.
They are fluent in both English and Mandarin, and although they have assimilated mainstream American culture, they retain traditional Taiwanese values taught by their parents at home.
In the workplace, they are not only bilingual but are also bicultural, and serve as a bridge between the local Taiwanese and their global team counterparts in understanding and relating to both American and Taiwanese cultures.
A third large group of Taiwanese who have lived in the US obtained their post-graduate degrees there after completing their university degree in Taiwan.
They were mainly in the United States for studying and most return to Taiwan after obtaining their degree or degrees.
It is a widespread desire to have the opportunity to pursue further education abroad to enhance one's horizon and international viewpoint.
As a result, many Taiwanese earn a master or doctoral degree and commonly hold multiple diplomas from the US and/or another country.
Most group together with people of their own backgrounds studying, living, or traveling together, but while accustomed to daily life in America, may not necessarily understand the deeper Western cultural values of being independent, individual or direct in communication with others, due to lack of interaction with Westerners.
During the 1990s, political liberalization and economic development in Taiwan encouraged many ABC's and others who lived in the States to return to Taiwan to pursue careers and education.
Many of my ABC friends and I myself returned during this period, and many locals have a 'love-hate' feeling towards these returnees.
Locals are often excited to meet and learn from those who are somewhat 'Americanized' as they perceive them, yet at the same time they may stereotype the returnees as arrogant, rich, overly open-minded, and with poor command of Mandarin language skills and proper etiquette.
The challenge for any returnee to the workplace in Taiwan is how to best bring back the global skills and knowledge to improve collaboration and productivity in the Taiwanese office while at the same time not seem aloof due to their education and experiences overseas.
Local Taiwanese certainly make clear distinctions and have varying perceptions of the three subgroups (ABC's, Returning Taiwanese and those who have received a post-graduate degree overseas).
Nonetheless, their return has no doubt contributed to the development of Taiwan's industry and helped Taiwan to excel in high-tech industries, and reinvigorated traditional business in manufacturing, trading and other fields.
They are key members of the global team in bridging the gap between work style differences to ensure effective communication and to reduce misunderstanding when working in a global environment.
I strongly believe that in order to become a competent global player and leader in this competitive world it is crucial not only to have foreign language capabilities, but also to understand international business practices.
Only by an increased awareness of the differences between cultures, insights, beliefs and values will this be possible.
Among the many aspects of Taiwanese culture, cross-cultural issues, society and lifestyle, Taiwan's betel nut culture is one of the most unique.
Betel nut (檳榔, bin lang) is a type of palm tree which is grown in Taiwan and Southeast Asian countries.
This coconut-like tree produces a seed (green in color) that creates a chewing tobacco-like 'high' when chewed.
Thus the section of the Taiwanese population who chew betel nuts are mostly truck, bus or taxi drivers, laborers, and construction workers who chew them to help stay awake during the long working day.
An easy crop to grow, betel nut is Taiwan's second largest agricultural produce and an important cash crop.
Thus, despite the fact that the shallow root systems of these trees sap all the nutrients out of the surrounding soil, and that a strong typhoon can easily destroy the slender palms or cause landslides, many farmers continue to make a living planting and growing betel nut trees.
Betel nuts are usually sold wrapped in a leaf, with a slit down the middle of the nut into which is placed a lump of lime paste.
The vast majority of betel nut chewers are male, though many aborigine women also chew them.
I have not tried one myself but heard it has a strong, bitter taste and produces a hot sensation in the mouth.
The red juice which forms after chewing isn't swallowed, but is spat out, and in the past dried red splashes on city sidewalks and streets were left everywhere by betel nut chewers, although this phenomenon seems to have decreased recently, especially in major cities, as chewers now often spit into disposable plastic cups instead.
It's easy to recognize a betel nut chewer, as their teeth and even the corners of their mouth are generally stained with dark red marks.
Don't mistake the betel nut juice they spit out for blood!
What makes the betel nut special in Taiwan is its creative marketing technique in employing the 'betel nut beauty' (檳榔西施, binlang xishi) in selling the product.
These are girls, typically dressed in revealing clothing (usually little more than bikini).
Sitting in a clear glass-walled booth beside the road, often with bright colorful flashing neon lights, these girls prepare and count betel nuts, and hawk betel nuts packaged in boxes printed with pictures of semi-clad girls to people driving or walking by.
They generally also sell cigarettes and drinks.
These betel nut kiosks are a unique feature in the cities and rural areas of Taiwan, and are usually set up near freeway entrance ramps and beside roads where truck drivers (the most fanatical consumers) are common.
It's a lot like a live roadside bikini contest, and you're unlikely to miss them if you drive or travel in Taiwan.
Since the wages for betel nut beauties can be high, many girls (mostly of agricultural or working-class backgrounds, and often poorly educated) become embroiled in the business.
Though betel nuts are chewed commonly in many countries in the Asia-Pacific region, the betel nut beauty phenomenon is distinctively Taiwanese.
Politicians have recently declared their intention to get rid of the betel nut beauties, as the business is appalling for the country's image.
However, the lawmakers face challenges dealing with the powerful petition of betel nut growers, chewers and sellers, who have made certain the practice is not forbidden entirely.
In some areas of the country a compromise has been reached, and the betel nut beauties remain, but have been told to cover up.
Once I dozed off sitting in the train heading back to Taipei after a short break at Taroko Gorge in Hualien, eastern Taiwan.
I was woken up by the familiar fragrance of a delicious and very traditional Taiwanese railway biandang (便當), or lunchbox.
I turned my head and noticed that a mother and her son sitting on the opposite side of the aisle from me were holding bamboo chopsticks, scooping rice and gobbling down pork chop from a rectangular paper box, against a backdrop through the window of the beautiful blue water of the Pacific Ocean.
This lunchtime scene was so Taiwan, so local and so beautiful; it's a scene that reminds me of the flavors and nostalgic memories of tasty boxed lunches eaten during childhood trips by train.
Taiwan railway lunch boxes are pleasant memories; they were always the highlight of long journeys by train for those Taiwanese who are old enough to remember them, served in a round, stainless steel box with the 'Taiwan Railway' logo embossed on the cover and filled with delicious food.
Hawkers also sold other kinds of boxed lunch at a few station platforms as the train slowly approached the platform, greeting passengers with the call, "ben-dong, ben dong" (Taiwanese for biandang), and selling their lunchboxes during the train's short three-minute stop at the station.
Some hawkers even ran along with the train trying to reach the last few customers, passing lunchboxes through the windows during the time when the trains did not yet have air conditioning.
Biandang lunchboxes became a familiar part of Taiwanese culture during the Japanese occupation (1895-1945), when they were called O-bento in Japanese.
A traditional Taiwanese biandang consists of a slice of pork chop, some bean curd and an egg (all stewed in soy sauce), some stir-fried vegetables and some pickled radish, all traditionally packaged in a box of thin wooden strips, although nowadays the box is usually made of cardboard.
This boxed lunch may seem simple by today's standards, yet they were regarded as a luxury by people in the old days, when a slice of pork was commonly shared by the entire family during a meal.
Lunchboxes from Fenchihu (奮起湖), on the route of the mountain train between Chiayi (嘉義) and Alishan (阿里山) in south-central Taiwan are the only railway lunch boxes that have remained popular, and have now became a tourist attraction in their own right.
Nowadays biandang come in many varieties (pork chop, fish filet, chicken drumstick and vegetarian are among the more common kinds) and various prices.
A standard lunchbox costs NT$60-70, while fancy boxed meals costing up to NT$500 can also be found.
At school, children eat a lunchbox either brought with them in the morning freshly made, or personally delivered to the school by one of their parents at lunchtime, or bought in the school canteen.
Office workers often get a lunchbox rather than eating out at a restaurant; laborers squat down at the construction site eating boxed lunches; politicians have a lunchbox over lunch meetings.
Boxed lunches can be bought from hawkers on the streets, from restaurants, or at convenience stores.
Alternatively, small buffet-style (自助餐, zizhucan) restaurants offer various selections from which customers can create their own biandang.
They are quite similar to some Chinese food stalls at Western food courts where customers pick three or four items along with rice.
Biandang culture is a unique aspect of Taiwanese culture.
Rather than going out to eat during office lunch hours or chucking down a sandwich at your office desk, next time join your Taiwanese colleagues for a biandang at the office eating area.
This can help you build rapport with your Taiwanese peers, plus it's fun to occasionally do things the local way!
While Westerners have cereal and milk, muffins or bagels and a cup of steaming coffee or tea in the morning, what do Taiwanese eat for breakfast?
Rice is a nutritious staple that the Taiwanese traditionally consumed three times a day, including for breakfast.
However, rice was not readily available for every Taiwanese family in my father's generation (he is about seventy years old now), and only wealthy families could afford to eat it with every meal.
Many families thus used to mix mostly yams (sweet potatoes) with just a bit of rice boiled in water to make yam-rice congee.
Congee (xi fan, 稀飯, in Mandarin or commonly heard overseas as jook in Cantonese) is a watery kind of rice gruel.
As Taiwan became more developed, congee was made with only rice.
It was not until quite recently that yam was found to be healthy, and eating it (as well as eating yam leaves) has become common once more.
At home many Taiwanese begin their day with a bowl of warm, plain congee, made with just rice and nothing else.
It is usually eaten with vegetables, meat, pork floss (rou song, 肉鬆, finely shredded pork roasted until dried and shredded into crispy flakes), salted peanuts, warm tofu and pan-fried eggs (hebao dan, 荷包蛋) with a dab of soy sauce and other side dishes, including pickled cucumber, cabbage hearts or other pickled vegetables, dried radish, and beans.
When I was a child, my mother would rush downstairs when the vendor came around our alley in his truck hawking freshly-made side dishes for breakfast.
The warm, fresh tofu was especially tasty and was definitely my favorite.
Nowadays, we buy all of these either fresh at a traditional market (hoping no preservatives are added) or canned at a convenience store (where preservatives are certainly added).
Another popular Taiwanese breakfast option is a nice bowl of piping hot soybean milk (doujiang, 豆漿), either sweet or salty, eaten with youtiao (油條, foot-long, deep fried dough sticks sometimes known as 'crunchy crullers') or other Taiwanese breakfast items sold at traditional breakfast shops (youtiao and doujiang are usually bought from a shop rather than made at home).
Let's start with Soybean milk (doujiang).
Sweet doujiang is served either hot, cold or lukewarm, and many Taiwanese prefer this high-protein alternative to cow's milk.
Health-conscious eaters can ask for less sugar to be added to their soybean milk, or even drink it unsweetened.
Salty soybean soup (xian doujiang, 鹹豆漿) is served in a bowl with chopped vegetables (some fresh and some dried), dried shrimps, dried radish and some chopped-up youtiao.
The last step is to pour hot plain soybean milk into the bowl.
Before eating it's usual to add lots of rice vinegar to curdle the doujiang, giving it a texture like egg-drop soup.
Another kind of drink you may see is mijiang (米漿 ), made with roasted rice which gives the drink a brown color and thicker texture than soybean milk.
Like doujiang it is served both hot and cold, and can mixed 50/50 with doujiang.
Now let's see what, apart from youtiao, is often eaten with breakfast drinks.
Shaobing (燒餅) are long lengths of soft, baked bread covered in toasted white sesame seeds.
Shaobing are usually split open and filled, most commonly with youtiao, when they're simply known as shaobing youtiao (燒餅油條) .
The youtiao filling is crunchy when hot and chewy when cold.
Nowadays you can also find shaobing filled with stir-fried pork, or with pan-fried eggs and spring onions (my personal favorite, as they give the shaobing a juicy, flavorful taste).
Taiwanese-style pancakes or danbing (蛋餅)are also very popular at breakfast time.
This is the best-known and most often tried Taiwanese breakfast item among foreigners living in Taiwan.
Danbing are prepared by beating chopped spring onions and egg, and frying the mixture on a large iron griddle.
A tortilla-like pre-made pancake (now often factory-made, although some shops continue to make their own) is placed on top of the semi-cooked egg.
The cooked pancake is then folded into a burrito-like shape and chopped up into pieces.
Danbing can be eaten with soy sauce or chili sauce.
Fantuan (飯糰) is a delicious roll made from sticky glutinous rice.
The steaming hot rice is taken out of a wooden rice bucket and placed onto a plastic bag laid on top of a piece of cloth.
Now the rice is patted into a flat oval shape with a flat rice serving spoon.
Next the fillings (small pieces of crispy youtiao, some pork floss and pickled radish) are placed in the center; the rice is then rolled up into a spring roll shape.
Fantuan were traditionally formed into a long egg shape, but it's faster to roll the rice up and close the ends tightly.
Now turn the plastic bag inside out, and the fantuan is inside and ready to go.
Sweet fantuan can also be made with youtiao, finely grounded peanut powder and sugar.
Most traditional breakfast shops also stock a variety of steamed buns.
The basic buns without fillings are called mantou (饅頭).
Mantou originate from northern China, especially from Shandong province, and are generally light, fluffy, spongy and chewy in texture.
They come in various sizes, small or big.
I enjoy my mantou cut open and filled with egg and pork floss, like a sandwich.
Other steamed buns stuffed with fillings are called baozi (包子).
Fillings include meat, pork with chopped cabbage and shredded mushroom, leeks and other types of vegetable although sweet types can also be found, filled with red beans or black sesame paste.
Taiwan offers a wonderful array of breakfast options and they are readily found in many back alleys or near busy bus or MRT stops.
These neighborhood street vendors or shops offer a cheap and hot breakfast, prepared freshly.
Popular breakfast chain stores also specialize in cheap grilled egg and ham sandwiches and Taiwan-style hamburgers.
Follow the scent of those sizzling eggs and listen for the sound of frying youtiao and don't be afraid to check out the next breakfast vendor or movable cart you see.
Some breakfast congee and soybean joints are even open 24 hours a day for you to savor these traditional foods anytime of the day.
The German family I spent a month with during Christmas in Frankfurt a few years ago did not understand why I always craved soup when asked what I wanted to eat for dinner.
Believe me, soup is a comfort food to many Taiwanese, and was especially soothing during the freezing, snowy days of the Christmas holiday season when I was in Germany.
Soup features on almost every Chinese menu; it is a staple, and often a meal in itself.
It should come as no surprise that there are an amazing variety of Chinese soups.
Furthermore, Chinese are especially obsessed with 'chicken soup', not 'fish soup' or 'tofu soup'; it has been used by the Chinese to treat illness for centuries.
Just like in other parts of the world, chicken soup is believed by the Taiwanese to cure colds, sore throats or an achy body.
Many of you have heard or learned about yin and yang (陰陽).
A large part of Chinese medicine is based on the concept of these two forces, which rule the universe.
Yin and yang can be described as opposite or complementary forces.
Depending on the context, yin refers to the feminine, darker, cooling forces; while yang represents the masculine, lighter, hot forces.
So, in Chinese terms, illness is a signal that yin and yang forces are out of balance.
This imbalance leads to disharmony and blockages of energy flow in the body, thus causing disease.
For example, if you have a cold, according to the Chinese principles of yin and yang, it's because there is too much yin in your body.
A Chinese herbalist might prescribe a soup designed to restore the yang force.
Similarly, a fever might be treated with a yin soup.
The secret of a good Chinese soup lies in the stock (no, I can't cook, but I've checked with my mom!).
Chicken is the primary meat of choice for preparing good stock to help restore physical strength.
Therefore, chicken soup made with a number of Chinese herbal ingredients to balance yin and yang is thought to increase energy, to strengthen body functions and to have a great healing effect.
As a result, after drinking chicken soup, one's body is neither too 'warm', nor too 'cold', but neutral.
The beauty of Chinese herbal soup is that it is not only drunk to correct imbalances and restore energy during times of illness, it is also drunk frequently in Taiwanese homes for its delicious taste and to care for the body, preventing disease.
Homemade chicken soup is both nutritious and good for the body and the soul.
The curative powers of chicken soup are not simply an old wives' tale.
There is medical evidence it can help relieve cold or flu symptoms.
It ups the intake of fluids and provides easily absorbed nutrients; the steam from hot soup can also reduce nasal or bronchial congestion and sooth a sore throat.
Even if you don't agree with the Chinese belief that certain chicken soups can have healing powers, a bowl of soup, lovingly prepared, can at least make us think we feel better and it certainly has its ability to comfort.
Calligraphy is more than simply writing characters: it is a rich and profound art.
Each character is written like a beautiful flower, and the different forms, styles and elegant flowing of characters carefully convey the artist's emotions, integrity, thoughts, and are an expression of his or her outlook on life.
Calligraphy is one of the highest forms of Chinese art and is well respected in Chinese culture.
It is believed to be a great mental exercise for relaxing one's mind and body.
It is a highly disciplined exercise that requires one's full concentration and proper posture.
One's energy flows through the brush and this is reflected in the strokes; the brush style, the turns and curves of each stroke, the thickness of the strokes, all of which can represent the state of mind of the artist and what he/she wants to express.
Many calligraphy artists throughout history were well-known for their longevity and good health.
In Taiwan, starting in third grade (though this varies with schools), every child is taught to write with brush and ink on rice paper.
Calligraphy is considered so important that traditionally schools hold a contest every semester and award prizes to the students who have the best calligraphy.
I can still remember how strict my teacher was about our posture during calligraphy lessons.
The body should be upright with the back straight and shoulders relaxed.
The legs should be apart with the feet firmly on the ground and the head held straight up and the chin down, leaning slightly forward.
The eyes should be fixed on the spot where you intend to write.
The right hand is to hold the brush vertically, gripped between the thumb and middle finger, while the upper part of the brush is pressed by the index finger to stabilize it.
The palm should not touch the brush, while the elbow is raised high, not touching the desk when making strokes.
And yes, this is what my teacher expected of me while writing calligraphy!
In order to write calligraphy, four essential tools are needed - the brush, ink, paper, and ink stone, which are together commonly referred by the Chinese as the four  treasures of the study (文房四寶, wen fang si bao).
Brushes are made from different types of animal hair, mounted on a bamboo shaft.
The Taiwanese use hair from wolves, sheep, rabbits, deer, foxes, or mice, depending on the type of writing.
There is a lovely tradition of making a special and meaningful brush using the hair of your own newborn, by shaving their hair when they're between one and four months old.
This, it is believed, will make the baby's hair grow to be thicker and fuller.
This brush then becomes an once-in-a-lifetime souvenir for the child.
Different brushes are used to create different expressions of calligraphic work, just like the use of various brushes in Western watercolor painting.
Ink was formally prepared by rubbing a solid black ink stick on the flat surface of an ink stone moistened with water.
Carefully rubbing the ink is an essential part of calligraphy study, as it produces different consistencies depending on the amount of water used, and the length of time the ink stick is ground.
Artists use different consistencies of ink to create images that are intense and dark or light and clear, and as a way to express various emotions.
Today, pre-mixed bottled inks are also available.
A special type of paper is used for calligraphy, referred to as xuan paper (宣紙) or rice paper.
Paper of different quality and thickness produces varied results.
The texture can be rough and absorbent or it can have a smooth and fine surface which resists ink absorption.
Ink stones are pieces of hard, flat stone or pottery generally carved with beautiful designs.
The calligrapher puts water on the ink stone then rubs the solid ink stick against it, storing the ink once it is ground into liquid.
Many ink stones are regarded as collectible works of art.
Five distinct styles of calligraphy have been used from ancient times up to the present: seal (篆書, zhuan shu), official or clerical (隸書, li shu), regular (楷書, kai shu), running or semi-cursive (行書, xing shu), and cursive (草書, cao shu).
Each style has its own characteristics and purpose.
Today, cursive and semi-cursive scripts are most commonly used for their profound beauty and artistic expressiveness.
Among the basic rules when writing characters are to always write from top to bottom and from left to right; to follow the correct stroke order to properly balance the composition of characters on the paper; and to carefully handle the brush to create the appropriate lines of each character.
There are eight common strokes: The character for 'eternal,' 永 (yong) has all eight basic strokes.
If you can write this character nicely and with well-balanced composition then you can probably write any other Chinese character well!
While making a US Dollar time deposit transaction at the bank, I almost lost track of the number of chops that were used.
I had to chop on the withdrawal slip from my US dollar account, the teller chopped on slips to confirm she handled the paperwork properly, the manager chopped as well, and then there were a few other chops on the time deposit certificate I finally received.
Chops or seals (圖章,tu zhang or 印章, yin zhang) are specially carved stamps which are used by the Chinese instead of a signature.
A chop carries more power than the person holding it, and for centuries it has symbolized authority and power.
In Taiwan, chops are used by official departments as well as private individuals.
They're used every day for everything from receiving registered mail or opening an account or withdrawing money at the bank, to legalizing a contract or acknowledging a document.
Many foreign businessmen who are used to signing their names on a contract in their own country find with astonishment that they are required to use seals to make things official, and that one does not have to be present to sign a lease as long as the chop is used.
A perfect seal is very much determined by the engraver's speed and the strength of his wrist and finger movements.
He must be good at writing various styles of Chinese script and arrange all the characters in a perfect balance.
As in Chinese calligraphy, sometimes he needs to exaggerate the thickness or thinness of a stroke, straighten or curve it, or even deliberately deform an ideogram to create an artistic and graceful effect.
Seals can be made from various materials, including jade, gold, brass, stone, ivory, crystal, or other valuable stone.
Most people in Taiwan have a simple wooden chop (costing about NTS50 to make), but they also normally have more than one seal: perhaps one for banking, one for business contract signing, and one for less important matters like picking up the post or getting paperwork done at government offices.
When using a chop, make sure you know which way up to hold it when stamping a document.
The engraver normally places a dot on one side of the chop to identify which way to hold the chop while stamping.
The chop is pressed into a red ink paste made from cinnabar (yes, red is the standard color).
Seals are indeed widely used in Taiwan and in many other countries in Asia.
The art of seal engraving is now more, rather than less, popular than ever, and many foreigners can now appreciate this art form which for a long time has been considered uniquely Chinese.
If you don't already have your own personal seal, it's not hard to have one made.
First, if you don't already have one, ask a friend to give you a Chinese name.
In the past, Westerners' Chinese names were often created by transliterating their own given names; however it is becoming more important to have a meaningful Chinese name to show your respect for the culture and to build a Chinese identity.
Select one of the many Chinese surnames in use.
Next pick a given name that has a meaning that suits your personality, such as righteous, brave or scholarly for men, and elegant, sophisticated or joyful for women.
Once a Chinese name is chosen, you can search for a perfect seal with the right material and the style of calligraphy you appreciate.
Frequently, you can find a chop maker at key cutting shops (often near traditional markets or on busy shopping streets) where they now use computer-operated techniques to make the chop from a piece of wood, with a plastic cover to prevent staining after use.
You can find better quality chops made of jade or other kinds of stone at antique markets such as the Jianguo Jade Market (建國玉市) in Taipei.
Now take the stone to the seal engraver and have your chop carved.
The quality of the finished result depends on the artist's calligraphy skills, and the fluidity, force, strokes and angles of each character.
Good chop engraver can charge by the character carved, carefully balancing them on the limited space available on the chop, and creating an overall harmonious design.
The cost for each character engraved onto jade another hard stone can range from NT$1,000 to 10,000, according to the artist.
Many Taiwanese not only enjoy collecting seals but also believe that having an 'auspicious seal' will ensure power and bring prosperity and good fortune to the seal owner.
Certainly it's extremely helpful to have your own seal so you can begin chopping away on those official documents!
Do you love Asian cuisine?
Trust me, Asian dishes are tastier when using chopsticks Chopsticks, called kuaizi (筷子, literally 'quick little things') in Chinese, are a pair of narrow sticks about 9 to 10 inches long, cut square at the top and rounded off at the bottom.
They are traditional eating utensils in China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam but their popularity has spread worldwide.
Chopsticks are commonly made of bamboo, wood, bone, metal, ivory, or plastic.
Most families, night market food stands, family-style restaurants, and even some fairly decent restaurants in Taiwan however still use wood or bamboo chopsticks, because they are inexpensive and resistant to heat.
These days, to be environmentally friendly, it is a trend in Taiwan to carry one's own metal chopsticks instead of wasting pairs of disposable ones.
In dynastic China, the wealthy used chopsticks made of jade, gold or bronze, while emperors preferred using silver chopsticks, as they were said to turn black if they came into contact with poisoned food.
Well, it may be easier for me to say, "Simply hold the bottom chopstick firmly in place while pivoting the top one to pick up the food," than for a beginner to actually do it at first.
It's best to watch others use them first, but here are a few simple directions for correctly positioning the chopsticks.
First chopstick: Rest the thicker end of the chopstick at the base of your thumb and the thinner part on your fourth finger (the ring finger) close to the fingertip.
Press the end of your thumb forward onto the stick so that it is gripped firmly in place.
There will now be a hollow between your thumb and index finger.
Second chopstick: Now pick up the other chopstick and hold it in place, with your index finger on one side and the tip of your thumb on the other, close to the index finger.
The index finger should be curled.
 This is the pivoting stick.
Always keep the bottom chopstick stationary and use the top chopstick to maneuver and pick up food.
Finally, make sure to grab the chopsticks in the middle with the tips of even length.
Try not to cross your sticks, even though you may see many young Taiwanese do this!
(It wasn't until adulthood that my younger sister stopped crossing her chopsticks and could hold them properly, so don't worry if you do; it's more important to be able to pick up the food!)
Never wave chopsticks to point at things or 'direct traffic' in the restaurant.
Pick food up with the chopsticks; don't spear it -only small children are allowed this infraction (though you may see adults spearing meat or fish balls sometimes).
Put your chopsticks down before picking up a cup or bowl.
Never suck or chew the tips of the chopsticks.
Don't stick chopsticks vertically into a bowl of rice.
This is only done at funerals, when the sticks resemble incense sticks lit for the dead.
This is probably the one thing most likely to offend the Taiwanese.
Don't pass food from your chopsticks to somebody else's chopsticks
Never use chopsticks as drumsticks to tap on the rice bowl.
That's a beggar's gesture.
Don't use chopsticks as a hair decoration, even though in the past women used them as decorative hairpins.
Don't pick up an item and put it right back in the dish.
You should aim before raising your chopsticks.
Once you touch it, it's yours.
It may be a polite gesture to pick up the best piece of food from the dish and send it to your guest's bowl or plate.
If there are serving spoons or communal chopsticks on the table, use those to get food.
If not, reverse your chopsticks and use the other, clean ends to pick up the food.
With some practice, you can easily use chopsticks to pick up many kinds of Chinese food and enjoy savoring Chinese cuisine the authentic way.
Your next challenge may be using chopsticks to eat rice.
The secret to properly eating rice is to raise the rice bowl, bring it close to your mouth and place the rice into your mouth with the chopsticks.
(Nowadays people don't always raise the rice bow and often you'll see them quickly shovel rice into their mouth.)
If rice were served on a plate, as it is in the West, I would ask for a fork, as it is difficult to pick up the rice grain by grain from the plate.
That's why Chinese traditionally eat from a bowl.
Your fingers and hand may be tired and sore after your first few attempts, and many claim to get bad cramps, but I'm sure everyone can acquire the skill in using chopsticks (my friend Tim did on his first attempt to use chopsticks throughout dinner.
He ate slowly and we ended up going for a burger right after dinner, as he was hungry by then).
It's never insulting to ask for a fork, but the Taiwanese are highly appreciative when foreigners use chopsticks while dining.
Let's get those chopsticks to work!
Confucius (孔子, Kongzi) is the greatest teacher and philosopher in Chinese culture.
His wisdom continued to be appreciated after his death, travelled from kingdom to kingdom through dynastic China, and his philosophy continues to have a tremendous influence to this day on the thought and life of people in China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam, and on Chinese people in other countries around the world.
For thousands of years Confucianism, the teaching of Confucius, has been a foundation for Chinese society and it has also been the basis for the education of Chinese students.
Much of Confucius' teaching spread to Taiwan with the migration of Chinese settlers to this island over the past four hundred years.
Confucianism is a way of life: a philosophy of ethics, a system that propounds proper personal conduct, and guidance for living a moral life.
Confucianism shaped how people speak, think and act, and it remains relevant in the everyday values of the Taiwanese.
Though modern Taiwanese culture does not strictly follow all Confucian values, many of them are still taught by teachers and parents today in Taiwanese society.
These basic Confucian values have profoundly influenced and remain deeply rooted in Taiwanese people's daily life.
These values include the idea of the group, a need to retain harmony, respect for hierarchy, honoring one's parents, obedience to superiors, loyalty, propriety, and education.
Understanding the way these traditional values are followed today will help you to interact successfully with Taiwanese nationals.
Let's start from how a Taiwanese generally sees one's self.
The self is never defined by as the 'individual' self as "I do what I like to do and I am responsible for my decisions and actions".
'Self for a Taiwanese is defined by the relations with others and by the surrounding relationships.
One always needs to live up to the others' expectations.
For instance, living up the expectations of one's parents who may want their son or daughter to be a doctor or an engineer; participating in a drawing contest to please the teacher in school; or working overtime to complete a challenging project to satisfy the manager.
One can never separate his obligations from others and his identity is only complete when recognition is given by others.
One is part of a group and defined by that group.
Consequently, Taiwanese care a lot about how others see them and often their self-confidence is derived from others' recognition.
One's achievement is for others to glorify and express but never for the individual to voice openly.
People are expected to be modest about their individual accomplishments or personal opinions.
Taiwanese people's self-perception is reflected in how they receive feedback positive comment from a senior results in further support and loyalty given to that authority, while a constructive criticism may be perceived as a sign of personal incompetence.
In other words, appreciation expressed as a pat on the shoulder is perceived as a tremendous reward, while a seemly minor criticism may well be taken as a serious reprimand.
Taiwanese do not separate one's emotions from a feedback.
Any feedback is never taken simply about the task; it involves one's face; a positive feedback gives face while a negative feedback diminishes one's reputation.
Furthermore, the stress of fitting in and belonging to a group is important.
The 'IN-Group' is strong and stable, and one may go beyond their means to help an insider, but an outsider has to follow the rules and policy.
Insiders are like family members, hence special privileges are given, and direct and open communication can be used.
On the contrary, one is merely polite to an outsider because no relationship (guanxi, 關係) is yet established, thus communication is often indirect.
To build a good working relationship and enhance communication, it is important to be part of your Taiwanese colleagues' insider circle as well as letting others enter your insider circle.
Be aware that this results in preferential treatment for those on the 'inside', and one may be protected and taken care of endlessly when seen as an insider.
If your Taiwanese colleague invites you to his or her home for a meal, that indicates you are getting close to entering their inside circle, as Taiwanese typically only entertain those they consider as true friends at home.
Sometimes you might be invited to someone's home because he or she owns a big property, in which case the reason may be to show off their wealth, rather than to indicate that you are part or the insider group.
Social harmony is the great goal of Confucianism.
Harmony with other people can be achieved when every individual is receptive to and accepts his or her place in the social order and can play their parts well in the group.
To preserve harmony, conflict should be avoided at all costs.
No one desires to invite direct confrontations or to create chaos as they disrupt harmonious personal relationships.
Personal assertiveness and directness can be seen as selfish, and thus are discouraged.
In valuing harmony, each individual is aware of his role in society.
They do not openly disagree, particularly with figures of authority; they speak indirectly and wait for their turn to speak according to their social role; they are comfortable with periods of silence and only express what they believe they want to be heard, and not necessary the truth; they much prefer to be offered options or assistance than directly asking for support.
Consequently, a more 'hand-holding' process needs to be adopted when working with Taiwanese colleagues.
A frequent check-up on the process of the project and generous offers of support and experience sharing may be required.
Many meetings happen after the official meeting sessions, and private sessions encourage more self-expression.
Much of Confucius' teaching focuses on showing respect for parents, family the elderly and for those with wisdom and experience.
Confucius taught the Five-Constant Relationships: emperor-subject, parent-child, husband-wife, elder brother-younger brother and friend-friend (this is the only relationship of equal status among the five relationships).
Respect for parents and older members of the family (living or dead) is considered the greatest virtue for a Taiwanese.
This principle is called xiao(孝, filial piety), and it denotes that a child needs to pay ultimate love and respect to his or her parents and family.
Children should be obedient to their parents, and take care of them when they grow old.
Listening to their parents and obeying without questioning is believed to be the duty of a son.
Respect for hierarchy and veneration of those in positions of authority is taught from a young age.
Parents, teachers and managers are among those of authority and ranking.
Status in terms of age, ranking and experience should be observed at all times.
It gives a structure and provides a clear guideline for correct behavior and communication.
For instance, titles are frequently used to address senior executives; business cards are presented with both hands to show respect; decisions are generally made by those in authority and the subordinates follow.
The relationship between seniors and juniors should be similar to that of parent and child.
Loyalty thus is extended from one's family and one's spouse and to one's leader.
Thus a good manager is seen as someone who shows genuine concern for the wellbeing of their subordinates, not only on work-related issues but also in personal and family matters.
He provides stability and security and quite often is expected to know everything; he/she ought to be wiser and experienced, and should have all the right answers.
Seniors are expected to provide mentorship and, more importantly, protection to their junior employees, and thus receive great loyalty in return.
This respect of hierarchy results in the manager being addressed with formal titles, and spending more time after work with Taiwanese associates at social gatherings like dinners and entertainment.
Managers are also expected to comply with favors asked, and may be required to give more frequent advice.
Confucius taught that rituals and protocol preserve social order.
Li (禮, rite) translates as propriety, courtesy, respect, ritual, morals, standard of conduct, or the way things should be done'.
Without Li there can be no proper etiquette and social behavior in all relationships; there can be no rules on the proper status of the elders and juniors; no organization of the moral relationship between parents and children and no standard on what is right and what is wrong.
Li provides the structure for social interaction in social and political institutions, and is the Chinese code of ethics for daily behavior.
People should accept and fulfill their social role in society regardless which side of the relationship they are on.
Parents have an obligation to raise and educate their children, who will then care for their parents in their old age; seniors have an obligation to provide to juniors, who in return swear loyalty.
People behave properly accordingly to li so as not to lose face.
The ideal of following li has been pointed out as a weakness of the Taiwanese education system.
Showing extreme respect to the teachers and blindly following the ritual of li has affected the development of students' creative learning, critical thinking and problem solving skills.
Students are incapable of thinking freely and creatively, instead focusing on following the instructions of the teachers, who are believed to have the knowledge and right answers for every question.
This phenomenon also transfers to Taiwan's business and professional settings, where the person in authority is expected to have an answer to everything. 
I can't emphasize enough the importance of education.
Education is valued highly in Taiwan, and every parent expects his child to achieve the highest possible level of education.
Confucius taught that the chief goals of life are to become well educated and to live a moral life.
Education is a way to learn how to conduct oneself properly, thus creating a balanced society.
Confucius is renowned for his support of 'Teaching without discrimination' (有教無類, you jiao wu le), that is, education should be for all, without class distinction, and that anyone should be taught if they desire to learn.
Education promotes social status.
It led to the structure of civil services in the Taiwan government and the university entrance examination system in education.
Through education, one is able to achieve a higher role in society.
The higher the degree of education achieved, the higher the status and respect projected.
As a result, to motivate Taiwanese employees it is important to acknowledge their educational background and achievement regardless of the age or the position of the person, as a sign of respect.
In Taiwan, one's level of education will always be asked at a job interview, regardless of the job experience.
Every colleague is well aware of each other's educational accomplishments, and which position they occupy in the ranking system among their peers.
Though one's performance and merit weighs more in the modern working environment in Taiwan, education is still seen as the benchmark for determining the success of an individual.
Confucius, held in the highest regard as a teacher, is famous for his many wise sayings, collected in the Analects.
These sayings help us learn about human behavior, while offering guidance for living a moral life that remains relevant for us today.
His often-quoted golden rule is: "Do not unto others that which you do not wish for yourself.
"Some other examples of his wise sayings I like very much are:
"I hear but I forget.
 I see and I remember.
 I do and I understand."
"When you enjoy what you do, you'll never work another day in your life."
"Silence is a friend who will not betray."
In honoring Confucius' life and contributions, his birthday has been celebrated as Teacher's Day on September 28th since 1968 in Taiwan.
As Confucianism is not a religion but a moral philosophy and ethical code, Confucian temples in Taiwan are not places for worship, but rather for paying tremendous respect to Confucius.
Locals visit Confucius temples hoping to acquire wisdom; students come with their identification cards and leave them on the altar as a prayer to pass school examinations; on Teacher's Day, formal celebrations and ceremonies are held at the Confucius temples to pay respect to the Sage.
The first Confucius temple in Taiwan was constructed in Tainan (台南, southwest Taiwan) more than three hundred years ago.
It was the place for education and nowadays, its graceful, ancient looking architecture has become a famous tourist attraction in the city.
In conclusion, Confucianism is a complex system that taught the importance of moral and ethical relationships between all people.
It had tremendous influence the culture and history of the Taiwanese and has impacted them in their daily behavior and business dealings.
Anyone seeking to work in Taiwan would find it vital to understand Confucian principles and values.
Dragon Boat Festival (端午節 , duanwu jie), also known as the 'Poet's Festival(詩人節) , is one of the three most important festivals celebrated in Taiwan(the other two are the Moon Festival, celebrated in autumn and Lunar New Year, in winter).
All Taiwanese make their best effort to return home for these three big occasions.
This festival, which falls on the fifth day of the fifth month in the lunar calendar, commemorates the death of a poet by the name of Chu Yuan (屈原) ,a loyal counselor for the government of Chu (楚) of the Warring States Period (戰國時期, a very turbulent period in China).
According to legend, he was banished by the King of Chu after his good advice was rejected.
During his time in exile, he started composing patriotic poems expressing his deepest love and concern for the future of his state, and upon hearing the news that it had been defeated by its rival, Chin (秦國), he jumped into a river out of despair and drowned himself.
Upon hearing the news of the suicide, local fishermen and villagers who loved Chu Yuan for his patriotism rushed out in their boats to try to rescue him, and upon realizing they were too late, frantically beat drums to scare the fish away and threw jongzi (粽子, glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo leaves) into the water in the hope that the hungry fish would not eat Chu Yuan's body.
The ritual of boat racing was held every year after on the anniversary of Chu Yuan's death to symbolize the effort to rescue him, while jongzi are also eaten, in memory of the fishermen's efforts to preserve their hero's body.
Many Dragon Boat Festival traditions continue to be observed today in Taiwan.
Taiwanese eat jongzi, stand eggs on their pointed ends at twelve noon, hang fragrant herbs on the door, and (the highlight of the day) organize lively dragon boat races.
Let's take a look at the meaning behind all these traditions.
Dragon Boat Festival falls around the time when the warm days of spring are turning into the hot and humid weather of summer.
In the old days it was believed this time is when pests and diseases are most likely to spread, and other negative forces tend to strike.
Thus this was the time of year to drive away pestilence in order to stay healthy and safe.
In the old days, around this time parents made a pouch out of cloth or silk with fragrant herbs inside called a xiang bao (香包) for children to wear around their necks and adults drunk xiung huang wine (雄黃酒), also made from special herbs.
Sprigs of herbs were hung outside the front door and wine was sprinkled in all four corners of the house to protect against insects and to repel evil.
Some of these customs mentioned above are no longer generally observed in Taiwan, but it's still common to see families hanging herbs above their doors during the period of the Dragon Boat Festival.
Calamus (菖蒲, also known as 'water sword', as it resembles a sword) and moxa (艾草 ) are two types of herbs used for this purpose, as they are believed to ward off evil and to ensure longevity and prosperity.
When I was a child, my mother used to boil moxa herbs into a herbal bath for us to bathe in, as it was believed to cleanse the body of evil spirits and strengthen health, although these days fewer families do this (at least in the big cities).
The custom of wearing a pouch of fragrant herbs has also enjoyed a gradual revival in Taiwan in recent years.
They can be found at traditional markets during the Dragon Boat Festival season.
They are generally made with colored silk materials in the shape of animals or cartoon characters and are filled not only with the traditional herbs but with aromatic flowers like lavender or rose petals.
Another custom practiced in Taiwan is to stand an egg on its end at exactly noon on the day of the festival.
It is believed if you can successfully stand an ego.
the coming year will be filled with tremendous luck (Dragon Boat Festival usually falls close to the Summer Solstice of June 22nd, which is by far the easiest time of the year to accomplish this feat).
Jongzi (粽子) is the most popular traditional food eaten during Dragon Boat Festival.
Traditionally, families make their own jongzi at this time to share with relatives and friends to eat during the festival.
Gradually they became readily available in restaurants and from street vendors, and can now be eaten any time of the year.
Jongzi is in fact a very rich and nutritious snack with a high level of cholesterol.
It is traditionally made with glutinous (very sticky) rice with fillings that can include pork, egg yolk, peanuts, mushrooms, and other ingredients, the whole thing wrapped in dried bamboo leaves and usually steamed.
The ingredients used may vary according to region.
For example, jongzi in northern Taiwan are chewier and made with cooked glutinous rice before steaming, while those from the south are softer and glue-ier and made with uncooked or half-cooked rice which is steamed before eating.
Jongzi can easily be made at home.
First, fold dried bamboo leaves into a triangular shape.
Second, fill with glutinous rice, and then place other ingredients such as pork, mushrooms, egg yolk, peanuts, walnuts, in any combination onto the rice.
Now cover them with more glutinous rice.
Finally, close the package tightly by folding down the bamboo leaves and tie it tightly with cotton string.
The jongzi is now ready to be steamed; the length of cooking required depends on whether cooked or uncooked rice was used.
After steaming, the jongzi is ready to be eaten, either plain or popularly with delicious sweet/chili sauce (Aizi Wei, 愛之味sauce company makes a good one).
The most exciting part of Dragon Boat Festival are no doubt the dragon boat races (龍舟賽) themselves, which attract crowds of spectators.
Dragon boats are typically canoes ranging from 40-100 feet in length; the heads are in the shape of open-mouthed dragons, the body of the boat is painted to look like a dragon's scales, and the dragon's tail is decoratively designed at the stern.
Dragon boats are generally brightly painted, and a formal, sacred 'eye-dotting' ceremony must be performed to bring life to the boat by dabbing red paint in the pupils of the dragon's eyes before the race.
The competing teams have rowers, a drummer and a flag-catcher at the front of the boat.
The team row forward in time with the pounding drums, and the winner is the first team to grab the flag at the end of the course.
Dragon boat races are held in major cities and counties around the island.
Taipei City has an international competition called the Taipei International Dragon Boat Race Championships which attracts teams of paddlers from all over the world to join together to learn the cultural traditions of the festival.
The international races have been held on the Dajia section (大佳段) of the Keelung River near Dazhi Bridge (大直橋) since 1996.
International team from Australia, Canada, Europe, Japan, the US, Thailand, the Philippines and other countries gather at the crack of dawn every day for many weeks before the race to train.
On the day of the race, spectators (both local nationals and international members of the community) come to enjoy the fun of the festival and the races, and there are many festival-related performances and activities, all staged at the Dajia Riverside Park.
The vibrant Dragon Boat Festival in Taipei is a perfect day out for families, and especially children.
I've had friends from Hong Kong, Singapore, Shanghai, and Japan visit Taipei simply to have a 'power eating tour.'
They are not interested in high-class restaurants; instead they crave Taiwan's most famous xiao chi (小吃), or 'small eateries'.
If you go to the night markets or the food courts in the basement of most department stores in Taiwan, you can find a great variety of food items that are very specific to Taiwan.
Here, I'd like to focus solely on the great variety of dumplings (or at least, dishes that are usually translated as 'dumplings' by foreigners) to be found in Taiwan.
Dumplings come in many different forms, shapes and tastes, and have different names.
Dumplings, like Italian ravioli, usually have a filling containing ground meat and vegetables wrapped in a skin made from flour dough.
They can be steamed boiled, pan-fried, or served in soup.
Common dumpling meat fillings include pork, beef, shrimp and crab; popular vegetable fillings include cabbage, scallion (spring onions) and local chives.
They are usually eaten with a dipping sauce containing a combination of soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil and hot chili sauce.
Dumplings are a very important food during Chinese New Year because their crescent shape looks similar to ancient Chinese gold or silver ingots, and symbolizes wealth.
On New Year's Eve in the old days, family members would join together to make dumplings as a family activity, hiding a coin in one of them.
The lucky person who eats the dumpling with the coin will likely enjoy good fortune in the coming year.
Dumplings are one of the most delicious and popular foods in Taiwan.
Dumpling stands and restaurants are everywhere around the country.
Perhaps you can let me know which is your favorite after you try all eight types!
Night markets are one of the highlights of Taiwanese life, with their own unique culture, and for most tourists and foreign guests a visit to at least one is a 'must' when in Taiwan.
The average night market offers a mixture of individual vendors and stalls hawking food, trendy clothing, shoes, bags, watches, trinkets, hair accessories, consumer goods, and more.
There are also children's arcades with traditional children's games like pinball, ring toss and goldfish catching.
For a few coins per game, children can win prizes such as goldfish, bubble gum, stuffed animals, toys, or a ticket to play another game.
Night markets in Taiwan are renowned for their specialty food items.
These are found in local eateries called xiao chi (小吃, which literally means 'little eats' or 'snacks').
The diversity of these snacks can range from a quick mouthful to a complete, filling meal; from iced drinks and sweets to hot foods, costing from NT$20 to over a hundred.
A satisfying, sizzling steak set, for instance, is only about NT$120!
Gourmet cuisine from many countries is available in Taiwan, but I always crave local Taiwanese delicacies when away for a long period; the street food is so special that I couldn't find it when I was living overseas in America or Japan.
I know I am not speaking just for myself, but for many other Taiwanese too when saying the experience of eating local food at a night market is sometimes much better than having a fancy dinner at a fine restaurant.
Many night markets are located near schools, since students are the main customer group; food and other goods are sold at much lower prices than in most other restaurants and stores.
Businesses at the night market generally set up at around 4 or 5 pm as students begin to return home after school.
The peak hours are between 8 and 11 pm or so, when workers are off duty and families go out for dinner or late night snacks.
Vendors normally close at midnight, or around 1 or 2 am on the weekends.
There are endless xiao chi to choose from in Taiwan.
Many townships and cities in Taiwan are known from their own signature dish that is specific to that area.
For example, if you want the best mochi (麻糬, glutinous rice paste with peanut powder), you should go to Hualien (花蓮) in eastern Taiwan; if you like rice noodles (米粉, mifen) you can get the best from Hsinchu City (新竹).
It's customary for the Taiwanese to not only enjoy the local specialty while traveling in Taiwan, but it's also important to bring some back to share with their family or colleagues especially managers, as it suggests that you were thinking of them while away.
Fortunately, these specialty foods are readily available in all cities at the night markets without having to travel to the region where they were made.
Let me share some traditional Taiwanese xiao chi that I love and missed the most when I was living overseas.
All major night markets in each city in Taiwan are crowded, hot in the summer time and very noisy with the sounds of hawkers shouting and pop music playing over loud speakers.
They are generally packed with people shopping and enjoying good meals.
There's always something fun to discover, and it is definitely worth exploring; you'll certainly find some unexpected surprises.
For those who enjoy the food found at night markets, but don't like the idea of eating at night markets because they're too hot or crowded, many xiao chi stalls have also been introduced to food courts at department stores so that people can enjoy night market stall food items in an air-conditioned environment.
Alternatively, a whole range of Chinese food is available at restaurants in Taiwan.
With its diverse ethnic groups, Taiwan offers the most authentic original cooking styles of Chinese food; Fujian and Hakka cooking came with the Chinese immigrants who began arriving in the 17th century, and Chinese who came from all different provinces in China when the ROC government moved to Taiwan in 1949 all brought their original home cooking to this island.
You name it, you can find the most traditional cuisine from Shanghai, Sichuan, Zhejiang, Shandong and other regions of China in Taiwan.
From the night markets in the streets to comfortable restaurants, Taiwan is a wonderful place to savor delicious Chinese cooking.
The former president of the American Chamber of Commerce Taipei, Richard Vuylsteke often shares: “If you haven't eaten there, you haven't been there.
Living in Taiwan it's easy to become confused and maybe even frightened by Taiwanese customs.
We all naturally ant to avoid offending the locals, and knowing a few customs and behaviors that are considered unacceptable by most people in Taiwan can help you avoid getting into an embarrassing and sometimes difficult situation.
The Taiwanese generally do not expect foreigners to know much about their customs and taboos, and are usually forgiving.
This chapter, however, explains the two most important things to keep in mind in order to avoid the possibility of offending the Taiwanese, plus some appropriate business etiquette that can help you avoid behaviors that may cause problems.
Here are the two mistakes in etiquette that are most likely to upset the Taiwanese, together with the correct procedure to follow.
When using chopsticks, never stick them upright in your rice bowl.
This is probably the most offensive thing for a Taiwanese.
He or she may not explain to you your mistake, yet it brings discomfort and uneasiness to many.
The reason for this is that it is only done at a funeral.
When somebody dies, Taiwanese place incense sticks upright in a bowl of rice to show respect for the dead.
So sticking your chopsticks in your rice can be read as wishing the 'death of the person, or that the person sitting across from you is 'dead'!
Instead, lay them horizontally on top of the bowl, on your dish or on the chopstick rest if one is provided.
While on the subject of rice bowls, never tap on your bowl with your chopsticks.
Beggars do this, so it is not polite.
If you are in someone's home, it may also be regarded as an insult to their cooking.
Present and receive business cards with BOTH hands to show respect.
You must have business cards and always carry them with you.
The exchange of business cards is a fundamental aspect of a business relationship.
The Taiwanese feel embarrassed not having them when meeting new people, sometimes even in social settings.
Your business card represents your identity and your social 'face', prestige and authority.
It is recommended for non-working foreign residents to create a business card of home information.
It's a good way to exchange contacts.
Make sure your title and relevant credentials appear on your card so that the other person knows how to greet and speak with you according to your status.
Always present the business card with BOTH hands, as this is a sign of respect.
The card should be given right-side up and facing the recipient where the recipient can quickly read and scan information presented on it.
It is demeaning to write on someone's business card (as the card represents the 'face' of a person) or to put the business card directly into your pocket without first reading and commenting on it.
Always look at it and read it again to show respect.
In addition, here are a few business etiquettes to keep in mind when working with the Taiwanese:
Greeting is important.
Taiwanese generally make a gentle nod to acknowledge the presence of the people in the meeting.
Hierarchy and status are important in business meetings.
People treat elders and people of higher status with great respect.
Thus, in a group meeting, greet the most senior person first.
If you are a member of the group, stand in order of seniority.
Don't be surprised if everyone stands up and slightly bows to the most senior person when he or she enters the meeting room.
Taiwanese tend to be 10-15 minutes late for meetings, and are only punctual when the boss is attending.
Many local companies have a lunch hour from noon until 1:30 pm.
Thus it may seem rude to schedule meetings around lunch hours, as many Taiwanese staff enjoy taking a twenty- to thirty-minute nap during this time.
The Taiwanese workers' custom of simply dropping their heads down on the working desk and sleeping often surprises foreign colleagues.
Taiwanese have had this kind of training since elementary school and are accustomed to taking a power nap after lunch on the school desk.
A meeting may begin with some small talk.
Avoid going straight to the agenda.
Try not to openly criticize.
Preserving group harmony is the key during the meeting.
Business entertainment, such as dinner or evening drinks, always takes place in a restaurant, and it may seem a lengthy night, especially if you have a traditional Chinese ten-course meal.
It's also common to have a second or even third round of entertainment at a local KTV (Karaoke club, commonly known as 'Karaoke Television'), lounge bar or pub.
You may be overly inundated with social invitations; however try to always accept the invitations if possible.
It is believed the best way to truly know other people is to go out with them socially.
It's much easier to talk about business once you have established social connections at dinner or after a few drinks.
Always check with your local Taiwanese peers which invitations are not to be missed.
Toasting is inevitable at formal business dinners.
You will probably hear the word ganbei (乾杯), which means 'bottoms up'.
You are not necessarily expected to drink everything, and can graciously decline the challenge, but when a toast is offered, you should raise your glass with both hands and at least sip your wine, beer, juice or tea (taking only a sip is called sueiyi, 隨意) It is a polite gesture to always hold the glass with both hands when you drink.
There is always an opening and closing toast and a number of other toasts will be made between each course of the meal.
Yes, that's lots of toasts!
It's best to respond to every individual or group toast throughout dinner to show your respect.
At least the Taiwanese are certainly much more relaxed now than fifteen years ago, when drinking until drunk was common at business dinners.
Chopsticks
Yes almost all dining requires the use of chopsticks.
However it's perfectly fine to ask for a knife and fork if you really can't use them.
Being able to use chopsticks will, however, be appreciated.
Fish or chicken bones
There are a lot of bones involved in the average Chinese meal: fish, pork chops and chicken all have bones which you'll have to deal with (the Taiwanese in fact prefer to eat chicken meat on the bone, which is why chicken breasts are cheaper than chicken legs here in Taiwan).
It's best to place the bones on the plate or in a napkin and wrap it up when you finish eating.
Don't be surprised, though if you see some Taiwanese spit the bones directly onto the table!
Paying the bill is generally a one-person job.
One member of the party generally picks up the bill (for business dinners it's always the host); similarly one person also pays the taxi fare (generally the person sitting in the front passenger seat).
Taiwanese keep a mental record of this, as at some point it will be your turn to pay.
You should offer to pay and do indeed pay at some point.
An exception to this rule is when going out for an informal meal with friends and colleagues, when it is common to split the bill.
Tipping at restaurants is not required.
In fact it is not necessary for any services in Taiwan: not for the hairdresser, the taxi driver, nor at the hotel (though hotel staff have been spoiled by foreign guests and now feel it is standard to receive some tip).
It may perhaps be more customary to leave a tip for the bartender or waitress when visiting bars.
Nonetheless, whether or not to tip in Taiwan is a personal choice and is never compulsory for anything.
Some may even feel offended and refuse to accept it.
For both social entertainment and business meetings, do not sit down first.
Always wait until the most senior person has sat down or wait until you are told where to sit.
The most important guests are usually escorted to their seats.
As a rule of thumb, the host always seats at the formal round banquet table facing the entrance door if it is a private room, so he or she can see guests entering the room.
The guests of honor typically sit next to the host, on either side.
The person of lowest ranking from the host side of the party sits closest to the door in order to take care of the food and drink orders and to makes sure the bill is correct.
Remember: 1Always have your business cards with you, and 2Do not stick your chopsticks straight up in a rice bowl.
Both are important keys in showing respect to Taiwanese and to ensure that your Taiwanese friends and business associates do not take offence.
The remaining rules of etiquette listed here should not offend the Taiwanese if not followed but are good to know and to keep in mind should you wish to avoid making a cultural faux pas at business meetings or events in Taiwan.
Further rules of etiquette are listed under the 'Gift Giving' section on page 80.
Everything you do is about 'face' here in Taiwan!
How you give and save it for yourself and for others is extremely important, both professionally and socially.
The Taiwanese concept of 'face' is similar to the Western sense of 'being embarrassed' or one's 'reputation' but it's much more serious than that for any Taiwanese.
Face goes far beyond the self to embrace the entire family, ancestors, and everybody that is part of their 'group'.
If anybody does something bad, they haven't just harmed their own reputation, but have also brought shame upon many people (to all those in the 'group').
The term mianzi (面子), literally means 'face', but it refers to the whole of a Taiwanese person's identity.
Mianzi is the perception of prestige, one's projected social image, social self-respect and social self-esteem.
It influences how people see each other, and how they relate to (and are expected to speak to) others.
A person's self-concept is connected closely with one's 'face.
Taiwanese who are in prestigious positions are often perceived to have 'face', and consequently their respect, pride and self-worth are enhanced greatly.
Losing face is when one's reputation is reduced or destroyed in public; it brings shame upon the individual, and thus everyone tries to avoid losing face at all costs.
Face can only be lost in public; it is external only if someone finds out about it.
Once face is lost, it is hard to regain or to recover.
It's not only a loss of trust, influence, and power, but it also affects one's connections in the social network and one's ability to function effectively in business.
Taiwanese insist on putting on a flashy wedding, even if they can't afford it.
Even guests to whom the newlyweds are not closely related are invited, to give both parties face.
Taiwanese do not reveal personal or family disgrace to others, as it brings shame not only to the person but also to his or her family.
Telling others things like, "My brother didn't graduate from high school," or "My father was just laid-off" or "My mom re-married twice," are all seen as ways of losing face.
Children are taught to remember whatever they do, good or bad, will affect the whole family.
They're reminded to study hard and attend a good university, as high academic achievement brings face not only to the child but even more so to the parents and the entire family.
For example: a quiz is given and any child who misses a question has to stand up while the teacher lectures about ow they have shamed the school and their families, let everyone down and lost face.
This isn't the worst part either; students know that after the lecture they're going to be punished or hit for each question they missed.
This is still pretty much the method of discipline in Taiwanese schools (though corporal punishment can be banned in some schools now, other forms of punishment can be handed down, such as copying out a chapter in a text book, or staying after school to do campus cleaning chores).
Thus people are very reluctant to put themselves in a position where they might give the wrong answer.
In the presence of their seniors, Taiwanese colleagues are generally very reluctant to offer solutions, or still less openly disagree, unless they have had an appropriate time to process their thoughts, check out the 'rules' and feel confident that they are giving the 'right' response (which may not be the most brilliant suggestion of the discussion, but simply one they believe the group, and the seniors, wants to hear).
The related concepts of face and guanxi (discussed on page 84) are both very important in understanding working dynamics, not only in Taiwan but also in many countries in Asia such as Korea, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Vietnam, where similar concepts exist.
Every conversation is an exchange about face; every interaction involves guanxi.
Understanding the two concepts will help to ensure your success in dealing with Taiwanese both at work and in your everyday life.
As I was growing up, I often heard of the importance of having good feng shui at home and in the office.
Here are some examples I remember hearing from my mom: 
It's not good to live in a house with a front door directly facing onto a street.
Don't sleep with your feet directly towards the door.
This is known as the 'coffin' position and you are basically asking for ill health and bad luck.
My father always had a solid wall behind his desk in the office.
It's even better feng shui to hang a painting of mountains on the wall because it symbolizes support as strong and vast as the mountains from your employees and your superiors.
You should never have a door or window behind you, or else your coworkers will not have confidence in you.
So what exactly is feng shui?
Feng shui (風水), which translates literally as 'wind-water,' is the ancient Chinese art of tapping into the Earth's five elements (earth, fire, metal, water and wood) to boost energy, health and prosperity.
It is also the interaction of the yin-yang forces the two opposing yet deeply interconnected forces that rule the universe.
Chinese believe that good feng shui helps you tap back into the flow of things and thus helps improve health, wealth, and relationships, and ensures harmony and happiness.
Feng shui is about locations and directions, like the placement of doors and windows, and ideal sitting and facing directions.
Traditionally it is used in choosing a place to live (where to buy the house) and a place to lie peacefully after death (a suitable burial site).
In modern Taiwan, it is still widely believed and practiced; many Taiwanese check with a feng shui master before buying a property to live in or to rest after death.
Taiwanese pay close attention to the basic layout rules of their home location and direction (the most preferred home direction is for the front door to be facing south).
Feng shui dictates the direction of the stove in the kitchen, direction of the bathroom, and the position of the bed in the bedroom to ensure a good, refreshing night's rest.
Furthermore, it is believed that good feng shui in the office of the person in charge brings fortune and success not only to the corporation but also to the employees.
An expatriate was astonished that not only did his Taiwanese colleagues rearrange his office, but that they even went to a fortune teller to find the best possible Chinese name for him when he first arrived.
He was told that his Chinese name (which would be registered with the Taiwanese government as the person in charge) would greatly influence the company's business volume, its future, and the wealth and well- being of every person in the office.
The feng shui practitioner uses various tools to activate a client's luck and to create better feng shui, including a crystal ball, lucky bambo0, and a laughing Buddha.
Crystal balls are among the most popular feng shui tools.
Not only can they be used as beautiful decorations, but they can also deflect bad angles, known as 'poison arrows'.
Bamboo is widely represented in Chinese art, literature and poetry, and is believed to bring luck and fortune to business owners, happiness to homes and to result in a jump up the corporate ladder when placed in an office cubical.
The laughing Buddha with his big sweet smile and round belly is my favorite.
Friendly and playful, it brings joy into a home and helps ward off bad luck.
Rub his tummy enough, and he brings money and happiness.
These feng shui tools bring the balanced energy needed for a healthier and gratifying executive shared that he environment.
There are plenty of books explaining the concepts of feng shui, and countless workshops held by feng shui masters aim at creating a harmonious home or a space that balances health and well-being.
I won't claim that feng shui tools perform miracles, but it might be interesting to see if prosperity and harmony arrive in your life if you introduce a little nature, such as wind chimes, candles, water fountains, laughing Buddhas, lucky bamboo, or crystals into your home or office in the right spaces.
Even if you don't believe in their powers, you'll be surrounded by some very pleasant decorations.
Westerners and Taiwanese definitely take a different approach to solving life's doubts and questions.
When things get too hot to handle, Westerners consult a professional for help, discovering possibilities and solutions to the problems and struggles they have in their lives with the aid of a counselor or other qualified professional.
By contrast, the Taiwanese prefer to go to a fortune teller for answers.
The Taiwanese belief, fostered in childhood, is that they should seek and follow directions in life from teachers, parents and the elderly.
Self- exploration of options and possibilities has never been highly encouraged in Taiwanese society.
It might be hard to believe, but I can assure you that most Taiwanese have been to a fortune teller at least once in their life.
Interestingly enough, many highly educated working-class people, academics, politicians, and the business elite do very much believe in fortune telling and the power of psychics.
They often have their own personal fortune teller (or someone they refer to as their teacher, or laoshi, 老師), whom they visit for advice on a very regular basis throughout their entire life, and these teachers' input does impact one's decision making.
Taiwanese seek advice from fortune tellers before making a decision about a whole list of things: education, marriage, career decisions, opening a business, choosing suitable business partners, buying, selling or even decorating a house, relocating, naming a child, communicating with the dead, choosing the color of car to purchase, or even (more recently) predicting the result of election campaigns in Taiwan.
The most common and comprehensive method of fortune telling uses a client's Chinese name, and the figures known as the ba zi (八字, literally 'eight figures'), derived from his or her date of birth: the year, month, day, and time to the hour).
With this information, the fortune teller can predict the client's prospects for health, wealth, marriage, career, relationships, success and many other subjects of importance.
Other fortune-telling methods range from palm reading (手相, shouxiang), face reading (面相, mianxiang), and feng shui (風水), to analysis of a client's name, reading of facial or body blemishes (such as moles and spots on the face), or picking fortune sticks offered in temples, where a written message is given to be interpreted according to the question asked.
In addition, 'fortune telling birds' (鳥掛,niao gua) or 'tortoise shell' (龜掛, guei gua) methods are still practiced in some places.
In the former, the fortune teller (also the owner of the birds) whispers the client's name, age, and date of birth to the birds in the cage after which a bird will stick its head through the bars and select a fortune written on a slip of paper, either from a pot or stacked in a pile.
The tortoise shell method on the other hand is performed by placing three ancient Chinese coins with characters written on them in an empty tortoise shell.
The shell (with the coins inside) is shaken for a few seconds and then carefully emptied onto the table.
The fortune then is read from the compiled characters from these three coins.
Western astrology and Tarot card reading have also become popular in Taiwan In a modern and technologically highly developed society like Taiwan, not only it still common to visit a fortune telling expert to get guidance and understanding of one's fate, but countless websites, newspaper columns and TV programs on fortune telling are also in style and are very popular.
Most fortune tellers tend to work at home, and new clients usually come to them through recommendations from their relatives or friends.
There are also some who prefer to do it on the street, usually sitting outside on a chair beside a small table, waiting to attract passers by.
You can often see them around night markets or at temples such as near the famous Lungshan Temple in Wanhua district, or at the underpass near Xingtian Temple in Taipei or even around the busy shopping districts of Dinghao (頂好) on Zhongxiao East Road in east Taipei, but personally, I wouldn't go to them because I have no reference or relationship with them.
Fortune tellers are paid in the form of hongbao (紅包), money placed in a red envelope.
Though each fortune teller has his or her going rate, the expected amount is really up to each customer; some tend to give more than the asking rate if they feel the information given is true and accurate, that they received enlightening advice to their puzzles and concerns in life, or simply if they are happy to hear that a propitious fate and fortune awaits them.
Local Taiwanese also believe in the possibility of changing one's fortune.
The busiest time for fortune tellers is generally around Chinese New Year, when people want to know their fortune for the coming year, and tips that can promote better luck, wealth and success.
Suggested ways to change one's fortune can include changing the directions of furnishings at home, positioning additional objects like crystals, mirrors, or flowers in specific places to bring luck, changing one's name to bring a fuller and brighter future, removing unlucky facial moles or blemishes, or forming the proper shape of the eyebrows, among others.
Nowadays, expecting mothers may even plan an auspicious day to have a caesarean to ensure their child is born at the very best and luckiest time.
Whether you believe that your future life is predictable and under your own control, or that everything in your life is pre-destined, I think there must be some truth and accuracy to fortune telling for it to have been so deeply involved in Taiwanese people's lives for hundreds of years.
More than anything it provides guidance and comfort for those who need to share their troubles and Worries, and helps achieve happiness and balance in one's emotions and state of mind.
In today's scientific world, so much remains inexplicable and difficult to understand that there is room for unscientific realities such as the possibility of accurate fortune telling.
"When my wife and I got lost in Taipei and took out a map to get our bearings, within minutes we had six people offering help and giving us directions, even though they didn't speak English." 
"When I asked a scooter rider for directions, he asked me to hop on and he rode me to my destination." 
Does this sound familiar?
Although Taiwanese may seem shy on the outside, they're actually very hospitable.
Indeed the general impression that most foreigners and foreign residents in Taiwan carry is that the Taiwanese are, among other things, friendly, polite, hard-working, kind, passionate, easy-going, reliable, open, and flexible.
I am often asked by foreigners (not only Westerners but also people from other parts of Asia like Japan, Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore) "Why are the Taiwanese so nice?" and "Are they really sincere about their friendliness?
" It's a fact that these days people are often wary when others are too nice, but in the case of the Taiwanese, then yes, they are indeed among the most friendly people you'll find in the world, and they're sincere about their generosity and willingness to help others.
The Chinese have a saying: jing di zhi wa (井底之蛙), which translates literally as 'a frog living at the bottom of a well'.
No Taiwanese want to be jing di zhi wa; to be constrained in what they can see by the walls of the well, while the bigger outside world remains out of sight and out of reach.
Taiwan is an island surrounding by oceans.
Though it has plenty of natural resources, a rich culture and diverse people, the land has been independent or insulated in a sense from other civilizations, information and from interaction with people from other cultures.
There are 23 million inhabitants dwelling in this Formosan 'well', drinking the same water.
Thus any Taiwanese who has had a chance to live overseas and see the world outside of this 'well' are well received and even envied.
Everyone wants to interact with people from other parts of the world, to share in the latest technology and knowledge from overseas.
For the majority of Taiwanese, it is also important to excel and advance so one day they can leap out of the well and see the world outside of Taiwan.
Those returning from overseas are often referred as 'someone who's had some Western water' (喝過洋水, he guo yang shui).
'Water' from America, Australia.
England, and certain other places is perceived to be both different and better than the 'well water' at home, and citizens returning from time spent overseas are therefore perceived to have gained more information and new ideas.
I believe this concept also contributes greatly to the large number of Taiwanese who like to study abroad, whether in a degree program, an exchange program or simply a short summer study program.
The motive is not only to acquire a better education, but to share with other locals the experience of visiting and studying in a different country is also a matter of pride, For those local Taiwanese who have not yet traveled nor had many encounters with non-Taiwanese, foreign visitors or residents on the island are seen as a source of 'different' information and experiences, and a great opportunity to meet and learn more about others lifestyles, ways of thinking, and culture.
Likewise, many Taiwanese enjoy being a foreign ambassador, and when they meet a foreigner they relish the opportunity to share their proud cultural heritage, the glories of Taiwanese food, the night life, hot springs, shopping, historic sites, great scenery and mountains, and the offshore island adventures of Taiwan.
Another reason for the great friendliness of the Taiwanese can be attributed to its rich heritage of diverse populations.
People from many different places and cultures have left their influences on this land: the indigenous tribes who lived in remote valleys along the central mountain range of the island; the Portuguese who sailed by (naming the island 'Ilha Formosa' or 'beautiful island'); the Dutch, who colonized the island for 38 years; the Chinese who immigrated from Fujian and Guangdong provinces in mainland China over a two-hundred year period starting from early 1600s; the Japanese who occupied the island for fifty years (1895-1945); and most recently, immigrants from mainland China who arrived in 1949 following the loss against the Communists.
Each of these groups has contributed to Taiwan's development today.
Over the centuries, the people of Taiwan have learned to interact and co-exist with different ethnic groups and now readily accept people of different customs and traditions.
It is this process of integration, where initial differences in thinking and culture between people living on the island have gradually disappeared, forming the unique Taiwanese culture, that have made people of Taiwan flexible, open-minded and quick to adjust to the new and different, which includes foreign visitors and residents.
This beautiful island truly has amazing things to offer from its wonderful scenery, the nation's rich, diversified cultural heritage to its sincere, hospitable and friendly people.
Whether you are a visitor or a resident in Taiwan, your cultural Experience will be filled with memories of friendly and generous people striving to reserve its traditions.
And above all, the Taiwanese remain humble and kind.
I sincerely invite you to personally discover the true beauty of this marvelous land, whether you are here for tourism, business, study, or living and working here.
Nothing can beat Taiwan's long lasting-reputation for warm, gracious and hospitable people.
Chinese believe in life after death, when the deceased become spirits or ghosts roaming between Heaven and Earth.
For one month of every year, however, these spirits get to return, rather like the Western tradition of Halloween, when spirits are said to rise and walk among the living for a night.
Taiwan, however dedicates a whole month to paying respects and making sacrifices to the ghosts and souls of the underworld.
This month is called the Ghost Month (鬼月) and it falls on the seventh month of the lunar calendar (usually August September in the Western calendar).
On the first day of this month, the 'Ghost Gate' opens and the spirits of the dead (the ying world) are welcomed into the world of the living (the yang world) to visit their descendants and enjoy extravagant feasts prepared in their honor.
On the last day of the month, (the 30th of the seventh lunar month) the spirits' 'vacation' ends and all ghosts must return to the underworld before the Ghost Gate is closed until the following year.
In Taiwan, Ghost Month means ancestor worship.
It's not only a time for people to pray to their deceased ancestors to show the importance of filial piety after death, but it is more so a time to cater for the needs of spirits without any remaining descendents to care for them.
These are typically people who died far from home, committed suicide, drowned or who died without bearing children.
Ghost Month is traditionally more important for Taiwanese people than it was for the mainland Chinese.
Settlers from China came to Taiwan to develop the lane and establish their own homes starting in the early 1600s.
They fought against wild animals in the rugged mountains, encountered deadly diseases, and deal with hardship and turmoil while building on the land.
Many of them died far from home with no one to bury them and no one to carry out ceremonial services in their honor.
These wandering souls became rootless, roaming aimlessly about and can disturb the living.
Consequently, settlers began to look after these wandering souls and honored them like fellow brothers in order to ensure their own peace.
The ritual of paying respect to roaming ghosts in the seventh month of the year also came to be seen as 'honoring brothers' who came to settle in Taiwan rather than simply honoring deceased strangers from a foreign land.
The more the aimless souls of these unfortunate 'brothers' are looked after, the more fortunate and harmonious life the living can enjoy.
With this historical background, Ghost Month is especially unique and respected in Taiwanese society.
Out of a mixture of respect and fear of the ghosts, Taiwanese do anything possible to appease the wandering spirits during Ghost Month.
Folk activities practiced during ghost month aimed at appeasing the visiting ancestors and wandering spirits include inviting the ghosts, preparing ritualistic food offerings, burning incense and paper money, plus entertaining them during their time on Earth by holding parades, drumming troupes, chanting sutras, and performing folk operas, lion-parades, stilt walking, and more.
Major events are generally centered on temples.
Opening ceremonies on the first day of the seventh month are held at temples, where tall bamboo poles of lanterns are erected.
These lanterns are well lit, with 'celebrate Zhongyuan', (慶讚中原)written on them to clearly guide the ghosts to the feast.
Extravagant banquets and entertainments are prepared in temple courtyards to welcome the hungry ghosts.
Taiwanese families and business establishments also make the effort to choose one day of the month to offer sacrifices outside their doors to feed the passing spirits.
Ghost Month activities reach a climax on the 15th day of the month, which is called Zhongyuan Pudu Festival (中原普渡).
 Let's talk about this and some of the other major events that take place during Ghost Month.
Zhongyuan Pudu blends Taoist and Buddhist beliefs.
Taoists call the fifteenth day of the seventh moon the Zhongyuan Festival or 'ghost festival' while Buddhists call it Pudu or the Ullambana Festival.
Pudu simply means 'universal salvation'.
Zhongyuan Pudu literally translates as the 'mid-origin passage to universal salvation'.
According to Taoist belief, there are three main officials in the Taoist pantheon, governing sky, earth and water.
Zhongyuan celebrates the birthday of the Earth god, Diguan (地宮)who is in charge of the earth and the land.
He comes to the mortals and decides who is good and who is sinful.
Furthermore, the day was developed to pay respect to family ancestors and to rescue those lonely souls who were believed to have committed great sins.
Buddhists believe the day celebrates the saving of Mulian's mother from the hungry ghosts.
Mulian (目蓮) was the eldest monk disciple of Buddha who heard his mother was suffering from the attentions of hungry ghosts in Hell.
Mulian turned to Buddha for help but was told that his mother's sins were so great that he must hold a massive ritual on the 15th day in the lunar calendar combined with the chanting of monks in order to save her soul.
Mulian offered abundant sacrifices consisting of 'hundreds of flavors and the five fruits' (百味五果) to save not only his mother's suffering soul from Hell also but to rescue all other suffering spirits.
Nowhere is the celebration of the Ghost Month more evident than in Taiwan, and the offering of food is the most important rite during Zhongyuan Pudu Festival in order to pacify wandering and malicious ghosts who cannot be reincarnated.
The day is celebrated by slaughtering pigs, and by laying out rich dishes and countless treats on banquet tables.
Some of these typical 'sacrifices' include meat, wine, fish, vegetables, sweets, cookies, rice and any other delicious food you can possibly think of.
This is to ensure every soul is fed, and that no ancestor or ghost is left hungry or angry.
An incense stick is stuck into every dish, and spirit paper money is also burnt so that ghosts can take money with them to spend in the underworld.
In addition, sutras are recited or chanted for the delivery of the wandering souls.
It's believed that this leads the way for the lonely and lost souls to cross over from the underworld to paradise where they will no longer have to suffer.
Apart from food offerings, two very exciting and lively folk activities celebrated at this time are the 'Releasing of the Water Lanterns' (放水燈) which takes place on the day of the Zhongyuan Pudu Festival in the Taipei County port of Keelung and Chianggu (搶孤, the 'Snatching of the Flag' competition) which is celebrated before the ghost gate closes.
The city of Keelung has long dealt with early immigrants and their historical turmoil and suffering has led to Ghost Month's grandest ritual, the Releasing of the Water Lanterns, on the fifteenth day of Ghost Month.
This visually striking ritual is held at the port of Wanhai (望海巷海邊) in Keelung.
Burning paper lanterns are floated out to sea to light the way for souls who drowned, so they can find their way to shore to enjoy the warmth of life amongst the living for a while.
It was decided by the fifteen major local clans (each clan is of a family, according to the surname) to work jointly to hold this large-scale ceremony annually.
Every year three family clans (for example the Huangs, the Lins and the Chens) take their turn to act as hosts and sponsors, taking charge of organizing the event, and every family clan participates eagerly.
The event begins with a traditional parade and ceremonial chanting and prayers by the Taoist priest.
Next the huge, beautifully decorated paper lanterns (one made by each family clan) are carried into the water and pushed out into the ocean.
The lantern not only invites the ghosts of one's own family clan but also other shy souls.
It is believed the brighter, faster and further the lantern reaches out to the ocean, the better fortune it brings to the family.
It is especially moving to see believers swim far out to escort the lanterns.
The ceremony brings thousands of spectators down to the harbor to take a look at the spectacle.
The Snatching the Flag competition is especially boisterous.
It is held on the 29th (and last) day of Ghost Month, and is intended to send away ghosts that have not yet returned to the underworld.
Chianggu originated in the Qing Dynasty, but was banned for a long while due to the dangers involved in this undertaking, yet it has been revived in recent years in the town of Toucheng, Illan County.
Chianggu is a competition to snatch flags mounted on a tower of sacrificial objects.
The Chianggu stage is divided into two levels.
The first platform is set at t twelve meters high, with twelve supporting poles for the twelve teams of five persons that take part in the competition.
The poles are greased with beef fat, requiring the team to work together to climb the slippery poles to get to the second platform.
Once the platform is reached, there are thirteen towers each about thirty meters high with twelve red flags and one yellow flag mounted on each, and exciting and rich sacrificial objects.
The first team climber to snatch the yellow flag and one red flag gains not only all the food on the tower, but also tremendous prestige.
The yellow flag is also believed to bring luck for the owner's fishing boat and to protect workers on board.
Thus it can be sold for a fortune.
The revival of Chianggu has preserved the significance of this traditional ritual as well as providing an energetic and healthy sport for the modern Taiwanese.
Ghost Month concludes with the Closing of the Ghost Gate, an event held at dusk on the 29th day of the seventh lunar month, where more cooked food is offered as a 'farewell dinner for drifting souls.
This dinner serves both as a last dinner to be enjoyed among the living and as a sign to return back to the underworld.
The lantern poles at the temples must be dismantled and temples invite Zhongkuei (鍾馗), a special deity who protects the living from evil spirits to escort unwilling spirits back to their own world.
This final ritual completes the month of fun and freedom enjoyed by the spirits and keeps the living safe and undisturbed.
There are a wide range of 'Don'ts' to remember during the Ghost Month, as most Taiwanese believe in ghosts and wish to please them and make sure they don't offend them.
Even today, some of these rules are still followed closely by the Taiwanese.
The only 'Do's are to make offerings and more offerings to the drifting ghosts.
During Ghost Month, people avoid scheduling any big life events like weddings, making big business deals, launching a new product, opening a new business, buying a car or a new home, moving, or having surgery.
Other taboos include no whistling at night (as this will lead the ghost straight to your home); no swimming, especially in open lakes, rivers or the ocean (as a water ghost can easily steal any living soul it finds in the water at this time of year); no using the word 'ghost' or similar words carelessly (as this invites souls dese to you; the correct term to use when talking about them at this time of year is good brothers' (好兄弟, hao xiong di); no leaving clothes hanging outside overnight (as playful ghosts like to wear them, causing illness to the owner); and no staying out too late at night because wandering souls are literally everywhere.
Taiwanese used to avoid traveling, resulting in special discount air tickets at t time; however this belief has faded and promotional packages as a result are ase disappearing.
Whether you are superstitious or not, there does seem to be an increase in the numbers of accidents and deaths on the road and in the water during Ghost Month.
Taiwanese in any event do try their best to do things before or postpone them until after Ghost Month.
Though the government today encourages Ghost Month to be celebrated in a modest fashion, the custom of paying respects to the family ancestors and those 'good brothers' who lost their lives protecting and defending their home is ever lively and strong.
This holiday ritual is an indicator of how the people on this island have fully integrated religion into their everyday life, and its culture will continue to be fostered and passed down to future generations.
In Chinese societies, although gift giving IS associated with the same types of occasions as in other countries, it is of even more significance than in most other cultures, and it is quite important to make sure that you give the appropriate gift at the right time, to the right person, for the specific occasion.
Traditionally only older Taiwanese people celebrate their birthdays and then only those that are celebrating birthdays in multiples of ten: a sixtieth, seventieth or eightieth birthday, for instance.
The higher the number the more important the celebration becomes.
However, with the influence of Western culture young people now celebrate each other's birthdays.
If you are invited to a birthday party, by all means bring a birthday present.
When visiting someone in the hospital, Taiwanese often bring food, particularly soup, or liquid drinks that promote health and quick recovery.
Common items include Chinese herbal soup, chicken soup, fish soup, health food products, or a basket of fresh fruits.
Flowers are not common.
During Chinese New Year, adults give money to children.
Traditionally, the money is put in a red envelope called a hongbao (紅包) for good luck.
Adult family members within the same household do not give presents to each other but when visiting other homes during the festival period, they often bring a small gift of boxed cookies, cakes or food items for each other.
Red envelopes can be readily bought at stationery stores, 7-Eleven or at supermarkets.
Chinese traditionally give money in a hongbao to the bride and groom at the wedding.
The actual exchange usually takes place at the wedding reception via an intermediary (or the wedding receptionist) who opens the hongbao and writes down the amount given by each guest.
You will probably also be asked to sign a scroll.
As a foreign guest it is quite acceptable to give a gift from your home country, although a hongbao would be more usual.
Normally NTS2,000 per person is expected at a wedding banquet held at hotels and NT$1,600 at a restaurant.
Other amounts like NTS3,600 or 6,000 are for those with whom you have a strong relationship.
When you are invited for lunch or dinner at a restaurant, you do not need to worry about bringing anything.
 When dining out with Taiwanese people (both socially and for business), usually only one person from the group pays the bill.
 Try to keep a mental record of when it is your turn to pay.
 However, today many young people pay their own way when dining out together.
If you are invited to eat at someone's home make sure you bring a small gift.
 An appropriate offering would be a bottle of wine, sweets from a well-known bakery, or some small token you have brought from your home country.
If the host is the husband, the wife will be the one working in the kitchen (although the reverse certainly isn't true!).
 Since the preparation of a Chinese meal requires lots of work within the last hour or so before the meal begins, she is likely to be in and out of the kitchen frequently.
 She will sit closest to the kitchen during the meal and might even ask the guests to start the meal without her.
 Do not insist on waiting until the cook is ready to eat.
You should make appreciative comments about the food and the hospitality, but be prepared for the hosts to apologize for various inadequacies such as, "I didn't prepare enough food.
 I hope you had enough to eat," or "I hope you didn't mind my horrible cooking."
Whatever you do, do not make the mistake of agreeing with any of these self-deprecating comments!
Don’t be surprised when Taiwanese friends decline your gift.
 Taiwanese do not usually accept a gift when it is first presented.
 Politely refusing two or three times is thought to reflect modesty and humility.
 After a battle in which the gift is offered and refused several times, it will be accepted with appreciation, yet the gift is often not opened until the giver has departed.
 Accepting something in haste makes a person look aggressive and greedy, as does opening it in front of the giver.
Something from another country or from your hometown is always a great gift.
 For example, a baseball cap from your university or your town's ball team, a pencil or pen or other piece of stationery with designs representing where you are from, or famous snacks or sweets produced in your country all make great gifts.
It is also important, however to know what NOT to give, so that you don't upset your Taiwanese hosts.
 The following gifts should be avoided at all times: 
Clocks: The phrase 'giving a clock' (song zhong, 送鐘) sounds like the phrase for sending someone off at their funeral!
 Flowers: Flowers in general are all right apart from white and yellow chrysanthemums, which are regarded as funeral flowers and should never be given on other occasions.
 Carnations are popular gifts for mothers on Mother's Day, Please do not give carnations to impress your special date!
 Gift-wraps: When wrapping, be aware that the Taiwanese ascribe great significance to various colors.
 Red is the color of luck and prosperity, while white, gray and black are colors of mourning.
 Handkerchiefs and towels are usually given to those who attend funerals at the end of the ceremony and are signs of sadness.
 Sharp objects like scissors and knives symbolize cutting off friendship or a relationship.
 They disconnect luck and prosperity.
 Umbrellas and Chinese paper fans also symbolize the separation or termination of friendship.
 Thus, do not give your boyfriend or girlfriend an umbrella if you want to stay together!
If you mistakenly give an unlucky gift, Taiwanese typically offer the giver a coin (NT$1 or NT$10).
 This action suggests that the item has been 'purchased' and not given.
 Taiwanese generally do not expect foreigners to be familiar with local etiquette and are very forgiving when foreigners make a cultural faux pas.
 When in doubt just ASK!
Every business transaction is a dealing of guanxi (關係) and every guanxi is intricately connected and maintained.
 A Taiwanese has guanxi with all kinds of people: in the work unit, at local shops and street stands, and with relatives, friends, colleagues, subordinates and supervisors.
 It's what makes many aspects of daily life run smoothly.
 No one should wish to remain completely outside the guanxi system, and no one can.
 It is just as important to accumulate credit in what I call the 'quanxi account' as it is to save money in one's bank account.
 Just as we all wish to have more money in our bank account, every Taiwanese desires to accumulate more connections in their guanxi account.
 The more one has in his her guanxi account, the more face, respect and prestige are gained.
There is no direct English translation for the word guanxi.
 It's often translated as 'relationship' but it is far more than that; it describes your relationship connection, dependency, network, friendship and, most importantly, your obligation.
 One's life revolves around the accumulated guanxi and the resulting obligations of these connections.
 Guanxi involves an ongoing series of reciprocal exchanges.
 One helps and gives to another and therefore expects, at some unspecified future date, to receive from that other person.
To put it in another way, if one receives, one incurs an obligation to give later on.
 What is given need not be similar in value to what was received.
 For instance, one's gift of imported wine may later be repaid by the other's use of influence with getting better services at a hospital.
 Taiwanese often keep a mental record of what they have received and given.
 When guanxi is needed, a Taiwanese will search for the best connection within one's own web of relationships to achieve their objective.
 Should further guanxi be required, one would 'pull' guanxi (拉關係, la guanxi) to search in others' webs of relationships.
Introductions are an important way to gain guanxi, even among remote connections.
 At the first meeting (whether business or social), Taiwanese show respect for each other to ensure harmony.
 However, as an introduction is made the friendship and connection are established.
 The formality gradually dissolles into informality.
 One begins to trust the other party through the person makes the introduction.
 This introduction not only connects the two new partes it also helps establish credibility for the person making the introduction.
My classic example of the importance of introduction is as follows.
 I've been buying fresh juice at a small local juice stand for about two years, and with the guanxi built over time, the laoban (老闆 , owner) now gives me an extra small cup of juice to drink while waiting to get my order.
 I introduced my friend Lisa, who is American and came to Taiwan for a summer Chinese language program to the laoban, and she immediately received the same treatment: a small cup of juice to sample while waiting for her order.
 It took me two years to build the relationship and I no doubt spent a good total sum of money having delicious fresh juice at the stand.
 With my introduction, Lisa immediately benefited from my two years of guanxi and was treated the same.
 Every time Lisa goes back to that same juice stand, she receives something extra: a fresh orange, some local sweets, or that small cup of juice.
 Lisa of course is a friendly American and the friendly Taiwanese no doubt like to show her a little local hospitality, yet without my initial introduction, she would not have gotten this special treatment so quickly.
 The same concept further applies to a business setting.
 Trust is built when guanxi is introduced, and thus it becomes easier to do business.
 Everyone is trying to accumulate guanxi in their life, and this collected guanxi is saved and spent with discretion, just like money in a bank account.
Nurturing a relationship thus becomes important.
 It's vital to reciprocate.
 Understand that it is expected that the favor is definitely to be returned at some time in the future.
 Many guanxi are built on coffee breaks, golf outings and dinners; some business entertaining can involve cultural sightseeing trips or gift giving.
 A small gift is appreciated as it indicates a kind gesture and may lead to forming important connections.
 However, you should be suspicious when receiving a 'valuable' gift such as a brand name watch.
 This action could be an indicator that a major favor will be expected from you in the future.
For a Taiwanese, one's guanxi and 'obligation' can never be disconnected once introduced.
 One depends on these guanxi in life.
 As a result, Taiwanese are people oriented.
 They enjoy face-to-face interaction as it develops trust; they share more information among those with whom they have the best guanxi; business and friendships may seem to evolve slowly, yet once established last.
 Consequently, when interacting or working with Taiwanese associates, expect to spend a higher portion of time socializing at dinners and functions, deal with more unscheduled visits or last-minute changes of arranged meetings, and to comply (due to obligations) with favors asked.
 Remember: the web of guanxi is circular; it never dies out.
It is difficult to miss the sight of a good steaming hot pot restaurant while walking through the streets during the chilly Taiwan winter season.
 Hot pot or huo guo (火鍋), literally means 'fire pot' in Chinese and is undoubtedly the Taiwanese people's favorite food during the cold days of winter.
 It is also a social meal, where friends gather around the table, cooking, chatting, drinking and sampling a variety of delicious food, all at the same time.
The idea of hot pot is similar to that of fondue in the West, although in a Taiwanese hot pot, food is cooked in stock instead of dipped into hot cheese.
 The hot pot is placed on a hot plate or burner at the center of the dining table where everyone can reach it, and is kept himmering while plates of goodies ranging from thinly sliced meat (usually pork or beef, but also lamb or chicken), to leafy vegetables, seafood, various types of tofu and other varieties of bean curd mushrooms, egg/ fish/ shrimp dumplings, and any other raw ingredients can be put into the boiling stock for cooking.
 The flavor of the stock gets stronger as various bits of food are cooked in it, and it is typically drunk at the end of the meal.
The cooked food is dipped into a sauce before eating.
 The most commonly used sauce Taiwanese prepare for hot pots both at home and at a restaurant is called shacha jiang (沙茶醬, a seasoning sauce made with garlic, soybean, onions, peanuts, fish and shrimp pastes and other ingredients.
 It is slightly spicy, and is usually mixed with some soy sauce, spring onions and sometimes a raw egg.
In the old days, the basic stock was made using a vegetable, meat or fish base.
 Nowadays however, hot pot restaurants have created new variations of stock to attract customers, including spicy Sichuan style mala huoguo (a, literally 'numb and spicy hot pot').
 It does indeed create a spicy, burning and slightly numbing sensation on the tongue.
 For those who can't take this fiery soup base, a yuanyang guo (鴛鴦鍋, literally a 'female and male mandarin duck hot pot') has a divider down the middle of the hot pot, with half the pot filled with spicy stock and the other half with a mild, non-spicy stock.
Another variation is the 'Manchurian' style hot pot called dongbei suancai guo (東北酸菜鍋) in which plenty of suancai (Chinese pickled cabbage or sauerkraut) is placed in the stock to flavor the soup.
 Fatty, sliced pork is commonly cooked in this sour stock as the sauerkraut absorbs the oil, which makes a good blend for the soup base.
During winter, Chinese herb mutton hot pot, (yangrou lu, 羊肉爐)is extremely popular, as it is known to give the body extra energy to stay warm during winter days.
 The broth is prepared with unique Chinese herbs and spices in which chunks of mutton are cooked with root ginger and rice wine to rid the mutton of its rank flavor.
Other kinds of hot pot you may come across include: Japanese shabu-shabu with fine Kobe beef, Korean kimchi hot pot or stone-pot, Thai curry-base hot pot, chouchou guo (臭臭鍋 , literally 'stinky stinky hot pot', although it's only a name, the food doesn't stink; on the contrary, it tastes delicious) as well as special Chinese mild and light herbal vegetarian hot pot for religious or health-conscious eaters.
Food in hot pots is taken out using chopsticks or ladles.
 At restaurants there will be special serving chopsticks and utensils which each person should use to put food in the pot.
 When the food is cooked, it is shared with other people at the table.
 At home, members of the family handle the cooking on their own with their eating chopsticks.
 The main meal on Chinese New Year's Eve is hot pot, which on this occasion is called weilu (圍爐, which means 'around the stove', or circling around a hot pot').
 Eating a hot pot while sitting round a table has the significance of emphasizing togetherness, and the bringing of the family closer to each other.
Hot pot is a very popular business, and hot pot restaurants can be found everywhere in Taiwan, from night markets and department store food courts where a meal will cost upwards of NT$150 per person, to high-end restaurants that may be priced at NT$1,000-1,500 per person.
 Hot pot is now eaten in Taiwan during all four seasons, where a family or group of friends can enjoy a meal that also acts as a social gathering, cooking and eating fresh and tasty food while Sipping wine and chatting with each other.
Hot spring culture is prevalent and well established in Taiwan and is a great experience when visiting or living here, especially during the winter.
 Taiwan has one of the world's largest concentrations of hot springs with various types of hot to lukewarm spring water which can be saline, sulfur-based, clear alkaline or sodium-carbonate, among others.
 Natural hot springs range in temperature from 45 to 90 degrees Celsius, and hot springs in Taiwan vary from natural, undeveloped pools deep in the mountains, through simple bathhouses (sometimes seemingly located in a residential home) and more private cubical rooms, all the way to luxurious five-star resorts with public communal pools or private rooms with tubs, spa treatments, massages, facials and manicures.
The Japanese were the first to discover the ample resources and value of hot springs while Taiwan was under Japanese Imperial Rule from 1895 to 1945.
 They were obsessed with hot springs and regarded a luxurious hot spring soak as a way of curing anything and everything.
 They first developed hot spring facilities around the hills of Beitou and Yangmingshan in Taipei.
 When they left in 1945, hot springs soon fell back out of favor.
 It was not until the late 1990s that hot springs once again gained in popularity and Japanese designers came to work with the Taiwanese to redevelop hot spring resorts.
 Nowadays, many of the luxurious five- star spas enjoyed by the Taiwanese are of Japanese design, with Japanese Zen interiors.
In recent years hot spring bathing has become an increasingly popular pastime in Taiwan.
 Families enjoy a weekend get-away at hot spring resorts nestled below the quiet mountains; companies organize company retreats or meetings elegant hot spring locations as a reward for their employees.
 Hot spring bathing is not only appreciated as a luxurious pleasure; it is also a good way to sociall or reconnect with family and friends.
Hot springs are spread all over Taiwan, so you can experience a hot spring soak in most parts of the island.
 Just north of Taipei, you can find springs rich in sultur in Yangmingshan (陽明山) and Beitou (北投), while colorless, odorless sodium- carbonate springs bubble out of the ground in Wulai (烏來) township south of the city.
 Along the east coast of Taiwan, among many to choose from there's Jiaoxi (礁溪)in Yilan County, Rueisuei (瑞穗) in Hualien County, and the famous Jhiben Hot Spring (知本溫泉) in Taitung County.
 On the west coast, several hot spring options can be found in Hsinchu County, while Tai-An (泰安) in Miaoli County and Guguan (谷關) in Taichung County are a little further south.
 Tucked deep in the Central Mountain Range of Nantou County is Lushan Hot Springs (廬山溫泉) while the old Japanese resort of Guanziling (關子嶺) lies in the mountain foothills of Tainan County.
 Finally, in the far south of Taiwan, there's Baolai (寶來) in Kaohsiung, and Sihchongsi (四重溪) in Pingtung.
 For something a little different, there's the clear, odorless cold spring in the llan County town of Suao (蘇澳冷泉, one of only two cold mineral springs of its kind in the world, Italy having the other) where the water is a chilly 22 degrees Celsius!
Hot spring resorts generally feature facilities such as bubbling pools, water massage beds, aromatherapy pools, whirlpools, brown-colored Chinese herbal pools and steam rooms, parents’ and kids’ pools and a swimming pool with water slide.
 Swimming suits and caps must be worn in some, while some have segregated pools where men and women, separated, can bathe naked.
 Many hot spring resorts also highlight outdoor pools nestling in a natural landscape with rock walls or waterfalls where users can enjoy open-air hot spring bathing beside a river or overlook marvelous mountain scenery.
Should you be looking for something more than a nice soak in the mineral Water, many up-scale resorts offer qualified spa treatments and massages ranging from hot stones and aromatherapy to oil massage.
 A cup of herbal tea is commonly provided at the end of this full-service treatment.
Taking a hot spring is not just about enjoying a comfortable hot bath in a private-room tub or public pool.
 It's also very relaxing, and the mineral-rich springs are believed to have many properties beneficial to the health.
 Hot spring mineral water is widely known for its therapeutic effects on various disorders such as skin disease, gout and arthritis, and can improve blood circulation and relieve muscle aches and pains.
 It is also simply good for relaxing the mind and body.
A less well-known fact is that hot spring water can also be used to cultivate vegetables.
 Farmers, especially in Jiaoxi in Yilan County, are experts in using hos spring water for irrigating their crops.
 The mineral water gives the vegetables added nutrition and makes them tastier.
 The best vegetable irrigated by hot spring water is the water spinach (空心菜 , kong xin cai), although sponge gourd tomatoes, and water bamboo shoots are also grown this way.
Correct hot spring bathing etiquette should of course be followed when using a communal pool at a hot spring.
 It is important to always shower and clean oneself before entering the pool.
 Most places offer a Japanese-style wooden water scoop and bucket (or sometimes simply a plastic one) for bathing; shampooing and washing with soap should be handled prior to entering the pool as you should never use soap inside the pool or take a towel in with you.
When entering the pool, move slowly and don't splash or make big waves as this can disrupt the bathers who are enjoying a comfortable, peaceful soak.
 Many Taiwanese enjoy alternating their soak between the hot and cold pools.
 Generally one should soak for no more than 10-15 minutes in the hot spring before taking a break, or having a dip in the cold pool, although this is a bit of a shock to the system if you are not used to Taiwanese soaking culture.
 I strongly advise people with heart problems, high blood pressure, or other medical conditions to check with a doctor before trying either a hot or cold spring.
 Furthermore, do not drink alcohol while bathing in hot springs, be sure to drink lots of water before and after soaking, and avoid bathing on a full stomach (it's recommended to wait one hour after a meal before having a hot spring).
In Taiwan, hot spring bathing is a new health and beauty trend.
 There are countless new hotels and resorts offering hotel stays and meal packages where you can enjoy gourmet dining on Chinese, Japanese or Western cuisine of the best quality after a relaxing hot spring bath.
 It's a great way to get away from it all and to unwind from the stressful working week while enjoying nature, plus it's good for both your body and mind.
In Taipei, the MRT (Taipei Metro) can bring you right into the center of the hot spring resort of Beitou, which has become a major tourist attraction with the biggest choice of hot spring facilities in Taiwan.
 Taiwanese enjoy hot spring bathing all year round.
 It is an especially wonderful treat to have a soak on a chilly, rainy winter night.
 Explore Taiwan's thriving hot spring culture, and I am sure you will find it very soothing and enjoyable.
I was inspired to write this piece after seeing how my older brother raises his daughter in Taiwan in comparison to how my younger sister and her third generation Chinese American husband (who live in the States) bring up their twins.
Nurseries are a good indicator of how individuals express their identity.
Westerners value individualism, while Taiwanese respect group-orientation.
In many Western cultures, prior to the arrival of the baby the nursery or baby's bedroom is set up according to the personality, preferred colors and design the parents.
 Babies are brought home to sleep alone from the first day, since Westerners generally believe babies are safer and can learn independence if placed in a crib with less contact with mom and dad, who can check on their baby via a baby monitor.
Babies in Asian cultures such as Taiwan, on the other hand sleep in the same room as their parents and/or elder siblings.
 The baby's crib is often placed next to their parents' double bed, ensuring easy attention to baby's physical and emotional needs.
 Children in Taiwan don't sleep in their own room until much older, even if a separate nursery was created and decorated before the baby was born.
 Besides cultural custom and practice, limitations in space and the number of rooms in a traditional Taiwanese home is another reason babies sleep in the same room as their parents.
 As babies grow out of the crib, they may begin sleeping in between their mom and dad in the double bed, or sleep with the mother while the father sleeps in a separate room.
 Later they may share a room with a sibling, before finally having a room to themselves as school work requires more attention and more private studying time.
An individual growing up with his own space in Western cultures generally establishes his identity as a free and independent person.
 One is taught from a young age to communicate his personal achievements and worth, to respect privacy, to express his own individual opinions and desires and to have his own voice heard.
 The 'self-identity (I, me, my) and the need to stand out from the crowd and be different is considered desirable.
 Western parents teach independence and self-sufficiency starting from a very young age.
 Upon reaching adulthood, youngsters are generally expected to support and be responsible for their own self.
 Often times family connection is typically reserved for the immediate family group rather than for members of the extended family.
Taiwanese, on the other hand, grow up sharing a space with their parents and siblings.
 They identify closely with the group (family, relatives, or people they consider in the 'in-group').
 The group's interest, its wellbeing and the maintenance of harmony are highly valued.
 All members of the extended family generally remain close and care for each another.
 All aspects of personal and professional life, including relationships, are connected and intertwined for everyone who is considered part of the group.
 The desires of the 'self cannot be separated from the wishes of the group and the family.
 For example, teachers stress learning by writing homework, and teach on a 'one method fits all' basis, into which students are molded, rather than giving attention to each individual; many parents want their child to study English starting at age three so they can start developing a world view, which is seen to guarantee future success.
 Though a child may perhaps have a talent for music or art, he or she will often have to give up their own desires, in order to study in the fields preferred by the parents/group and live up to their expectations.
 The goal then is to be praised by the group, who will as a result see the child as a complete and responsible young person who follows and achieves the group's projected desire.
Loyalty to the group is prioritized over personal feelings and desires.
 It's important to be modest about personal achievements or opinions and not boast of individual successes.
 This is reserved for others to define and praise.
Consequently, it is important to keep in mind that when working with individuals from Taiwan, personal responsibility and freedom of personal expression needs to be constantly encouraged and pushed.
 I have observed in large open group forums that Taiwanese are typically shy about asking questions and sharing personal opinions in public.
 Often in my own group training work, I have to specifically and carefully (to give and save face) choose someone to answer a question.
 It's rare to see Taiwanese volunteering their ideas and thoughts.
When working with Taiwanese, the idea that a group is defined as consisting Of unique individuals, and the advantages of being individual (as opposed to the commonly received wisdom among Taiwanese that the individual should allow the group consensus) should be given repeatedly to encourage Taiwanese Individuals to speak up for themselves and express their thoughts.
Do you sometimes find it difficult to understand what your Taiwanese friends or colleagues are trying to express?
 You may already realize that the Taiwanese often speak in a very indirect way and what is NOT said is often more important than what is.
Communication in Chinese has to be seen in the context of relationships to others.
 The main function of communication is to maintain existing relationships among individuals, and to preserve harmony within the group.
 Furthermore, face' (面子, mianzi) is also an important consideration; how it is said, when to say it and who should say it matters greatly.
 Everyone saves and gives face in a conversation, and according to one's status within the group, there is an appropriate time to speak.
The factors listed below all have an influence on the actual words said:
The Taiwanese value indirect communication and they don't spell out everything.
 It is believed that words can be inadequate and insufficient and the listener is given (hopefully) enough information to interpret and infer the unspoken meaning.
 Meanings often reside in unspoken messages, and requests are often implied.
 Consequently, many Taiwanese do not 'ask' or make direct requests.
 Instead they wait and expect the recipient to ponder and realize the underlying message delivered.
 Recipients are then expected to reply or react based on the interpreted message.
Consequently, reading between the lines is an important skill to learn in understanding the true meaning of a message.
 Furthermore, nonverbal communication such as facial expressions, body movements and pauses often provides useful clues in communication.
The hierarchical structure often determines how much can be said, and how it should be spoken.
 Not everyone is entitled to speak; the person holding the higher position normally speaks first.
 As a result, Taiwanese tend to keep their views to themselves and may feel uncomfortable speaking up.
 Obedient children are those who listen well, do what they are told, and meet others' expectations.
 The term 'guai (乖, good, obedient) is a word parents often use to address their child; a little boy or girl who is guai listens well and doesn't talk back.
 An obedient employee speaks only when it is appropriate and follows instruction.
It is often helpful to break people into smaller groups of two or three for private discussions.
 This allows them the opportunity to confirm their thoughts with each other before voicing them in a larger group, and will prevent them feeling singled out or responsible for disobeying the hierarchical speaking order.
Taiwanese make clear distinctions between 'insiders' and 'outsiders.
 An insider enjoys special treatment beyond an outsider's comprehension.
 Insiders include members of the family, relatives and very close friends.
 Insiders in companies may include people on the same hierarchical level or on the same project team.
 Insiders speak in a 'direct' manner to each other.
 For example, an 'insider' friend can be very honest and say, "Amy, you are too fat, you ought to watch what you eat.
" Neither Taiwanese couples nor parents often say "thank you", "I 'm sorry", or "I love you" to each other or to their children because it is a given and as family (an insider) there is no need to further elaborate one's appreciation; it is understood.
An outsider on the other hand is treated politely, but kept at a distance; outsiders communicate at a superficial level using an indirect and formal tone.
 They are expected to follow protocol; favors and exceptions do not generally apply to outsiders.
 Taiwanese do not initiate interactions or develop social relationships with outsiders.
 A good example is that most Taiwanese do not make an effort to know their neighbors.
 They perhaps nod their heads when seeing each other, ye often no further interaction or conversation will take place.
When working with Taiwanese colleagues, it is important to learn about each team member's family and also share your own family information.
 This is d sign of care and interest, and by doing so it is easier to build trust and to enter each other's insider circle.
 As a foreigner in Taiwan, you can possibly enter and be accepted into a local's inside circle because the Taiwanese are very receptive to foreigners and foreign culture.
 Once in the insider circle, people open up and share more information, and things get done faster and more smoothly.
Taiwanese are taught to show respect and to engage in polite talk with the elderly and those in authority.
 Siblings of a family call each other not by name but by the honorific terms of gege (哥哥 , older brother) or jiejie (姐姐, older sister), and certainly don't call parents by their names.
 They call adults (other than in the family group, like parents' friends or colleagues) 'aunties and 'uncles' to show respect.
 Furthermore, they learn not to take credit for their own behavior or to be boastful in any situation.
 Children are taught at a very young age to be modest about themselves and to never show off their accomplishments.
 Success and achievement are for others to recognize and praise.
 Taiwanese certainly appreciate compliments and praise, even though they may seem shy receiving them.
Taiwanese often communicate with silence.
 When nothing is said it does not mean approval.
 It usually means either they are still pondering the idea suggested or that there is some objection which it isn't convenient to share openly.
 When encountering silence, allow more time for the other party to think rather than jumping in to fill the gap.
 Not speaking up does not mean they are unskillful or inexperienced; the Taiwanese simply need more time to think before responding.
Yes' means 'I hear you'.
 Recognize that in some circumstances it's challenging for Taiwanese to give definite responses.
 Taiwanese frequently say 'yes' to everything, and are reluctant to say 'no', which generally implies one is incapable or unskillful, thus losing face.
 Yes has multiple meanings; it can mean 'yes', 'maybe', or often times it simply means 'I hear you'.
 In conversations, 'yes' creates harmony and it gives and saves face.
 Do not take 'yes' as an agreement, commitment or settlement.
 It is best to double check for understanding and to avoid asking 'yes/no' questions should you wish to get further information.
Ask your colleagues what they did on the weekend, and most of them will probably tell you that they spent time eating and catching up with their family members.
 In Taiwan it is indeed very typical, especially for married couples and those with children, to visit their parents every weekend.
 (Yes, that's every weekend!).
For many non-Taiwanese, this will probably seem a bit too often.
 Interestingly, the character for family (家, jia) is formed by placing the 'pig radical under the 'roof' radical.
 Taiwanese believe that family is a place where shelter is provided.
 In the old times, pigs were kept inside and were free to wander about the house.
 The pig also represents wealth for those living under the same roof, as the family shares living space and finances.
 The Taiwanese think of their family as an indivisible unit that prospers if functioning properly, while being equally capable of bringing ruin to all its members if not.
A person's identity comes from the family, or the 'group', that one feels part of.
 One's 'self' can only be complete when living up to the expectations of the group (the family, the extended family, the community, colleagues and anyone who is considered part of the family, or part of the group).
 The survival and prosperity of the family takes precedence over individual interests.
 As a result, Taiwanese people care very much about what others say and think of them, both positive appraisals and negative criticisms.
Family ties are far stronger among the Taiwanese than in Mainland China, Japan, or Hong Kong.
 Parents raise their children, and in return children are taught to respect their parents and to take care of them when they grow old.
 Parents will do their utmost to provide the best education and living standards for their children, who are later expected to reciprocate, for example by buying a nice or a house for their mom and dad.
 Placing the elderly in an old people's home is seen as a sign of disrespect.
Taiwanese family members are not only expected to provide emotional but also financial support to each other if needed.
 When one is in crisis he or she goes to a member of the 'internal' family first, and when in need of money, they are expected to help out.
 Family members are thus obliged to ensure the family is functioning properly.
When working in Taiwan, it is important to understand that the company is run by the same rules and is in fact run very much like an extended family.
 This phenomenon is probably stronger in Taiwan than in Hong Kong, Singapore or China.
 The top person in the company assumes a leading-father' role; he takes care of the employees not only by leading and mentoring, but also by caring for and protecting them like a father would in the family.
 A good leader is someone who gets the team of subordinates working harmoniously together.
 He provides stability, security and advancement, and has the knowledge, skills and wisdom to resolve situations; quite often he is expected to have the 'right' answer to most questions; and he not only guides work-related problems, but also cares about the personal and family issues of each employee.
 He knows the age, education background, marital status, family dynamics of his team members and suggests a career path that's most suitable pertaining to each employee.
 Employees look up to the top executives as mentors, and juniors respect and are absolutely obedient and loyal to their seniors.
 These close-knit ties in the work unit help to ensure the success of the business.
Taiwanese families regularly interact and socialize with one another.
 One's life revolves around 'family'; one can never separate one's self from the family the inside group nor the work unit.
 Family is both a home and the center of the community.
 It is the foundation of Taiwanese society.
Kuanyin (觀音), Kuanshih Yin (觀世音) or Guanyin, commonly known in the West as the Goddess of Mercy (or the Goddess of Compassion and Caring) has for centuries been one of the most beloved and revered deities throughout Asia.
 Her name in Chinese roughly translates as 'The One Who Hears the Cries of the World,' and she is often seen as the most powerful being in the entire Chinese pantheon.
Kuanyin is the Divine Mother we all long for: merciful, tender, compassionate, loving, protecting, caring, healing, and wise.
 She supports the distressed and hungry, rescues the unfortunate, forgives humanity, gives comfort and quietly comes to aid wherever it is needed.
Kuanyin is depicted in various forms and poses.
 She always appears cloaked in white, the color of purity, with a long and flowing gown.
 She usually holds a willow branch in one hand, which symbolizes the ability to bend and adapt without breaking.
 The willow is also used in shamanistic rituals and has medicinal purposes as well.
 In her other hand she holds a vase which symbolizes her pouring compassion onto the world.
 She is also sometimes seen holding a rosary, a symbol of her devotion to Buddhism, or holding a child, a reminder of her role as the patron saint of barren women.
Kuanyin also commonly takes the form of the 'Thousand Armed, Thousand Eyed' deity.
 These arms allow her to help stop the suffering of everyone around the world, while the thousand eyes help her see anyone who may be in need.
She is usually depicted either seated or standing on a lotus blossom.
 The lotus flower is one of the main symbols of Buddhist purity, as it is a beautiful flower that grows out of mud.
 The implication is that our hearts should be pure like the lotus flower, even though our lives might be surrounded by dirty or impure people and situations.
Kuanyin is honored in most traditional Taiwanese homes, where statues or paintings are placed at the center of the home altar with the family ancestry plaque to the side.
Believers of Kuanyin carry a rosary, a string of 108 beads for keeping count while saying Kuanyin's name as a prayer (nan mou Guan Shi Yin Pu Sha) or her manta (om mani padme hum).
 It is believed that the mere utterance of her name in repetition will assure salvation from physical and spiritual harm.
 Many Taiwanese wear bead necklaces or bracelets that have been blessed by the deity in a temple, and many utter Kuanyin's name in silence while waiting for or taking the bus or MRT, on a plane, or whenever they find a free moment.
Xin nian kuai le! (新年快樂, happy New Year), gong xi fa cai! (恭喜發財, (good fortune & prosperity!), hongbao na lai (紅包拿來, give me the red envelope - a favorite among children).
These are all hao hua (好話, good words) used during the festive period of the Lunar New Year, also commonly recognized as Chinese New Year (CNY) to wish each other a good and prosperous New Year.
In Taiwan the New Year (also known as Spring Festival (春節, chun jie) as it marks the start of a fresh new year) is celebrated according to the lunar calendar, and is one of the most important festivals for people of Chinese descent around the world.
 Lunar New Year is the longest public holiday in the Taiwanese calendar: the first five days are usually a public holiday, giving people time off for family reunions, temple visits, and feasting on traditional New Year dishes.
 Nowadays, many use the time to travel overseas.
 Thus it's essential to book air tickets a few months in advance if traveling during the Chinese New Year period.
So what exactly goes on before and during Lunar New Year?
 Let me walk you through this biggest festival in Chinese culture and see what Taiwanese families do during this period in Taiwan.
In the weeks leading up to the festival, the celebratory atmosphere becomes noticeable surrounding the work place, in the shops, at the markets, in every neighborhood and on the streets.
A few weeks prior to CNY, city streets in front of restaurants begin to fill with happy people carrying packages of prizes after having had a gratifying meal with wine and spirits.
 This occasion is known as the weiya (尾牙), a banquet dinner hosted by all companies to show appreciation for their employees' hard work and dedication during the past year.
 Apart from a meal, prizes and year-end bonuses are a highlight of the occasion.
 Each year during the weiya period, most fine local restaurants are fully booked with parties celebrating this happy annual celebration.
 Some local high-tech companies hold a weiya on a large scale, a grand event not only the employees but their families also, with raffle prizes including maybe a BMW or Mercedes, and entertainment courtesy of local celebrities.
 Businessmen and women, and vendors and customers doing business with the companies may be invited to their weiya parties as well, and this is a good time to strengthen business relationships and ensure continuing cooperation.
Most households begin preparation for CNY by undergoing a thorough clean-up called da shao chu (大掃除), which often includes not only cleaning the rooms of the house, but also every window pane, window screen, and curtain.
 The purpose of this is not only to remove any unwanted materials at home but also to symbolically sweep away any bad luck and misfortune from the past year.
 Sweeping or dusting should not be performed on New Year's Day or else the fresh vear's good fortune will be swept away.
Live blooming flowers and plants symbolize rebirth, young energy and new growth.
 Flowers, as the precursors of fruit and seed, are symbolic of wealth and the hope for attaining a higher position in one's career in the New Year.
 Therefore it is important to have some type of floral decoration in the home to welcome the fresh start.
These are 'must have items during CNY for sharing the happy spirit of the festival.
 Spring couplets (chun lian, 春聯)are hung outside every apartment, house, office, and store.
 They are normally hung vertically on both side of the main entrance of the apartment or house, with another placed horizontally above the door.
 Spring couplets are short poems, idioms or expressions that describe the arriving of spring, good fortune, long life and prosperity for the coming year.
 They are traditionally handwritten in gold or black ink on red paper, but now commercially printed couplets can be bought everywhere at traditional markets, supermarkets and at street vendors.
 You will find many Taiwanese keep spring couplets on the door all year round, hoping to attract more luck and good energy throughout the entire year, only changing them again before the next Chinese New Year.
During CNY, families stock up with food and goodies to welcome families and friends.
 In Taipei, the Dihua Street (迪化街) bazaar is the most popular location to buy New Year's goods.
 This amazing market is loaded with interesting shops with foods, sweets, dried fruits, melon seeds, nuts, colorful candies and hundreds of other goodies while wonderful Chinese New Year celebration songs play in the background.
 It's great fun to visit Dihua Street to experience the joy of CNY shopping: fighting your way through the jostling crowd on the narrow street, enjoying free samples, and feeling the chaos and the high spirits of the holiday.
What are some auspicious foods Taiwanese buy for Chinese New Year?
 The names of many fruits and flowers sound similar to lucky words or phrases in Chinese which are considered auspicious symbols.
 For example: The Chinese word for orange, ju (橘) sounds similar to ji (吉), which means 'lucky, auspicious', which is why people buy oranges or potted orange or tangerine plants to decorate their homes at this time.
In Mandarin, the word for the fruit persimmon is pronounced shi (柿), which suggests the expression shi shi ru yi (事事如意 ,may everything happen as you wish).
 Rice cakes called nian gao (年糕) symbolically bring to mind the phrase nian nian gao sheng (年年高升), a blessing meant to encourage advancement in one's job during the coming years, or promotion year after year.
Another rice cake is called fa gao (發糕) 'fa' in Taiwanese means 'to make plenty of money'.
All types of sweets symbolize happiness and good fortune.
 During CNY, each family has a candy tray (normally red and circular, signifying togetherness) as a symbol for starting the New Year sweetly.
The items described above will be found in every Taiwanese family home during the Chinese New Year period.
Though in modern Taiwan each generation shows progressively less interest in the confusing and elaborate rituals undertaken during CNY, the following at least are still commonly performed in the homes of most Taiwanese families.
Families with an ancestral altar or worship altar begin the morning of Chinese New Year's Eve by first performing the ritual in prayer to request the god(s) they believe in to join in the celebration of this festival.
 Later in the afternoon, it is time to welcome the family's ancestral souls or spirits to join this yearly festivity by speaking to the family ancestral wooden tablet on the altar (where it is believed the soul lives on after mortal death) and invite them to enjoy food prepared specially for them on the altar table.
When these two basic ceremonies are over, the family then can prepare the New Year's Eve feast which the whole family will join.
Family members who have left their hometowns make every effort to return on New Year's Eve to join together for a night of good food and family unity.
 This traditional feast is called weilu (圍爐)or 'surrounding the hearth/stove' where everyone huddles close together at the table for warmth and for family joy and thanksgiving.
New Year's Eve dinner is best eaten slowly, savoring the flavor of each dish.
 Hot pot is the most common treat, placed at the center of the circular table, and the constant simmering of the pot symbolizes continuing financial success in the coming year.
 There are also some other 'must have' dishes on the dinner table: long life vegetables (mustard greens), to represent long life; 'whole chicken, which symbolizes starting a new family and (for those already married) bringing wealth to the whole family; fish, in Chinese pronounced yu, (魚), which has the exact same pronunciation as the word for 'abundance' (餘, yu).
 It's important to have an abundance of food, which symbolizes a surplus of good things for the coming year.
 Thus though every family prepares fish for their New Year's Eve dinner table, no one dares to eat it all, in order to symbolically leave something for the remainder of the year.
After dinner, children get really excited because it's time for them to receive red envelopes filled with money.
 It's customary for adults to give junior and unmarried members of the family red envelopes.
 Many play majong (麻將), a traditional Chinese game of small tile blocks played with four players, watch endless TV variety shows, and stay past midnight to 'keep the night' (shou shuei, 守歲).
 It is believed that when children stay up on New Year's Eve, respect is shown to their parents and the longer they will live.
When the clock strikes twelve midnight, the New Year is welcomed with endless firecrackers and fireworks, which can be heard for hours into the night.
 Shooting off firecrackers on New Year's Eve is a way of sending out the old year and welcoming in the new one.
 Children of all ages in my generation grew up playing with firecrackers during CNY, yet it is harder nowadays to find children playing with them in the cities as it is more difficult to buy them.
 Nonetheless, it is still a tradition in rural areas.
Red represents happiness, joy, luck and the hope that everything good will follow automatically.
 Red envelopes (hongbao, 紅包) with money inside are thus given during CNY as gifts to signify good fortu ne and to wish the recipient good luck in the New Year.
 The cash should be in even numbers and the notes should be crisp and fresh, as this symbolizes giving good energy for the start of the New Year.
 During the days running up to the New Year, people go to banks to get crisp new notes.
 There is frequently a long line at this time and most banks have limitations as to how many new notes can be exchanged per customer per day to ensure everybody can get new crispy notes for the holiday.
There are no specific rules on who gives and who receives red envelopes, but usually elders like grandparents, parents, and elder relatives give them to youngsters like grandchildren, children, nephews and nieces.
 However, when children begin earning they give red envelopes to their parents.
 I also confirmed that unmarried adults (no matter what age) are considered children so they continue receiving good-luck money from their elders.
 Sometimes red envelopes are a good way during CNY to extend a helping hand for any needy relatives without hurting their face and self-esteem.
Red envelopes are also distributed among employees as bonuses during CNY.
 In some traditional & smaller offices, bonuses still literally come in red envelopes n cash form instead, but it's more common nowadays to deposit the money directly into employees' bank accounts.
 Most companies do, however, retain the tradition of giving a red envelope to employees as a gesture of appreciation of hard work and good luck for the coming year by inserting a payment slip detailing the actual bonus amount in the red envelope instead of cash.
There is no fixed amount to put into a red envelope, but even numbers including the figure 'six' are always good.
 For children, depending on age, a red envelope  can contain NT$600, NT$1,600 or NT$2,000, while the rate to give elderly parents after their children start working and are capable of carrying responsibility is NT$6,000, NT$10,000 and up for each parent.
 Normally both parents should receive the same amount.
While getting a red envelope brings happiness, wearing red clothing is also preferred during this festive occasion.
 This means wearing something red inside and out, from red underclothes to a red hat or a red jacket.
 Red is considered a bright and happy color, thus wearing red will bring a sunny, cheerful and bright future.
 It sets a great tone to the start of the year.
On the first day of the Lunar New Year most people go to a temple to pray for a great start to the New Year.
 My family for a long time has always gone to the same temple in Keelung (which my father has been visiting since childhood) on the first day of New Year, and we see our relatives and friends there as well.
 Some may go to temples after dinner on New Year's Eve and wait at the temple until after midnight to try to be the first person to place incense at the temple after midnight (this tradition, called chiang tou xiang, 搶頭香 is intended to obtain the best luck for the year).
 However, due to many accidents from pushing and running to place the first stick of incense, many temples now suggest good wishes and luck are distributed to whoever has the heart to come to the temple anytime during Lunar New Year.
The first day of the New Year is a time to bainian (拜年 , send New Year's greetings) to family and friends.
 It's very common now to bainian by sending text messages or calling friends and family instead of visiting them at their homes.
The second day of the New Year is a special day dedicated for those married wives to return to their parents' home, a tradition called hui niang jia (回娘家) Iraditionally women were only allowed to go home once a year, since going home too frequently was believed to mean that the wife was not happy living with her husband's family.
 Furthermore, with limited transportation options it was often a long trip to travel back home, and one which couldn't be made often.
From the third day onwards, there are no specific rules as to what must be done who must be visited.
 People may take this time to unite with relatives they haven't seen for a while and to catch up with friends.
The fifth day of the New Year is when everyone returns to work.
 All businesses commence with an opening ceremony and employers welcome the employees back by giving them a red envelope with a small sum of lucky money inside and invite them to a 'spring dinner' (chun jiu, 春酒), another eating gathering similar to the weiya before CNY, only this time simply a meal without the entertainment or lucky draw.
 It's a great way to encourage employees to put in another good year of hard work starting from the beginning of the year.
Chinese New year officially ends on the fifteenth day of the Lunar New Year.
 which is called the Lantern Festival (元宵節), when paper lanterns are lit and (a common event nowadays) people visit specially designated locations in each city around Taiwan to see lantern displays of all sizes and shapes (most common are lanterns in the shape of the Chinese zodiac animal of the year).
 On this day, a traditional festival food is eaten called yuanxiao (元宵).
 These are tiny round dumplings made of glutinous rice in a sweet soup.
 The roundness of the dumplings symbolizes both the day's full moon (the first of the year) and family wholeness.
 Yuanxiao are usually pinkish-red and white (red being an auspicious color) symbolizing abundant wealth why there are also white dumplings.
On this day, many people in Taiwan enjoy releasing lanterns called tian deng (天燈) into the night sky.
 These lanterns are made of thin rice paper stretched on a wire frame.
 Hot air, produced by lighted stacks of ghost money bills soaked in cooking oil and fixed inside, lifts them high into the sky.
 In the township of Pingsi (平溪) southeast of Taipei, thousands of people gather on this night to send off tian deng with their wishes of the year written on the outside of the paper lantern.
 It's a peaceful sight to gaze at the paper lanterns rising upward into the sky, flickering like small stars, filling the night with joy and good wishes.
Another tradition unique to Taiwan during Lantern Festival is the Beehive Rocket Festival in the town of Yanshui (鹽水) in Tainan County.
 This is a rather different experience, when tens of thousands of small rockets and firecrackers are fired into the air (and often straight into the crowds) from beehive-shaped racks.
Traditionally most businesses, including restaurants, are closed during the first five days of the CNY holiday, but as the number of shoppers increases many times during this period (due to the amount of lucky money people have received) many usinesses, small vendors and shopkeepers open during the holiday, starting on the first day of the New Year.
Lunar New Year is a very festive period and is one of Taiwan's most culturally fascinating occasions.
 I hope you will experience the energy of Lunar New Year with lots of delicious food, lucky money, firecrackers and some lantern fun.
Little Maddie and Emma arrived at the Chinese restaurant where my younger sister was celebrating the first important event of their young lives: man yue (滿月), a celebration marking the end of their first month of life.
 The twin girls were wearing beautiful pink satin dresses with Hello Kitty gold necklaces (bought by Uncle Arthur) around their necks, and delicately engraved gold bangles on their cute little wrists.
 They were absolutely adorable; two beautiful live dolls.
 These two adorable guests of honor certainly attracted a lot of attention, causing a stir the party.
 crowd had been waiting inside the restaurant rushed to the new mother and father, offering congratulations and good wishes, and the twins were passed from one guest to the next on their first public debut.
 Everyone wanted to touch them, hold them; everyone wanted to see if they look alike or if they look more like their handsome father or beautiful mother.
 Countless 'red envelopes' were tucked onto Maddie and Emma's clothes and the designated gift table was piled with mountains of beautifully wrapped gift boxes of all colors and sizes.
 The proud mom and dad shared their experience as new parents and smiled non-stop throughout the lunch celebration as everyone praised and sent wishes to the two beautiful infants.
In Taiwan, it is customary to have a 'welcome party' for a newborn baby when he or she turns one month old.
 In the old days, the infant mortality rate was high, thus a baby was forbidden to go outside until a full month had passed after the birth.
 The new mother also used this one-month period to restore her health and energy (a period called zuo yuezi, which is described in another chapter, see page 181).
 It was believed that if the baby could survive through the first month, it was an event worth celebrating.
Consequently, as the infant turned one month old, a party was thrown in his or her honor, an event which also marked the first time he or she was seen by other members of the family, relatives and friends.
 These days, this month of self- imposed incarceration isn't always observed, but the man yue celebration remains a popular event.
 Everyone comes to join in this celebration when the baby's formal Chinese name is introduced to the guests.
 The parents have to have a name for the newborn by this day at the latest.
 See the 'Naming the Baby' chapter on page 126 for more on choosing names.
Proud parents may hold a man yue party at a fancy restaurant to introduce the latest addition to friends and relatives.
 Traditionally, due to the importance of male children in Chinese culture, the celebration for boys was more elaborate, but today (and for my generation) parties are given for babies of both sexes.
 Guests attending the party bring gifts.
 Hongbao, or 'lucky money' in red envelopes is the most commonly given gift as an expression of best wishes, good health and long life for the newborn.
 Clothes or jewelry, (most commonly gold necklaces, rings and bracelets) are also very popular, especially for baby girls.
The guests don't leave empty handed, either.
 Parents hand out red-dyed eggs symbolizing the changing process of life: the egg's round shape symbolizes a harmonious life and unity, and it is red because this color is a sign of luck and happiness in Chinese culture.
 Besides eggs, Taiwanese food like sticky rice with a chicken drumstick was once a common gift when the family had a baby boy, while for a girl cakes and sweets were given.
 In modern Taiwan, man yue celebrations are less elaborate than in the past, and more and more choose not to have a party.
 Nonetheless, the new parents at least send friends and family a box of cake or candy announcing the new addition to the family.
The bright and radiant moon has always been a popular theme of Chinese poetry and songs.
 Traditionally, Chinese planted and harvested according to the moon, so consequently Chinese have always paid it special attention and admiration, while the major festivals in Taiwan are celebrated according to the lunar calendar.
 Furthermore, the clear, round, full moon symbolizes union and a perfect world, and also represents the gatherings and closeness of family and friends.
The moon is believed to be at its fullest and brightest on the 15th night of the eighth lunar month.
 Chinese celebrate this day as Mid-Autumn (or Moon) Festival.
 Furthermore, in an agricultural society (as Taiwan formerlly was), the autumn moon also indicated the end of the year's hard work in the fields and it was the perfect time to celebrate the harvest, which is why this day is also called Harvest Day.
Moon Festival is one of three most important traditional festivals for the Taiwanese (the other two being Dragon Boat Festival and Chinese New Year) a little like Christmas in the West and Thanksgiving in the US.
 Just as these two holidays are times for family get-togethers in the West, Moon Festival is an occasion for family reunions in Taiwan.
 People travel across the nation to return home to have a warm and joyful meal with their family; when the full moon rises, families go to scenic spots, parks, riverbanks or rooftops to watch and appreciate the full moon.
 Traditionally Taiwanese eat moon cakes and pomelos and drink some Chinese tea in the cool night air, and pray for a sate and healthy time during the remainder of the year.
Moon Festival in Taiwan has recently turned into a 'National Barbecue Day although it's unclear when and how this custom came about.
 BBQS certainly weren't something people did during Moon Festival when I was a kid in the late 1970s growing up in Taipei, but had become a passion by the time I returned to Taipei from the US in the early 1990s.
Families and friends gather to have a barbeque just about everywhere, even in the heart of the city!
 On this night you'll see groups happily cooking food in front of their apartments, on the sidewalks, in the parks, on rooftops and balconies and even next to 7-Elevens (where store clerks who can't go home get to share in the joy of the festival).
 On many streets, a group of people is gathered every few yards around a tiny 12-inch by 18-inch grill cooking popular Moon Festival BBQ Items like Taiwanese sausages, mini hot-dogs, corn-on-the-cob, skewered chicken, shrimp, squid, fish balls, vegetables and mushrooms, all flavored with charcoal smoke and giving off that delicious BBQ smell.
 It certainly creates an excellent opportunity for people to interact with friends and neighbors in apartment blocks, where there's often little chance to otherwise socialize.
The Moon Festival is rich in legendary stories, yet the origin of the festival is unknown.
 The most famous legend associated with the festival (one that's known by everybody) is the story Chang Er Flees to the Moon (嫦娥奔月).
 In the story a girl called Chang Er drinks the potion of immortality and floats up to the moon where she has lived ever since.
 It was once thought that you can see Chang Er dancing on the moon on the day of the Autumn Festival.
There are several versions of the legend on how and why Chang Er now lives on the moon.
 One relates that Hou Yi (后羿), the greatest archer of his time saved the earth by shooting down nine suns that had mysteriously appeared in the sky, thereby keeping the world from burning up in the scorching heat.
 Hou Yi naturally gained a great reputation and respect for this feat, became a great teacher of archery, and married a beautiful and kind-hearted girl named Chang Er.
 One day Hou Yi received the potion of immortality from a goddess, yet since he didn't want to leave his beloved wife behind, he gave it to Chang Er for safe keeping.
 Unfortunately it was seen by Hou Yi's student, Peng Mong (蓬蒙) who later came to Chang Er asking for the potion while Hou Yi was out hunting Chang Er knew she couldn't fight Peng Mong, and so rather than give it to him she quickly took out the potion and swallowed it.
 Chang Er's body became lighter and lighter and floated off into the sky, where, saddened at not being able to be with her beloved husband, she settled on the moon where she could view him from afar.
Upon Hou Yi's return, his house servant informed him what had happened.
 Hou Yi was disheartened, and in despair gazed at the bright moon where he thought he saw a shadow of his wife.
 He (along the local villagers) now quickly prepared sacrifices to the moon and sent prayers wishing the best for Chang Er.
 This was the 15th night of the eighth lunar month, the day when Chang Er's beauty is at its most radiant.
In Taiwan moon cakes are the most important snack and gift for celebrating the Moon Festival.
 Pomelos (柚子) are also eaten on this day.
 The round moon cakes symbolize family unity, while the Chinese word for pomelo (柚, you) sounds the same as the character '祐' (you), conveying a hope for protection and blessing during the coming year.
Moon cakes are very rich pastries stuffed with an array of fillings.
 The most traditional version has a filling of red-bean paste and a hard-boiled, salted egg yolk inside with delicate classical designs embossed on the top.
 Other fillings include lotus seeds, dates, walnuts, and almonds.
 Be careful: moon cakes are very high in calories and you'll gain a few kilograms if you eat many during the festival!
 As people become more health-conscious in Taiwan, bakeries have come up with new, less fattening creations each year ranging from fruit to tea-flavored moon cakes, while another less healthy but delicious new kind is filled with Haagen Dazs ice cream.
Moon cake giving Moon Festival is a season for friends, family, relatives and employers to show their appreciation for support and friendship received during the year.
 The occasion is marked by delivering boxes of moon cakes to families, friends and business associates and acquaintances.
 Companies no doubt use this holiday for public relations purposes, to send vendors and buyers moon cakes to express their sincere gratitude for a year of good business relationships, and the hope for continuing business and support during the coming year.
Boxes of moon cakes are readily available at almost all bakeries, cake shops and at most convenience stores in Taiwan around the time of the festival.
 Manufacturers of moon cakes these days compete not only to produce the most delicious varieties, but also to create the most stylish and exotic moon cake boxes.
 Recently, the custom of sending moon cake boxes has been replaced by sending gifts that are of healthier products like tea or red wine.
It's customary for companies and other employers to give moon cake boxes to their employees.
 Nonetheless, companies may now give department store gift certificates instead of high calorie moon cakes to employees to show their appreciation.
Moon cakes are not only eaten at this time of year because they resemble the shape of the moon.
 According to popular belief, the custom of eating moon cakes began during the Yuan Dynasty, a time when China was ruled by the Mongols.
 The Han Chinese resented Mongol rule and decided to overthrow these foreign rulers, hiding secret messages detailing when to initiate the revolt inside moon cakes.
 Thus informed, the people rose together to attack according to the hidden message, which designated "Revolt on the 15th day of the eighth lunar moon" and successfully defeated the Mongolian government.
 To commemorate this triumph, moon cakes are eaten on the 15th day of the eighth month, and to this day are considered an essential part of the Moon Festival.
Taiwanese certainly have a special appreciation for the full moon.
 Its brightness and roundness represents wholeness, the unity of a family and the circle of life.
 The Moon Festival is indeed a very important time to connect with the ones you love and care about, and it is also a time to re-connect with those you want to rebuild relationships with.
 Watch out however for horrendous traffic jams prior to the festival.
 Not only are people heading home for festival gatherings, but just about everyone else is on the road delivering moon cakes or gift boxes.
How do Taiwanese parents go about giving their baby a name?
 Influenced by Western practices, over the last fifteen years or so many Taiwanese parents have started not only giving their baby a Chinese name but also an English one.
 The English name is often chosen before the baby is born.
 On the other hand, Taiwanese parents spend a long time choosing their child's Chinese name because it is believed that it determines his or her future and destiny.
I became an 'official' auntie in 2006 and have seen first-hand the time and effort that goes into coming up with a Chinese name for my little niece, Lisa.
 While a small group of people in Taiwan have only one character as their given name, a typical Chinese name consists of three words, the first character being the family name and the next two characters being the given name.
 In Taiwan, the given name (either character) can represent the child's generation within the family.
 Therefore, it is possible for relatives to know the relationships between family members by just looking at their names.
For example, my Chinese name is Liu, Chien-ju (劉情如): Liu' being my family name and 'Chien-ju' being my given name.
 My younger sister and all my female cousins from my father's side of the family all have 'ju' (如) as the third character in their names.
 So if you run into a 'Liu' with a given name of ju' as the third character in their name, you could possibly be meeting a girl cousin of mine!
 On the other hand, all the boy cousins of mine in the Liu family have the character of 'si' (思) as the second character in their name.
 This tradition is however followed more loosely by the parents of the current generation as it is becoming increasingly difficult to cross-check with relatives and to agree upon a pleasing character which satisfies all parties.
When naming a child, parents have to take into consideration the newborn baby's Eight Characters (八字, ba zi), four pairs of numbers indicating the year, month, day and hour of birth, and also the basic Five Principal Elements (五行, wu xing): metal, wood, water, fire and earth.
Another factor to take into account is the total number of strokes of a name, because this also has a lot to do with the baby's fate.
 Finally the characters also have to sound or rhyme well when putting a name together for the baby.
Traditionally a nickname (now commonly an English name) will be used until the family comes up with a formal Chinese name, customarily created by the grandfather, but now more often given by the parents, maybe with the guidance of a fortune-teller.
 As you can see, it's quite a task to come up with two desirable characters for a baby's given name, matching the time the baby was born and the Five Principal Elements, generation order, and the strokes.
 And most importantly, it has to sound beautiful as well!
Tea has been a traditional Chinese beverage for thousands of years.
 I am very proud to share that Taiwan produces some of the best teas in the world, and it is especially renowned for its oolong tea.
 Tea has been an important agricultural product here for over a century.
 It was once produced mainly for export, and it was not until the 1970s that tea lovers in Taiwan began to discover and enjoy the tea grown on their own doorstep.
All tea comes from the same plant, Camelia sinensis.
 The difference between teas depends on where it is grown and the way it has been processed after harvesting.
 Chinese tea is classified according to the degree of fermentation it undergoes.
Tea houses are the place for family and friends to get together, drink tea, relax and mingle.
 Visiting a tea house (especially those up in the mountains) in Taiwan is a memorable experience, and also a great opportunity to learn a little about the richness of Taiwanese culture.
 Traditional tea houses can be found in every major city in Taiwan.
 Nowadays these tea houses are often constructed of wood, and may be decorated with calligraphy, paintings and sculptures to recreate the atmosphere of an older Taiwan.
 Some larger tea houses may have an outdoor garden and a Chinese-style fish pond.
 Traditional music is often played to promote a relaxing atmosphere.
 Many people linger for hours enjoying a good pot of tea with some snacks and perhaps a light meal.
 There are many attractive outdoor tea houses up in the mountains around Taiwan, often with great views of the countryside or the city.
Drinking tea is an everyday pastime for most families in Taiwan.
 The Taiwanese normally prefer less fermented varieties than the black tea that is usually drunk in the West.
 Chinese tea has a more subtle flavor and is regarded as a healthy drink: research reports prove that tea is good for you.
 It can help stimulate the immune system, improve the functions of the digestive system, prevent blood clots, and lower cholesterol levels among other benefits.
 Drink tea for your body, your health and your soul!
When I see a qipao (旗袍), the traditional Chinese dress for women, I think of my grandmothers from both my father's and mother's side.
 I recall both my grandmothers being always so very proper and graceful in their qipao, displaying their modesty softness, serenity and graceful, refined manner, so elegant and gentle.
 No matter whether it is for daily wear or for a formal occasion, they looked so natural and wonderful in a qipao with pearl earrings, requiring no additional accessories such as a scarf, necklace, or belt.
Qipao is a one-piece, full-length dress made of silk and embroidered on the collar and lapel, with a high neck and slits on the sides.
 In Taiwan, it is traditionally worn by older women, or by waitresses and receptionists in some Chinese restaurants.
In recent years, qipao have become highly fashionable, growing in popularity among women of all ages not only in Asia, but also throughout the world.
 Qipao is designed to reveal the woman's natural figure, with the slits on the sides creating the illusion of slender legs, practical yet sexy.
 It retains a traditional Chinese flavor and reflects the exotic charm of the Orient which is often considered very alluring and glamorous.
Qipao originated from the Manchus of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
 Under Qing law, all Han Chinese men were required to wear a queue and women had to dress in a Manchurian qipao instead of the traditional Han clothing, or they would be killed.
 For the next three hundred years, qipao were adopted and worn.
 The qipao of those times was loosely fitted, baggy and hung straight down the body.
 It covered most of the women's body to conceal the figure and was worn by all ages.
 The men of that time also wore a similar loose-fitting, one-piece garment.
This garment survived after the Manchus were overthrown by the Republic in 1911.
 In the 1920s qipao fell under the influence of Western dress styles, and started being tailored to be more fitting and revealing to display the beauty of the female figure.
 With time, qipao became fashionable among women in China, especially in Shanghai, and various styles were developed.
 However, the wearing of qipao and other fashionable clothes ended with the Communist Revolution of 1949 in China.
 However qipao fashion was brought to Hong Kong and Taiwan where it remained popular.
Modern qipao come in all varieties and designs, long or short, with some above knee-level.
 The traditional high-collared stiff look of the 1920s was softened to allow more space for free neck movement.
 More collar shapes were created including collarless styles to allow room for necklaces and other jewelry.
 Short or sleeveless dresses were also designed for summer.
 An especially important factor in the design of the qipao are buttons and buttonhole loops, which usually run to the left (from the wearer's perspective) from shoulder to waist and are of traditional Chinese knots.
Qipao are usually made of high quality silk or satin in trendy black, dazzling red or many other colors.
 Traditional Chinese floral patterns such as peonies, lotus blossoms and chrysanthemums are widely used.
 The peony is most favored as it symbolizes wealth and prosperity; lotus stands for beauty, purity and holiness, while the chrysanthemum suggests longevity.
 The dragon motif is commonly found on men's jackets as it symbolizes strength and power.
Though traditional clothing has commonly been replaced by more comfortable wear like jeans, T-shirts, sweaters, business suits and cocktail dresses, even among the elder generation, qipao are appreciated at important social gatherings and special occasions such as diplomatic occasions, weddings and during Chinese New Year.
It has also recently become a fad for the bride to wear a qipao for part of her wedding reception, as well as a Western white gown.
 Brides even like to wear their mother's old qipao, although this is often not possible, as the younger generation is generally taller and wider in size than their mothers'.
 Therefore it is very special if one can fit into her mother's qipao.
Over the years, qipao have evolved tremendously to match the trend in modern fashion while retaining the unique elements of the traditional style.
 Qipao can be worn for both formal occasions for those in high society or casually as a modern day outfit, depending on the color and style.
Qipao is such an amazing classic garment that it is suitable for people of various body figures; it is generally custom designed to flatter your slender body or to hide your flaws creating an impression of charm, simplicity, elegance and ultimate attraction.
Hongbao (紅包), red envelopes or packets with money inside are every child's delight at Chinese New Year.
 The tradition of giving gifts in Chinese culture re is not the same as practiced in Western cultures.
 These days small gifts may be given when visiting a home of a friend, at birthday parties, and increasingly at weddings, but traditionally money is considered the best gift that can be given at any happy celebration or occasion.
As Chinese New Year approaches, preparations begin well in advance as people purchase new clothing, snacks, candy, and colorful decorations with auspicious meanings.
 Traditionally children often say "gongxi fa cai, hongbao na lai" (恭喜發財, 紅包拿來) which means 'congratulations on the New Year, please bring out the red envelope money dear!'
Of course the 'give me the hongbao' phrase is only said to someone they know well, otherwise it is seen as disrespectful and greedy.
 Giving out red envelopes is a high point of the Chinese New Year.
 People believe that red envelopes will protect children all through the year and bring good luck to them.
 The color red was chosen because it expresses rich feelings and is symbolic of festive joy, new life, warmth, luck and hospitality.
Knowing who should give whom hongbao and how much is appropriate is a real art.
 In Taiwanese culture, older relatives gave red envelopes to bestow positive energy and blessing.
 Traditionally Taiwanese try to give crisp new notes in the envelope to signify the beginning of the New Year and good luck.
After dinner on Chinese New Year's Eve, parents begin passing out red envelopes to their children.
 Older relatives, such as a grandmother or uncle, give young members of the family a lucky red envelope too.
 Another custom is for married adults and working people to give youngsters (such as nieces and nephews who are not working yet) a red envelope as pocket money and also to e their parents a red envelope to thank them for raising them well, now that they are making a good living.
As a rule of thumb, give even numbers (as odd numbers are considered unlucky) in hongbao, but NEVER in multiples of four (NT$400, 2,400, or 4,000 for instance, even though they are even numbers).
 Four is considered an unlucky number as its pronunciation is similar to the words 'to die' or 'death'.
 Amounts including a six (NT$600, 1,600, 2,600, 3,600 etc) are suitable for hongbao, with NT$6,000 considered a high amount, given only to people with whom you have a particularly good relationship.
 The amount you give to children other than your own depends on your guanxi or relationship with them or their parents.
 For children under ten years old, NT$600 is considered appropriate.
 Teens would enjoy getting NTS1,000-1,600.
 College kids would of course like to get as much as possible from parents, yet may feel uncomfortable accepting hongbao from other relatives and friends once they begin working.
It is also important to give a red envelope during Chinese New Year to show appreciation to: Your doorman (NT$600-1,200, if the person has been helpful.
 You are not required to give to every doorman should there be more than one at your building.
 Give it to the one who has been helpful to you); Garbage collector (NT$600- 1,000); Your maid (NT$1,000-3,600 if they are part-time).
 If you have a full-time maid, you'll need to find out from your agency the required amount you should give as an employer); Your driver (NT$3,600-6,000, assuming your company is already giving him a year-end bonus).
Don't forget these people!
 Your appreciation for the hard work they have done all year to make your life comfortable will result in friendly greetings, and willingness to look after you and give you a hand when needed.
Hongbao (the envelope itself) can be bought at any stationery store, supermarket, or convenience store for about NT$30 (US$1) per pack of ten.
 As Chinese New Year approaches you'll find specially designed hongbao with popular cartoon characters of the Chinese zodiac animal corresponding to the New Year.
 In 2009, the Year of the Ox, for instance, the hongbao will be decorated with pictures of an ox.
 Other popular illustrations on hongbao are of fish, since the Chinese word for fish, yu (魚), sounds the same as the word for 'abundance' (餘, yu), thus symbolizing a time of wealth and plenty during the coming year.
 In recent years, local banks have even given away finely designed hongbao, with their name printed on the outside, of course.
Hongbao are also given at other occasions, such as during weddings, birthday or at a baby's man yue party (a celebration held when a newborn turns one-month old, see page 120), or anytime you want to show appreciation, since hongbao are seen to attract good fortune.
 It's always a good idea to check with local friends or colleagues to find out what amount is appropriate for the occasion, taking into account the guanxi (relationship) you enjoy with the recipient.
After landing in Taiwan for only a few hours on his first visit to Taiwan, a close international friend of mine who has lived and worked in China for over ten years and claims to have visited every province in China states, "Taiwan is really different.
 It's the most traditional Chinese place I ever visited (even more Chinese than China); it really is a wonderful blend of Western and Chinese traditions."
Here in Taiwan, he explained, he saw cultural heritage: the richness of Chinese traditional cultural life, the liveliness of religious practices and folk beliefs; a culture that's living in everything locals do in their daily life.
 There are countless temples - large ones grand and compelling, small ones hidden in between fancy tall buildings yet forming a central part of many local people's life.
Indeed, you see the zeal of religious involvement and practice in Taiwan, deeply felt and passionately expressed, influencing all aspects of many people's everyday life.
 Common sights include a small shrine of the Kitchen God in many restaurants to guarantee good business, students visiting temples for good luck before examinations, and shops along Zhongxiao East Road (the most crowded and affluent street in Taipei) performing the ceremony of food offering and spirit paper burning in front of the store as a prayer for good business.
 Furthermore, TV commercials remind religious Taiwanese the day prior to important ritual ceremonies, and three or four television channels are dedicated to religious preaching and chanting, running 24/7.
 Religious practice is a natural part of many people's daily life.
The Taiwanese have a high degree of religious freedom and choice; people are open to accept foreign religious faiths and ideas and are rarely judged by their faith of choice.
 You can find all main world religious practices and religious organizations on the island: Buddhism, Taoism and folk beliefs, and other religions such as Catholicism, Protestantism, Islam, Judaism, Japanese Buddhism, the teachings of Tenrikyo and Mahaikarikyo and more.
Let's now further look at the history of main religions in Taiwan.
 The indigenous people of Taiwan who were the first group of people to live on the island had no religion, yet practiced their tribal rites and nature worship.
 In the early 1600s, the Spanish brought their Catholic religion to the island, and the Dutch brought Protestant Christianity to Taiwan during their occupation (1624-1662).
 As a result, most aborigines in Taiwan are Christian.
 Chinese immigrants from Mainland China who started arriving in 1663 brought Buddhism, Taoism and folk beliefs t the island.
 The worshiping of the Taoist goddess Mazu, (the Goddess of the Seal is especially elaborate in Taiwan as she was believed to have protected the large number of immigrants safely crossing the Taiwan Strait.
During the Japanese colonial period (1895-1945), the Japanese brought Shinto/ Japanese Buddhism to Taiwan.
 Practices of Taoism and Chinese folk beliefs were restricted and only Buddhist temples were allowed.
 As a result, many temples dedicated to Taoism or folk beliefs added Buddhist statues to avoid closure.
 It wasn't until Japan's defeat in 1945 and Taiwan's coming under the rule of the ROC government that the Taiwanese again practiced their Taoist and folk beliefs openly, and also received further Buddhist teaching from renowned Buddhist masters from Mainland China.
The most commonly practiced religions in Taiwan are Buddhism, Taoism and various folk beliefs.
 93 % of the total population in Taiwan recognize themselves as the practitioner of one of these, or commonly a combination of all three.
 Many Taiwanese who do not have a strict religious belief do follow certain practices or rituals connected to Buddhism or Taoism or with folk beliefs.
 In modern Taiwan you see magnificent temples in all cities and towns, small outdoor shrines on roadsides and in alleys, and also in neighborhood apartments, either of a Taoist or Buddhist temple, or more commonly a combination of the two under the same roof.
 It is common to see Kuanyin (觀音, the Goddess of Mercy, the most popular Buddhist deity) in many Taoist temples, or Mazu (媽祖, the Goddess of the Sea, the most respected Taoist deity) in Buddhist temples.
 The two religions are often intermingled, so in many temples it is difficult to worship purely as a Buddhist or a Taoist.
Buddhism originated from India and is the most widely practiced religion in Taiwan, and is growing in popularity both in Taiwan and worldwide.
 Buddhist teaching has been further promoted through recently established Buddhist high schools and universities, and also through conferences, study groups, and TV programs.
 Parents are sending children of all ages (youngsters, teenagers and college students) to Buddhist summer camps, educational functions and events.
 Furthermore, it is becoming acceptable and desirable for children to attend Buddhist high schools or universities.
 It is also not uncommon to see university graduates entering monasteries to become devoted nuns or monks.
Buddhism has long been an integral part of the life of many Taiwanese.
 The fundamental teaching of Buddhism demonstrates that not only is it necessary to show great mercy to people you know, but that one's compassion should be extended to strangers as well.
 The learning of Buddhism as a result can provide simple answers and clear directions in our daily lives.
Modern Buddhism in Taiwan involves followers in humanitarian work such as disaster relief work and medical treatment and support, in an effort to help others who are in need of aid.
 The concept of doing compassionate work has also attracted more followers or donors who desire to provide kind-hearted contributions, yet have little time or interest in attending temple services or understanding much of Buddhist teaching.
 Buddhist temples in Taiwan are run like large business corporations managing large sums of donations from believers and donors in order to support meaningful events, build schools, medical centers and libraries and sponsor cultural exchanges.
There are four major Buddhist organizations throughout the island, in northern, central, southern and eastern Taiwan, should you wish to acquire a deeper understanding of Buddhism.
 These organizations are reputable and honored by Taiwanese believers, and they have also successfully reached out to people around the globe.
In the north, located in Jinshan (金山) in Taipei County, is the Zen Buddhist Fagu Shan (法鼓山) or Dharma Drum Mountain, founded by Master Sheng Yen (聖嚴法師)in 1989.
 His teaching has spread in the West (particularly in the United States), In several Asian countries, and in Taiwan, leading countless people both Western and Eastern into the world of Buddism.
Close to Puli (埔里) Township in Nantou County, central Taiwan, you can find Znong Tai Zen Monastery.
 Another Zen Buddhist temple, this is a peaceful and tranquil place established by Zen Master Wei Chueh in 1987.
In southern Taiwan, the major center of Buddhism is at the Light of Buddha Mountain (佛光山, Foguang Shan) in Kaohsiung County, founded by Master Hsin  Yun (星雲法師) in 1967.
 This is a large religious center that has also become a tourist attraction; people come to admire its temple construction and to enjoy the desian of the gardens and the famous 480 standing Buddha statues.
In Hualien (花蓮), eastern Taiwan, you can find the Tzu Chi foundation (慈濟) You can't miss the Tzu Chi people (慈濟人).
 They are very prominent in Taiwan and are known for their generous charity work in time of crisis or suffering around the globe.
 They always wear white pants and navy blue shirts (both men and women); their volunteers take part in relief efforts wherever there is a major disaster.
 They are at the front line along with the Red Cross in giving unconditional aid and support by providing medical care, food, shelter, clothing or anything that alleviates suffering and helps disaster victims regain strength to rebuild their lives.
 They began their compassionate work in just Taiwan, but have since reached out globally.
 Tzu Chi has built schools and hospitals such as the Tzu Chi University and hospital in the Hualien area.
Tzu Chi Foundation was founded in 1966 by Master Cheng Yen (證嚴法師, the only female master among these four major Buddhist establishments.
 She emphasizes community service, charity work and outreach programs, medicine, education and culture.
 Master Cheng Yen was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 and was awarded the Eisenhower Medallion for her contributions to world peace in 1994.
Buddhist temples in general are magnificent, grand, yet serene and tranquil, without the colorful decorative dragons or immortal stories depicted on the temple walls of Taoist temples.
 Instead, there are manicured gardens, Buddha statues and lots of designs in gold or yellow.
 Devotees practice meditation; vegetarian nuns and monks with shaved heads who are not allowed to be married or to kill any living things often live on site.
 In Taiwan, not all Buddhist followers have a profound understanding of the fundamental Buddhist teaching of the Eight-fold Path, the Four Noble Truths, Reincarnation, or the concepts of Karma and Nirvana, yet they are certainly involved in great compassionate charity work.
Without doubt Buddhism in Taiwan is gaining more respect not only among local followers but also among people worldwide.
 It is playing a significant role in promoting compassion for all through global charity work.
Taoism is the second most popular religion in Taiwan.
 Tao (道) literally translates as 'the way' or 'path', and can be described as a way of living.
 It began with the philosopher Lao Tzu (老子, old sage).
 Among its more recognizable components are yin-yang, the five elements, the energy concept of qi (氣), feng shui (風水), and the balance of nature.
 It represents the harmony and the coexistence of opposites, the flow of forces in the universe.
 Things happen naturally; nature and the environment takes care of itself.
 Good moral conduct is encouraged and rewarded with a happy and long life, while on the contrary, bad demeanor results in an unhappy fate with suffering, disease, and a shorter life.
Taoism is native to China.
 Many Tao deities were mortals who once lived and are now venerated and worshiped because of their special contribution.
 For example, the red-faced Guan Gong (關公) seen in many Taoist temples was a brave and fair general more than 1,500 years ago, and thus is respected as the God of War.
 Businessmen worship and honor him in the hope of getting fair business deals and opportunities.
Mazu (媽祖), Goddess of the Sea on the other hand, is the most popular Taoist deity in Taiwan.
 She is known for saving her father and brothers from drowning in a typhoon and also rescuing sailors.
 She gave calm water and weather for a safe voyage when large numbers of Chinese immigrants came from Fujian province in China to settle in Taiwan in search of a better life.
 Consequently, these Chinese immigrants built Mazu temples everywhere around Taiwan to honor Mazu for clear guidance to the island.
 In addition, since Taiwan is surrounded by water, and much trade was conducted with the outlying islands, the locals (especially fishermen) widely worship Mazu to seek protection or a good catch while on the sea.
 In Taiwan, the birthday celebration of Mazu is the largest and most elaborate religious festival of all.
 The best-known of these celebrations, the Dajia Mazu Pilgrimage, lasts eight days and seven nights, and is held annually in the spring around the time of the goddess's birthday.
 The journey starts in Dajia (大甲).
 Taichung County, and passes through four counties and twenty-one townships in central Taiwan, a distance of almost 300 kilometers, which devotees cover on foot visiting and blessing nearly a hundred temples along the way.
A Taoist temple is generally elaborate with colorful dragons, phoenixes or Immortals.
 There are lots of red lanterns, food offerings, candles, but no nuns and monks.
 Taoist believers use incense for prayer as the rising smoke is seen as a means of communicating with the gods; spirit paper money is also burnt.
In the past, Taoist temples were places where people gathered for traditional puppet shows, Taiwanese opera performances and variety shows before there were TVs.
 This activity is seen less these days, but still continues at many rural temples.
The parades frequently seen marching down the streets of Taipei and other cities in Taiwan, with drumming troupes, gongs, martial-arts, firecrackers, and the marching of costumed deities are all part of traditional Taoist practices during celebrations and festivals.
 Look out for the representations of the tall, white-faced deity called Chiye (七爺) and the short, dark-faced god called Baye (八爺).
 These are in charge of rewarding the good and punishing the bad.
Confucianism, although not a religion, is another important part of religious thinking that greatly influences the view of the Taiwanese.
Confucius was the greatest teacher and philosopher in China, and his teaching and philosophy has had a great influence on the ethics, education, ideology and most importantly the fundamental values of Taiwanese people.
 He encouraged the practice of rituals and the worship of ancestors to show deep respect to one's parents and ancestors.
There are many Confucius temples in Taiwan, but they are places to honor Confucius' great teachings, rather than for religious worship.
Folk beliefs permeate the daily life of the Taiwanese, often intermingling with Buddhist and Taoist practices, although Taiwanese people don't seem to be bothered or concerned about the resulting overlaps or contradictions.
 Folk beliefs include offerings to ghosts, ancestor worship at home altars, using spirit mediums called jitong (乩童) to transmit messages from the gods and to communicate with the dead, and many practices and rituals of the major festivals in Taiwan.
 One may call himself a Buddhist or a Taoist yet in reality his rituals are simply folk beliefs.
Ancestor worship is practiced in almost all Taiwanese homes regardless of religion.
 A home altar is set up with ancestor tablets for paying daily homage to deceased family members, in return for which it is believed that ancestors will protect and bless the living family members.
 Today, it is rather common to see a statue or picture of a Buddhist or Taoist deity or folk gods alongside the ancestor tablet.
Taiwan is indeed a unique place, combining a world-renowned high-tech industry with the most traditional cultural customs and religious beliefs.
 Furthermore, we exercise freedom and respect religious diversity while keeping and practicing traditional beliefs.
 Religious differences do not seem to create conflicts or antagonism in Taiwan.
 Today, few Taiwanese practice one exclusive religion; all sort of deities are worshipped in the same temple and at home, a very special feature of religion in Taiwan.
Today young people in Taiwan enjoy celebrating their birthdays every year, complete with a birthday cake, giving gifts and eating out at restaurants or going to a KTV (Karoke TV).
 Parents also make the effort to give birthday parties for children at home or at a child-friendly restaurant or activity center.
 These youngsters celebrate their birthday as it appears on the Western calendar.
 The older generation, however still mark their birthdays according to the traditional lunar calendar.
 Traditionally, Taiwanese people don't celebrate their birthdays until they reach the age of sixty years old.
 The sixtieth birthday is regarded as a very important point of life.
 It is also the first year where both the animal and the element symbol of the Chinese (lunar) calendar are exactly the same as in the year of birth.
Increasingly, people enjoy celebrating a little extra during the Chinese zodiac animal year of their birth, which occurs once every twelve years.
 It is believed that on that year a person will be either especially lucky or particularly unlucky and, at that time many Taiwanese will seek ways to bring themselves good luck.
 For example, during the Year of the Rat, those born under that animal sign may go to a temple to pray for additional luck to keep the bad energy away.
A sixtieth birthday is most elaborate and is commonly celebrated by inviting relatives and close friends to a Chinese banquet dinner.
 After that landmark event, a birthday celebration is customarily held every ten years, until the person's death.
 Grown-up sons and daughters are expected to coordinate and pay for a grand celebration at a hotel or restaurant to show respect for their parents, and as a way to express thanks for all they have done for their children.
 Traditionally the older the person, the bigger the party, but nowadays elders prefer a low-key birthday celebration with just family members.
At the sixtieth birthday celebration, everyone eats traditional foods and they extend their best wishes and give hongbao (紅包, money stuffed in a traditional red envelope).
 The money must be of an even number such as NTS2,000, 3,600 or 6,000, but never in multiples of four, such as 2,400 or 4,000, because for the Taiwanese 'four' is an unlucky number suggesting death.
 Alternatively little statuettes of twenty-four karat gold are commonly given to the long-lived star to wish them continued prosperity and health.
 Do remember to directly on the red envelope so that your gift can be recognized.
Another custom when celebrating an elder's birthday is to offer foods with happy symbolic implications.
 A bowl of 'long-life' noodles (麵線, mian xian) symbolizes a long life.
 The noodles are never cut or broken because this can imply cutting life short.
 Pig knuckles, (豬腳,zhu jiao) represent power and energy, while red eggs, (紅蛋, hong dan) are a symbol of a harmonious and happy life.
 Finally the peach bun (壽桃, shou tao), which is a steamed bun in the shape of a peach with sweet (red or green) bean paste inside, symbolizes long life.
Sixty years makes up a cycle of a life and when one turns sixty, he or she is expected to have a big family with many children and grandchildren.
 It is an age to be proud of and to reward one's great achievements.
 This is why elderly Taiwanese people traditionally start to celebrate their birthdays only upon reaching sixty.
Books about Chinese culture, movies and many TV programs on the local channels here in Taiwan feature traditional Chinese martial arts such as Tai Chi Chuan, Taekwondo, Bagua, Xingyi, and Karate.
 Most martial arts were originally designed as a means of self-defense for oneself, one's ovwn clan, village or temple.
 Sometimes this meant preventing another person from killing or injuring you.
 Nowadays, the same system can be employed to help keep stress from killing or injuring you.
Tai Chi (太極) is one of the most commonly practiced martial arts in Taiwan.
 As you stroll around the city's green spaces, from small community parks around the corner to big plazas like the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Halll and Daan Forest Park in Taipei City early in the morning, it is hard to miss the pleasant scene of groups of men and women (and nowadays youngsters in their teens as well) practicing Tai Chi, a series of slow, gentle, repetitive, flowing movements.
Tai Chi literally means 'ultimate pole', whereas chuan is the word for 'boxing.
 It deals with energy management, as the Chinese word chi (氣) literally means breath' or 'energy.
 The energies the breath, circulation, muscles and bones, and the nervous system in the body circulate through channels; if these are blocked, the energy will not flow.
Tai Chi is based on the principles of yin-yang, the balance and coexistence of the two opposing forces, complementing each other.
 For every Tai Chi movement the body moves (yang) while keeping stationary (yin) at the torso which allows support and energy for each form.
 One of the aims during practice is to achievethe harmony of yin and yang; commonly the yin-yang symbol is also known as the Tai Chi diagram.
Tai Chi forms have a very precise choreography.
 The form most commonly practiced by people seen at the parks contains no leaps, no high kicks and no running (although some Tai Chi forms do have leaps and kicks) and the feet always stay firmly on the ground.
 Each posture flows gracefully into the next without pausing; each movement and gesture is charged with meaning for combat and every Tai Chi posture has multiple purposes.
 One move might be for aligning your own ankle, avoiding a kick from someone, or massaging the spleen.
 All the moves are always concerned with maintaining the center, alignment and balance.
Cheng Man-ching (鄭曼青) has been among the most influential of all the modern Tai Chi masters.
 He is renowned as a master of the 'Five Excellences': painting, poetry, calligraphy, medicine and martial arts, and was responsible for shortening the forms of Tai Chi from 108 moves to 36, which helps Tai Chi beginners to grasp the forms faster and to encourage daily practice.
 Each one follows in the same order every time the form is done; one move flows into the next at the same speed, without interruption.
 It is all about movement and breathing.
 The form can be done slowly, taking seven to ten minutes.
 Many people do their daily routines at this speed, or even more slowly, taking as long as an hour, for advanced energizing, or to heal the body.
Tai Chi has been promoted and has spread worldwide due to its health benefits, and usefulness in health maintenance as well as stress management.
 There are at least five main styles of Tai Chi: Chen (陳式), Yang (楊式), Wu/Hao or Wu Yu-Hsiang (武式), Wu (吳式) and Sun (孫式).
 With the stresses and tensions we encounter daily, our bodies can become tense and static; our bones can harden and grow brittle and our vitality decrease.
 A few minutes of Tai Chi daily promotes mental clarity and a healthy body.
 It can also assist with balance and flexibility, reduce stress, improve circulation of the blood, increase longevity and promote overall well-being.
 Tai Chi is a lifetime fitness for better health!
My family has been going to Xingtian Temple (行天宮) ever since I was a little girl (that's some thirty long years ago!).
 It's the most popular Taoist temple in Taipei city, dedicated to Guan Gong (關公), the god of war and the patron god of merchants, also known for his physical strength and fairness, which is why many business people worship there (see page 141 for more on religions in Taiwan).
 There are two things most Taiwanese do when visiting this temple.
 One is to visit the ladies wearing long blue robes and carrying burning incense in their hands; the other is of course to get their fortune told, or rather to ask Guan Gung to answer their requests, with the help of a pair of red divining blocks.
Volunteers selected by the temple and dressed in blue robes (they're always ladies) are available inside the temple to help people rid themselves of bad energy.
 Each blue-robed lady has her own queue of people waiting to be cleansed or purified.
 They're all good, so take your pick and wait in line.
 When your turn comes, tell her your Chinese or English name.
 She will then brush her hands with burning incense in front of you and touch your head, then your back.
 She will repeat the same stroke three to five times, after which the process is complete.
 It usually takes only about one or two minutes.
 With the process complete, you will be blessed with healthy and positive energy around you.
 If someone cannot make it to the temple himself, family members often take a piece of clothing (usually a shirt or T-shirt, but not shorts or pants) belonging to the individual and ask the blue-robed lady to perform the same strokes on the clothing.
 The individual must then wear that piece of clothing that night to replace their accumulated bad energy with blessed energy.
When in doubt, it is common for Taiwanese to go to temples and use the blocks to ask for directions in taking their 'next-step' from the temple god(s).
 The most frequently asked questions typically relate to marriage, success, career and health.
 You may see people buying incense before entering the temple, although it is not required.
 At Xingtian Temple, unlike many other temples, all services are free of charge, including the incense used for praying.
 So when you have some free time, try stopping by Xingtian Temple and experience for yourself some temple traditions.
 I bet you'll enjoy studying the life, the cultu re and the people of Taiwan there just as much as my Japanese photographer friend, Nao, who found this place to be most amazing during his visit to Taiwan.
 He sat there for five long hours observing the rituals, the practices, and the local people's daily life.
Weddings in all cultures are not only fun but are also a great place to learn about a country's cultural customs and values.
 Influenced by Western culture, Taiwanese brides now often wear a white wedding gown, but the traditional color red is still popular at Taiwanese celebrations.
 Typically, the bride wears three different dresses during the wedding: she first wears the white gown for the opening ceremony, then changes into a different dress half-way through the traditional ten-course dinner banquet.
 Finally she emerges dressed in yet another beautiful gown when she and the other members of the bridal party stand near the exit of the banquet room to say farewell and thank you to the guests as they leave.
Although the Taiwanese lifestyle has been influenced by Western trends, weddings are occasions when Taiwanese customs, traditions, and values still prevail.
 As recently as fifty years ago (in my grandparents' and even into my parents' generation), arranged marriages were quite common, where unions were set up by the couple's parents.
 Sometimes, the marrying pair would not have seen each other until their wedding night.
 But with a more open and modern society, most people date and choose their own spouses.
 Nonetheless, parents still often play an important role in bringing young people together in what's calling xiang chin (相親), a formal meeting where a young man and a woman are introduced in the presence of the family members or a match-maker.
 Many Taiwanese, both men and women now wait until they are almost thirty years old or even later before getting married.
 The man will often postpone marriage until he has completed his schooling and military service and is stable and secure with a good job.
Typically, the wedding ceremony takes place on an auspicious date and time chosen by an astrologer or fortuneteller.
 On the morning of the wedding, the groom along with the groomsmen arrives at the bride's home where the bride and her bridesmaids await patiently.
 The couple bow to the bride's parents to show respect and the bride announces farewell to her beloved parents.
 Thereafter the groom is ready to usher the bride to his home.
 Upon reaching the groom's house, the couple must first pay respects to the groom's family ancestors by burning incense at the family altar, symbolizing the introduction of a new member to the family.
 Later in the afternoon, the couple rests and gets ready for the evening wedding banquet where the main wedding celebrations take place.
The printed wedding invitation is invariably colored red, a happy color, and the obligation to present money to the newlyweds.
 It usually brings with Therefore, wedding invitations are often referred to as 'red bombs'.
 You don't need to bring wedding gifts to the wedding party or review the wedding registry online; the couple just wants cash (no checks!).
 It is customary to give cash to the couple by placing money in a red envelope called a hongbao (紅包, see page 134 for more details).
 Please keep in mind that the money you are expected togive is really to pay for the amazing ten-course meal that you will be served at the wedding party.
 The typical amount expected these days ranges from NT$1,600 to NT$3,600 per person, depending on your guanxi or relationship with the wedding party.
 It's OK to bring a friend with you but make sure you let the host know in advance, so enough food will be served, and be sure to give a larger hongbao.
How much to include?
 Don't be surprised when the receptionist takes the money out of your red envelope, starts counting it, and registers your name and amount in a record book This is not meant to be rude but is a way for the couple to know later which quests gave how much, just as couples in the West like to know who gave which gift, and is also a reference for the couple as to how much they should include in a hongbag in return when they are invited to your function in the future.
Expect to drink and eat a lot at a wedding party, and there's plenty of time for talking and socializing.
 Midway through the banquet, the couple will begin coming around to each table to toast the guests.
 This is the time for the couple to see who has come to the party, and the time for you to wish them happiness.
 Interestingly, it is also a time where close friends play tricks with the newlyweds when coming to their table.
 The seemingly shy couple is often asked to perform actions that can be embarrassing in front of the crowd.
 For instance, the groom may drink beer from a plastic bag that is hanging in front of the bride's chest; the bride might have to carefully pass a raw egg from the groom's pants from one leg over to the other.
 Luckily this act is not a tradition to be commanded by every table at the dinner banquet; only very close friends and colleagues dare to do so.
 After the banquet, the couple stands beside the door while the guests wait in line to say goodbye as they leave.
Weddings in Taiwan usually include some form of entertainment.
 A karaoke set may be set up, where guests take turns to serenade the couple; alternatively a live music band or an orchestra may be on site to add to the sophistication of the wedding ceremony.
 Weddings in the countryside were once well-known tor more risqu? forms of entertainment, which often included strippers, although this custom is now frowned upon.
When you are invited to a wedding, just sit back, enjoy the food, the slide show of the couple chronicling their lives from childhood, and other entertainment.
 After all, you've paid for them!
Many newcomers in my Cross Cultural Training seminar express astonishment when discovering that a great number of their Taiwanese colleagues have left a bright future overseas to return to Taiwan simply to look after their elderly parents.
 And furthermore, these parents may not be all that old in their view.
 This phenomenon can be explained by one of the greatest virtues of Chinese culture, xiao (孝), or filial piety.
 Xiao means showing great love and respect for one's parents and ancestors.
According to Chinese tradition, xiao is the primary duty of all Chinese.
 This means honoring and obeying parents without reservation, showing love and respect, supporting aged family members, displaying courtesy, and bringing honor to the family.
 Furthermore, male heirs are expected to carry on the family name by having at least one son.
Being a filial son means complete obedience to one's parents during their lifetime and taking the best possible care of them as they grow older.
 The older the parents, the more they are to be honored and the greater the obligation to obey them.
 Most importantly, a son must respect his parents even after their death.
 Generally, the eldest son is required to perform ritual sacrifices at their gravesite or, more commonly nowadays, at the ancestral temple.
 Thus ancestor worship at one's own home altar and on Tomb Sweeping Day (April 5th) is of significance to every Taiwanese family.
 This practice of ancestor worship is the binding force that has held the Taiwanese people and their culture together for hundreds of years.
 It also contributes significantly to success in business over generations.
In traditional Taiwanese society, not to continue the family line (ex: not having a son) was the worst offense against the concept of filial piety.
 If a marriage remained barren it was the son's duty to take a second wife or adopt a child - whatever it took to continue the family name.
 If the couple only had daughters, they would continue trying until they gave birth to a son.
 It is also the wife's duty to fulfill filial conduct after marrying into the husband's family.
 This meant a woman had to: 1 Respect and serve her in-laws, in particular her mother-in-law, and 2 Give birth to a son.
By fulfilling these duties, she would also gain prestige for her own family In modern society in Taiwan, the young generations believe differently.
 The daughters still fulfill the duty of xiao, but the duty of passing down one's family name is seen as less important today.
The ideal of respecting and behaving properly towards one's parents was taught to children through common children's stories as welll as by admonition and example, for instance the story of the filial son, Wu Meng.
According to legend, during the Chin Dynasty (4th-5th Century CE), at eight years old a boy named Wu Meng (吳孟), was already serving his parents with exemplary filial piety.
 The family was so poor that they could not even afford a gauze net as protection against mosquitoes.
 Therefore swarms of the insects would come and bite them every night during the warm, humid summer season.
 To protect his parents, Wu Meng let the mosquitoes feast on his uncovered body and would not drive them away in the fear that if he did, the mosquitoes would instead bite his dear parents.
 This was a way of showing respect and love for them.
Children grow up knowing they should never offend their parents and never speak badly of them.
 They should express their devotion to their parents by passing examinations to enter the best university, winning awards at school to gain prestige for the family, and by not traveling far away without purpose.
 Furthermore, they should always be conscious of their parents' age and well- being, and protect them whenever necessary.
Foreigners living in Taiwan can improve their chances of success both socially and professionally when dealing with their Taiwanese counterparts by demonstrating their awareness of the role and importance of xiao, and of respecting the elderly.
The Chinese symbol yin-yang is seen and utilized in many areas.
 It represents the cause of everything and governs how everything works.
 Chinese people apply yin-yang to many aspects of their everyday life and it is not too much to say that for many Chinese it is a way of living.
 Yin-yang is the name given to two opposing forces, or more appropriately, complementary forces.
 Let's examine the importance of yin-yang, a concept which lies at the heart of Chinese culture.
The outer circle periphery represents the completeness of things in life and the circle of harmony each Chinese is obligated to maintain, while the black and white shapes within the circle represent the yin and yang energies Chinese make an effort to balance in life.
 The curved dividing line between the black and white shapes represents the continual interchange of the two energies that are mutually extant.
 The white shape has a black dot and the black shape has a white dot signifying that nothing is completely black or white, as in real life: things are not done in just one way.
Yin is associated with the feminine force (the moon); it is dark, passive, receptive, weak, cold, and corresponds to the night.
 On the contrary yang is the masculine force (the sun); it is bright, active, strong, hot, full of movement, active, and corresponds to the day.
 Yin is often characterized by water and earth, while yang is symbolized by fire and air.
Have you been surprised when you hear Taiwanese ordering water that's boiling-hot or lukewarm (rather than cold) to drink?
 Or when they ask to remove ice cubes from drinks?
 People in Taiwan generally believe that foods have certain properties that can help improve one's health by maintaining or regaining balance.
 To attain this, the right combination of food and drink is important.
All foods are believed to have either a yin or yang essence, but no one food is purely considered as one or the other.
 Some examples of food rich in cooling vin properties are: cabbage, cucumber, most fruits, bitter gourd, winter melon and white radish.
 Hot, yang-rich food include mangos, durian, litchi, ginger, eggs, sesame oil, lamb, beef and wine.
 Most Taiwanese understand these food qualities and traditional home cooking and food preparation have always been based on the principle of balancing yin and yang as well as obtaining a good appearance and flavor.
Choosing suitable ingredients and cooking methods for food according to the season are also important.
 All cooking methods have their own yin or yang categorization as well.
 For example, boiling, poaching, microwaving and steaming are considered yin, while deep-frying, roasting, baking and barbecuing increases the yang force in food.
 Stir-frying is the most balanced way of cooking, bringing out the balance of yin and yang, and is the cooking method most commonly used in Taiwanese homes.
By consuming food and cooking in a harmonious manner, it is believed that one can achieve a healthy way of living and a balanced well-being.
The Chinese essentially see all foods as medicine.
 Chinese doctors examine patients by judging whether it is a surplus of yin or yang that has caused the illness.
 When treating a patient, the physician advises dietary changes in order to regain a healthy balance between the yin and yang in the body, or prescribes herbal drinks to restore harmony.
 People who are storing up too much heat should eat more cooling yin foods, while people who easily feel weak and have cold hands and feet can make themselves stronger by taking warmer yang foods.
I recall as a child often getting nose bleeds during the hot summer days.
 My grandmother told me that I had too much yang energy and I lacked yin foods and liquids in my diet (which made no sense to me at that time, when I believed it was simply old people's superstition), and she proceeded to prepare 'bitter tea' (苦茶 ,which was indeed very bitter!) cooked with numerous 'cooling' herbs.
 I was told that drinking a 500 cc glass of it few days in a row could quench the 'fire condition in my body.
 This cooling drink (which is effective regardless of whether it's served warm or cold) can also be good for treating other 'fire' conditions like toothache, headache, sore throat, and high blood pressure.
 Note that the 'cooling and 'warming' properties of yin and yang have nothing to do with the actual temperature of the food.
 A correct balance of yin and yang has a great impact on the body and helps heal illness.
The Taiwanese define the 'self' by two terms: the 'small self (小我, xiao wo) and the 'big self' (大我, da wo).
 The 'small self' is the true individual self, what one wants and desires, yet in Taiwanese society it is often ignored and effaced.
 The Taiwanese perceive as more important the 'big self,' which covers one's relations with parents, teachers, people in the in-group, and the surroundings, and how one is recognized by others from this outer circle of yin-yang.
 The Taiwanese focus on the 'we' identity, on how one fits into the group, the family, and the work unit.
 One does not have great freedom to explore one's individually.
 'Self' is to Iive up to other's expectations.
 For example, many children hope to become a doctor or lawyer as per their parents' wish, while workers have to behave in a certain way at work because of their obligation to others.
 Consequently, a Taiwanese individual cares a lot about others' feedback, either complementary or critical, rather than being grounded in him or herself.
The fundamental difference in values and beliefs between the West and East is that Western cultures value 'honesty' while those in the East value 'harmony'.
 In an honesty-based culture, truth is the key to building good personal and professional relationships.
 If there is truth, workers can easily trust and respect each other; thus business can be conducted in a very straightforward and direct fashion.
Western businessmen coming to the East must know the concept of balancing yin-yang in the workplace when managing and doing business with Taiwanese nationals.
 In the symbol of yin-yang, the black and white shapes represent the contrast between two different environments, climates and ways of living, each deeply rooted in its own history and culture.
 Consequently, when West meets East it is extremely important to learn and understand the balance of yin-yang as the concept of 'harmony' in the workplace.
 Harmony is indeed the foundation, the root of Taiwanese culture and the key to success in working effectively with your Taiwan colleagues.
Taiwanese people avoid conflict at all costs because it invites direct confrontation which disrupts the harmony, thus creating an imbalance of the circle of yin-yang.
 It is best to preserve and maintain harmonious interpersonal relationships (called guanxi).
 Guanxi is an important aspect of doing business, and every conversation in business involves 'face'.
 Tactfully giving face and saving face in a conversation is important in showing one's respect for status and hierarchy.
 Communications thus are indirect and a third party strategy can often be used instead of a clear and straightforward communication.
 What really matters is who should say it, when to say it, how to say it and what NOT to say in a given situation.
 The person in authority is expected to provide not only mentorship but also protection like a father figure, while in return junior employees act with complete loyalty and respect.
 The key cultural values of harmony, guanxi, 'face' and hierarchy are interdependent and intertwined within the circle of yin-yang.
The yin-yang philosophy influences greatly the way of doing business in Taiwan.
 Keeping these forces in balance and behaving appropriately according to the requirements of situations can lead to a smoothly running and successful organization.
Thus, yin and yang are two opposing principles which are basic to everything in the life of the Taiwanese people.
 Opposites are complementary; one could not exist without the other, and when in equilibrium they bring health, happiness wealth and success.
Do you realize why many Taiwanese women pushing strollers or walking with young children look so young and beautiful?
 How do they keep themselves so free of care?
 It's definitely not just SKII or Chanel cosmetics.
 Perhaps part of e secret is zuo yuezi.
 No, it's not a secret Chinese skin cream recipe, but a ritual that literally means being confined for a month after delivering a baby.
Zuo yuezi, (坐月子) literally means 'doing the month,' and is a time when the new mother regains her strength after birth and, according to custom, replenishes the blood lost during delivery.
 During the thirty days after giving birth she does nothing but rest and enjoy the pampered care of her mother, mother-in-law or very common nowadays) a private zuo yuezi center in Taiwan.
 At the zuo yuezi center women go with the newborn baby after leaving the hospital to be cared for by well-trained nannies for one month before returning home.
 The husband can spend the night at the center; friends and family, however can only visit at the designated meeting room, so as not to disturb the new mother and her newborn.
 All zuo yuezi rituals are taken care of at the center, easing the responsibilities traditionally assumed by the mother or mother-in-law.
 Zuo yuezi customs also prevail amongst Chinese Americans living overseas, where they often hire a live-in zuo yuezi nanny to spend the entire month in their home caring for the new mother and the baby.
 Many of my friends (both in Taiwan and overseas, including my younger sister who lives in America), had to reserve months ahead or as early as the pregnancy is confirmed to ensure the zuo yuezi nanny or center had an available person at that time.
So what really happens in this one-month period?
 Here are some of the traditional 'rules' to follow while 'doing the month': Drink chicken and fish soup enriched with nutritious Chinese herbs every day (and night) for thirty days.
 No cold or iced food or drinks.
 Neither foods the Chinese regard as 'cold' (see page 178 on yin-yang for the Chinese concept of 'hot' and 'cold' foods) nor food at low temperature should be eaten, and definitely no raw food.
 Warm food and soup protects the body from harm caused by and energy lost during delivery.
 Avoid getting tired.
 This means no housework for a month, but also no TV or reading books, which are thought to be bad for the eyes.
 The new mother is not allowed to lift heavy things, do home chores or run errands.
 Get lots of rest.
 The new mother must lie down and relax as much as possible.
 Sleep all day if possible, as rest is the best way to strengthen the weakened body following delivery.
 No bath or shower should be taken for a month.
 It's important not to catch a cold.
 In the old days, especially in the winter, bathing was believed to open up the pores and was an easy way to catch a cold.
 A warm towel bath should be taken instead.
 The hair should not be washed for a month either, to avoid headaches.
 (Many young mothers nowadays disregard this rule, as it's too hard to not bathe or wash hair for four weeks!) No cold water, no cool breezes or draft are allowed.
 This also means no air conditioning or fan, even on the hottest days.
 (This is for real!
 My poor friend who had her son in July could not turn on the AC for a month).
 No male visitors.
 In the old days, only women were allowed to visit, as men would invade the new mother's privacy.
 However, this isn't much of a concern now.
 However it is always polite to inquire before visiting at the hospital or the zuo yuezi center.
Some of these rules might seem unreasonable to Westerners (although on the other hand, some of them might appeal, especially the no-housework and sleep- all-day edicts!), but are practical as well as traditional.
 Taiwanese new mothers use these guidelines as a hint that it is important to rest up after giving birth.
Zuo yuezi protocol is a deeply rooted aspect of Chinese culture and is still commonly practiced among women in Taiwan as well as amongst ethnic Chinese around the globe.
 It's a tradition not to be ignored unless the husband is to be viewed as incapable or irresponsible for not being able to provide the most basic care for his wife and their new family.
 Should a new mother complain of frequent joint pains, a weak lower back, or especially hip problems, the cause will no doubt be blamed on not observing the month-long zuo yuezi.
After all, zuo yuezi is not endured simply to help a new mother retain her young looks and beauty after having had a child.
 Rather it is believed to be a necessary process that helps a new mother to return to full health and strength before even considering or preparing to get pregnant with a second or subsequent child.
The young family is generally very busy caring for the new member of the family during the first month, thus it's important to give the new mother as much rest time as possible.
 Visit only after the first month if possible or attend the party that is customarily held when the baby turns one-month old (this party is described in the 'Man Yue').
Widespread immigration has also affected Taiwanese religious practices.
But whereas languages have generally remained separate, different religions have blended together.
The majority of people now follow a faith that is a mix of Buddhism, Taoism, and traditional folk beliefs.
Owing to all of these religious influences, Taiwan is now home to hundreds of different gods that are worshipped in thousands of temples around the island.
People worship these gods and their ancestors by offering incense, paper money, which is also called joss paper, and food.
As you make your way around Taiwan, one of the first things you'll notice is the temples.
There are thousands of them.
Some are exclusively Buddhist, but most Taiwanese temples combine Buddhism, Taoism, and traditional folk religion.
In fact, you can sometimes find people worshipping Buddhist and Taoist gods in the same building.
The majority of people in Taiwan follow a combination of Buddhism, Taoism, and folk religion.
According to Buddhism, people are reborn when they die.
If they have lived a good life, they will be born into a favorable situation, but if they have lived an immoral life, they will return to an unsatisfactory position.
Guanyin, the goddess of mercy, is an important figure in Buddhism, and her statues can be found all over Taiwan.
Taoism teaches that we should try to live in harmony with the Tao, which is the true nature of the universe.
Many Taoist gods are people who did great things while they were alive.
One of the most famous is Guangong, a Chinese general who died in 219 AD.
He is now worshipped as the god of war.
Taiwanese folk religion involves ancestor worship, fortune telling, and a belief in ghosts and spirits.
Mazu, the goddess of the sea, is the most important figure in Taiwanese folk religion.
Statues of her and temples bearing her name can be found in many towns and cities, especially those along the coast.
To make religion in Taiwan even more interesting, there are also a large number of Confucius temples.
Confucius is not really regarded' as a god, but his teachings on morality and duty have influenced Chinese culture and religions.
Worship in Taiwan generally involves paying your respects and making offerings.
In temples, people light incense, offer food and drink, and burn paper money for the gods.
It is believed that this money is transported up to the gods when it is burnt.
People also use incense and paper money to honor their ancestors.
On some occasions, offerings are made to keep ghosts away.
For many Taiwanese people, visiting fortune tellers is an important practice.
Many different methods are used to predict a person's future, but most fortune tellers in Taiwan work by looking at a person's date and time of birth.
While some people will only visit fortune tellers once or twice in their lives others will consult them before making any important decision.
Businesspeople ask about good days to open a new company, lovers ask if their partner is a good match for them, and parents ask for advice on naming their children.
It's believed that getting one of these decisions wrong could put you out of harmony with the universe, which would bring bad luck.
Taiwan also has a large Christian population.
The religion was first brought to the country by Dutch missionaries in the 17th century.
Spanish priests from the Roman Catholic Church followed, and missionaries have been making their way here ever since.
It is estimated that there are over a million Christians now living in Taiwan.
Daisy: Do you often go to the temple?
Brad: Yes, I usually go with my family about once every two weeks
Daisy: So what kind of temple is it?
Is it Buddhist or Taoist?
Brad: I don't really know to be honest with you.
Daisy: What?
How can you not know?
You say you go there quite often.
Brad: Buddhism and Taoism have really gotten mixed together in Taiwan, so it's sometimes difficult to know which is which.
Daisy: Really?
That seems so strange.
Brad: Strange or not, that's how it is here.
A lot of people follow both religions at the same time, and a lot of temples cover both religions.
Daisy: Wow!
Brad: So this kind of thing doesn't happen in Europe?
Daisy: No. Over there, a Christian is a Christian and a Jew is a Jew.
The two religions stay separate from one another.
Brad: Hmm. It's so different to here.
A: I'm going to see a fortune teller this afternoon.
Do you want to come with me?
B: Yeah, sure.
Maybe I'll get my fortune read, too.
A: When was the last time you visited a fortune teller?
B: I don't know.
My parents took me to see one when I was a kid, but that must have been about 15 years ago.
A: Wow!
Today will be my second trip this year.
B: Oh right.
Do you consult him before making any big decision?
A: Yes, I do.
I've just been offered a new job, so I want to know if it would be good for me to take it.
B: OK.
What else did you see him about this year?
A: I asked him about that guy I met called Brad.
Do you remember him?
B: Yes, but I haven't seen him for a long time.
A: That's because I was told we would argue a lot, so we decided to end the relationship.
In Taiwan, if you look at the windows of apartment blocks at nighttime, you'll notice that some have a red light coming from them.
This is because some families keep a shrine in their homes to honor the gods or their ancestors.
Red lamps are kept on in these shrines because red is a lucky color and it helps to keep away evil spirits.
Burning incense is an important part of worship in Taiwan, and the busier temples are usually filled with thick smoke.
One reason for this is that the smoke is believed to spiritually cleanse the surrounding area.
Sticks of incense are also used to help people pay their respects to the gods.
In most of Taiwan's temples, people offer one stick of incense to each god or goddess worshipped in that temple.
Taiwan has received many foreign missionaries over the years.
They have come from many different countries and have introduced many different teachings.
The biggest group of missionaries in Taiwan at present is from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, often called the Mormon Church, which was founded in America in 1830.
Mazu has been described as "Taiwan's guardian goddess," and she is certainly one of Taiwan's most popular religious figures.
Mazu was actually a real person, a girl who was born in Fujian Province in about 960 AD.
Stories about her say she would wear red clothes and stand on the shore to help fishermen find their way.
Another says that she saved her father when he was caught up in a storm.
Taiwanese people don't just buy clothes, shoes, and electronic gadgets.
When you walk along a shopping street, you'll definitely notice some stores that are very different from those that you see in the West.
The most unusual ones are the places that sell traditional Chinese medicines.
These medicine stores usually look quite old-fashioned, and they're full of old wooden cabinets with drawers.
You'll also see jars containing herbs, roots, and other strange-looking objects.
In times gone by, Chinese medicine involved the use of rare animal parts like antlers, but many of these things are now illegal in Taiwan.
Most medicines are made from plants and funguses, although insects are sometimes used.
The people who own these stores are very knowledgeable and are able to prepare prescriptions for many illnesses.
Something else that's good for your health is Taiwanese tea.
Some of the best tea in the world is grown in this country, and stores selling it can be found everywhere.
The aromas coming from these stores are incredible, and you might find it difficult not to walk inside and take a look around.
You'll find shelves lined with packs of locally grown teas and tables where customers sit and sample the produce.
The best teas have complex and subtle flavors, and they can be very expensive.
But unless you're a tea connoisseur, you might want to buy a cheaper version instead.
Another common sight along Taiwan's roads is a type of store that sells things for people worshipping in temples.
They are usually very simple places, as they don't keep many items in stock.
Inside and outside, you'll see piles of paper money and bundles of incense and candles.
Often, pieces of paper money will be folded up to make models of lotus flowers.
As Taiwan has developed, some older kinds of stores have been replaced by newer, brighter outlets.
Old-fashioned grocery stores used to be found everywhere around the country.
With modern convenience stores becoming so popular, many of these family-owned places have closed in recent years.
They still exist in countryside areas and on the edges of towns, though.
They're usually a lot cheaper than convenience stores, and you can often find snacks, drinks, and candies that you wouldn't get in other places.
There are other interesting stores that might be familiar to foreign tourists.
What makes them so special is their size.
Stationery stores in Taiwan are often huge places that carry hundreds of different types of pens, pencils, and notebooks.
You'll also find materials for handicrafts, sports equipment, gift boxes, and toys.
That might seem like a wide range of products, but Taiwan's general merchandise stores have much, much more.
It's incredible how many different things you can find in these places.
There's furniture, tools, toiletries, clothes, gardening equipment, and almost anything else you can think of.
Walking around a general merchandise store can be fun, as you never know what you're going to see.
A: You really don't look well.
Are you OK?
B: I actually feel terrible.
I think I've got the flu.
A: Why don't you go and see a doctor?
I think there's one just down the road.
It'll be quick, and you'll get some medicine.
B: To be honest with you, I don't really like taking medicine.
A: OK, how about natural Chinese medicine?
It's basically just herbs and plants.
B: Yeah, I suppose that would be OK.
But does it work?
A: I don't know whether it will work for you, but quite a lot of my friends say it's really helpful.
B: So where do I get it from?
A: I'll take you to a Chinese medicine store.
The people there will know just what to give you.
B: How do I take this medicine?
Do I eat it?
A: There are some things that you can eat, but mostly, you boil it in water to make a kind of tea.
Tourist: I've seen some interesting looking stores as we've driven around Taiwan, and I was wondering what they were.
Guide: What do they look like?
Tourist: They're fairly big places and they look quite simple.
They're not clean and modern like supermarkets.
Outside the stores, there are usually quite a lot of things like furniture, electrical fans, motorbike helmets, and slippers.
Guide: Oh, they would be general merchandise stores.
You don't really see them in the middle of Taipei, but they're pretty popular around Taiwan.
Tourist: So what can you find inside them?
Guide: That's a good question.
The range of products they carry is huge, and you will often be surprised by what you find.
Tourist: So what's the difference between them and supermarkets?
Guide: Well, although some of them do have food, they mostly sell things like tools, cleaning products, and things for the home.
Tourist: It doesn't sound like a tourist shop, but l'd still like to look around one.
This is one of the more expensive things you'll find in a traditional Chinese medicine store.
It's actually a kind of fungus that grows inside the body of a small insect.
It is often given to people suffering from extreme tiredness.
Some people also believe it can be used to treat cancer.
You won't see this tasty drink in many modern supermarkets, but you can find it in some old- grocery stores.
The great thing about these drinks is that the bottle is closed up at the top with a marble.
To open the bottle, you have to push the marble into the bottle.
In the past, children used to get the marbles out of the bottles and play with them.
Taiwanese tea is traditionally prepared in small teapots.
It's then poured into small round cups.
For some teas, connoisseurs might even use two cups.
People will typically drink several cups of tea in one sitting.
Because tea is so important to so many people, the teapots and teacups they use are sometimes very beautiful and expensive.
Printing stamps are popular in Taiwan, and you'll see them in most stationery stores.
There are usually a lot of stamps with cute pictures, cartoon characters, or phrases like "Good Luck!" on them.
Also, almost everyone in Taiwan has at least one name stamp called a chop.
Chops are usually bought in special stores where names are carved into wood or stone.
Taiwan is blessed with a rich variety of folk arts and practices that range from folk opera to puppet theater and indigenous and Chinese ceremonies.
There are also a number of different activities, including paper cutting and the spinning of "tuoluo" or tops.
Many of the folk arts are still regularly practiced, and some can be seen on the streets at tourist destinations or during festivals.
Although travelers might not know much about Taiwanese folk arts when they first arrive in the country, they're unlikely to leave without seeing at least one of these art forms in practice.
Taiwanese opera is believed to have originated in the northeastern area of Yilan in the early 20th century.
It developed through a fusion of Chinese opera with old Taiwanese folk songs and stories.
Because performances are given in the Taiwanese language, the art form quickly became popular throughout the island.
Although costumes and props are important, the main focus of Taiwanese opera is the beautiful singing.
Many different kinds of instruments are used to create the music, with Chinese string instruments, cymbals, and hollow wooden blocks featured in most performances.
Taiwanese opera was once a major part of everyday life for people in rural areas, but its popularity began to fade as Taiwan developed into an industrial nation.
The art is making a comeback, however, and should live on long into the future.
Another Taiwanese folk art that is enjoying a rise in popularity is puppet theater.
Regular TV shows attract youthful audiences, and puppet theater groups can often be seen performing at temple festivals.
The history of this art form stretches back hundreds of years.
In ancient, rural Taiwan, companies of performers would travel the countryside and put on performances in the villages they passed through.
Like Taiwanese opera, shows are conducted in Taiwanese, and the language is an integral part of the art's popularity.
The characters often use poetry and idioms when they speak.
Taiwan has 14 officially recognized indigenous tribes, and they all have their own customs and ceremonies.
Different ceremonies are held to celebrate stages of life, mark times of the year, and seek good fortune.
During the Bunun Tribe's Ear-shooting Festival, the ears of hunted animals are attached to a pole.
Men then try to shoot the ears with bows and arrows.
Fathers and older brothers also help young boys to shoot the ears, believing that this will make them better hunters.
The Puyuma Tribe's Monkey Ceremony ("Vasivas" in the local indigenous language) centers on hunting, and it marks the point at which boys become men.
Other ceremonies are more Chinese in character, and one of the best examples is the Confucius Ceremony.
This ceremony is held on September 28th each year, marking the birthday of the Chinese world's most important teacher.
The ceremony, which is very serious, is held at around sunrise, and it involves a series of processions and rituals.
Many of the participants dress in traditional Chinese robes, so it should be an interesting event for tourists.
A: Hey, do you see that guy over there?
B: Do you mean the one with the spinning tops?
A: Yes, he's incredible.
I can't believe he's able to hurl that top through the air and make it land in that small circle.
B: He's pretty good, but I've seen better.
I once saw someone throwing tops about three meters high and having them land on tiny little plates on top of sticks.
A: Wow!
So is spinning tops a big activity here?
B: Yes.
It's actually one of Taiwan's many folk arts, and you often see people or groups performing at traditional travel destinations.
A: Oh, OK.
So can you spin tops like those guys?
B: Ha ha, no.
It's fairly normal for people to learn how to do it when they're kids, but I was never really very good at it.
A: So, what folk arts are you good at?
B: Well, I'm pretty good at paper cutting.
I've always been able to make interesting or beautiful designs by cutting paper.
A: You have to show me how to do that.
J: So, what did you think about the puppet theater TV show?
I: To be honest, I'm amazed.
I thought it was fantastic.
J: I told you you'd like it.
I: I know, but I didn't believe you.
The puppet shows we have in England are not very entertaining.
They were popular about 200 years ago, but nobody watches them now.
J: Taiwanese puppet theater has a very long history too, but the art has adapted over time.
I guess that's why it's still popular.
I: You might be right.
This puppet show used lots of special effects that didn't look old-fashioned at all.
J: And the puppets are quite intricate, so they appear quite lifelike when you see them.
I: Yeah, but the best part was the story.
English puppet shows use silly stories, so it was great to see the performance tell a serious story with lots of action in it.
J: That's great. I'm really glad you liked it!
The Wang Ye Boat Burning Festival(王船祭).
These festivals take place once every three years, and the biggest one is held in Donggang, Pingtung County.
Tens of thousands of people visit the town for the festival, which lasts for several days.
It all ends with the burning of a huge, hand-crafted boat.
Many people believe the Wang Ye, or Royal Lords, have the ability to keep disease at bay.
Beehive Fireworks(蜂炮節).
Every year in Yanshui, Tainan City, the Lantern Festival is celebrated with thousands of fireworks.
But, instead of being fired up into the air, the fireworks are blasted horizontally, straight into the crowds of people.
Amazingly, people come from all over Taiwan to experience this celebration.
They always dress in thick clothing and helmets to protect themselves from the fireworks.
Ghost Month(鬼月).
The seventh month of the lunar calendar is known as Ghost Month in Taiwan.
People believe that during this month, the gates of Hell are opened and the dead return to Earth.
To keep the ghosts happy, people make offerings of food and drink and also burn paper money and incense.
Since it is also thought that ghosts might try and take the lives of others, many people avoid dangerous activities, like swimming in lakes and rivers during this time.
By this stage of the book, it should be clear that Taiwan has had a long and varied history.
The island has been inhabited by people from across the globe and numerous religions and languages have been introduced here.
As a result, Taiwan's culture is both rich and unique, but visitors should be aware that social customs here are different from those in Western countries.
If you don't want to cause outrage, then there are a few things you need to know, and a few rules you need to follow.
You don't need to be careful all the time, though, and Taiwan's many festivals and holidays are usually a good time to have fun.
The biggest festival of the year is Chinese New Year, and most people around the world are familiar with the event.
It's an occasion when families spend time together, eat lots of food, and give gifts of money in red envelopes.
This isn't the only time of year when families get together, though.
Tomb Sweeping Day and the Mid-Autumn Festival are also family- centered occasions, and many people will usually return home for Mother's Day and Father's Day.
Most festivals are associated with special foods and activities, and each event has its own flavor and atmosphere.
Not all of Taiwan's holidays and festivals are joyous occasions.
The start of huge massacre is commemorated on 228 Memorial Day.
However most of Taiwan's special days actually have positive connotations, like when the Taiwanese celebrate romance and love during Qixi Festival.
Although this festival is sometimes known as Chinese Valentine's Day, readers shouldn't think it's simply a Chinese version of the popular Western holiday In fact, Qixi Festival is hundreds of years older than Valentine's Day.
The Double Ninth Festival is a time for Chinese people to pay their respect to the ancestors and the elderly.
No matter the time of year, there are a few things that you should definitely avoid doing.
Public displays of affection are not common, and they may offend a lot of people, especially the older members of Taiwanese society.
Although some younger people are getting more affectionate, many husbands and wives don't even hold hands in public.
While no one would grumble if you gave your partner a quick kiss, anything more than that might get you into trouble.
On a similar note, men and women in the West might greet one another with a kiss on the cheek, but that would probably cause a lot of awkwardness and embarrassment in Taiwan.
Another thing to watch out for is how to accept and offer things.
In many situations, Taiwanese people consider it impolite to accept something the first time it's offered.
If you ask someone whether they'd like some help or offer a guest a glass of wine, they might initially say no.
It's possible that they're just being polite, so you should ask them whether they're sure and also let them know that it's OK to say yes.
Likewise, if somebody makes you an offer, don't say yes straightaway or they might think that you're greedy or rude.
Being polite and respectful is important in both Taiwan and the West.
In both places, there are rules of behavior that you should follow if you don't want to offend people.
These rules sometimes appear very similar, and people from both cultures might show their respect to someone in exactly the same way.
Despite this, however, the Taiwanese system of etiquette is sometimes very different from the Western system.
As a result, somebody from one culture might easily offend somebody from the other without ever intending to.
In Taiwanese society, there are clear rules regarding social standing.
Parents, older siblings, teachers, and bosses have a higher position and should be respected.
In the West, however, the idea of social standing has lost most of its importance over the last 200 years.
Nowadays, everyone is supposed to be fairly respectful of everyone else.
So, although bosses have a higher status than employees, they're still expected to respect their workers.
If they don't, they probably won't be treated very well by their employees.
Older brothers and sisters don't really have a higher position in a family than their younger siblings, and elderly people actually sometimes receive less rather than more respect.
In many Taiwanese families, men have a higher standing than women, but things are changing and the gap between the sexes isn't as big as it used to be.
Yet even in modern Taiwan, there are still cases of men and women being treated differently by family members.
During family occasions, it is usually the women who prepare and serve the food while the men sit back and relax.
In the past, it was even thought that a man would be humiliating himself by stepping into a kitchen.
In the West, there are some families where these kinds of gender differences still exist, but they are usually regarded as old fashioned.
In addition to all of this, there are many actions that might be perfectly acceptable in one culture but vulgar or offensive in another.
A lot of them concern food and how it should be eaten.
To a Westerner, it might seem convenient to just stick your chopsticks into your bowl of food when you're not using them, but doing this would be a mistake.
A pair of chopsticks sticking up from a bowl look like sticks of incense offered to a dead ancestor, so this action would be very offensive to those at the same table.
In Taiwan, many people hold their food bowls towards their mouths when eating, but this is considered uncivilized in the West, where it's also unacceptable to drink soup directly from a bowl or to put your knife in your mouth.
In Taiwan, four is a very unlucky number because in Chinese, it sounds like the word for "death" or "die."
As a result, some apartment buildings and almost all hospitals do not have a fourth floor.
In the West, however, the number 13 is considered unlucky.
One possible reason for this is that there were 13 people at Jesus Christ's last meal.
Maggie: Which floor does Richard live on?
Paul: I think his apartment is on the fifth floor.
Maggie: OK, I'll press the button.
Hold on...where's the button for the fourth floor?
Paul: There isn't a fourth floor.
Maggie: What do you mean?
Paul: Well, the floors are numbered one, two, three, and then five.
Maggie: Why isn't there a fourth floor?
Paul: Because four is a very unlucky number for Taiwanese people.
The Chinese word for four sounds the same as the word for death.
Maggie: So if you had an apartment on the fourth floor, it would be like you lived on the death floor?
Paul: Kind of, yeah.
A lot of apartment buildings still have a fourth floor, but most hospitals don't.
Maggie: Oh, OK.
In America, 13 is the unluckiest number.
Paul: I thought it was 666.
Maggie: The number 666 is considered to be the mark of the devil, but it is the number 13 that we think of as unlucky.
Joe: How was dinner with your boyfriend's family last night?
Andrea: It was interesting.
That was the first time I've eaten with a Taiwanese family, and it's a bit different from America.
Joe: I guess it would be.
Andrea: One thing that surprised me was that my boyfriend and his father did nothing to help his mother and sister bring the food to the table or clear away the dishes.
Joe: In a lot of families, men don't really do that.
Did you help?
Andrea: Yes.
In America it would be a bit strange for a guest to help, but I felt sorry for my boyfriend's mother.
Joe: Was anything else strange?
Andrea: Yes.
When I ate pieces of chicken, I nibbled at the meat and left the fat and bones.
But they would put the whole piece in their mouth, then pull out the bones and leave them on the table.
Joe: That doesn't happen in America?
Andrea: No!
It looks horrible!
In Taiwan, you should never give people clocks as gifts.
In Chinese, to give someone a clock means the same thing as sending someone on their final journey.
In Taiwan, it's quite normal to give people fruit, but this would be unusual in the West.
Common gifts would be chocolate, candy, and cookies.
In Taiwan, you should always close your umbrella before you go inside someone's home.
People believe that if your umbrella is open, you might take evil spirits into a house.
Funnily enough, people in the West also believe it's very bad luck to open an umbrella indoors.
Traditionally, when someone died in Taiwan, their body was put in a coffin and left in the family house for a few days.
The dead person was always positioned so that their feet pointed towards the door.
Therefore, some people believe it's very bad luck to sleep with your feet pointing towards the bedroom door.
Chinese New Year is the biggest and most important festival of the year in Taiwan.
Like Christmas in the West, it is a time for families, food, fun, and gifts.
Couplets about luck or wealth are posted around people's doors, and firecrackers are set off.
As with most of Taiwan's festivals, Chinese New Year follows the lunar calendar, so it doesn't have a fixed date on the more commonly used solar calendar.
The New Year could fall anytime between late January and late February.
The New Year festivities really begin on New Year's Eve.
Most families get together for a large meal that traditionally involves a few special foods like fish and a type of greens called "long-year vegetables." People say that since the Chinese word for fish sounds the same as the word for surplus, you can't eat all the fish.
If you do, your family won't have any extra food or money for the whole year.
After eating, families usually stay up very late, and the traditional belief is that the longer you stay awake, the longer your parents will live.
On New Year's Day, you're supposed to wear new clothes.
Although some people don't follow this tradition anymore, you do still see little children wearing bright, new clothes on this day.
This is also the day when red envelopes are given.
When children are young, they get envelopes from other people in the family, but when they grow up and begin earning money, they need to give envelopes to their parents.
Although people are only granted a few days off work, the festival doesn't end until the 15th day of the New Year.
This day is marked by the Lantern Festival, and it's a time when bright lanterns light up the night sky.
There are many different legends about the origins of the Lantern Festival, and while some say that lanterns were first lit to amuse fun-loving gods, others say they were used to confuse a god who wanted to destroy a village.
In modern Taiwan, parks and streets in cities around the country are decorated with hundreds of beautiful lanterns.
Some of these lanterns have very imaginative designs and others are extremely large.
Not surprisingly, then, these displays usually attract thousands of visitors.
The next festival on the calendar is Tomb Sweeping Day.
It usually falls on April 5th, and it always comes 104 days after the shortest day of the year.
Traditionally, this is the time of year when people should head out to enjoy springtime and when families should sweep and clean the tombs of their ancestors.
Since Taiwan is a small, overcrowded island, people are increasingly being cremated when they die.
Their ashes are then placed in special buildings with room for hundreds of people's remains.
Since there are fewer tombs than there used to be, Tomb Sweeping Day is losing some of its importance in Taiwan.
That said, many families still do spend the day clearing the weeds away from their deceased relatives' tombs.
After cleaning the site, they burn incense and paper money for their ancestors.
E: It's Chinese New Year next week, right?
J: Yes, that's right.
It's going to be the Year of the Dragon.
E: What does that mean the Year of the Dragon?
J: According to Chinese beliefs, each year is connected to an animal.
There are twelve animals in total.
E: And the dragon is one of those animals?
J: Exactly.
The animals have different characteristics, so people in each year are supposed to have different personalities.
E: So what about people born in the Year of the Dragon?
J: They're supposed to be powerful and energetic, but they can be self-centered.
E: What animal are you?
J: I'm a horse, so that means I should be cheerful, unpredictable, and sometimes short-tempered.
E: That's pretty accurate.
I was born on April 22, 1987, so what animal am I?
J: That would make you a rabbit.
You're supposed to be very lucky, polite, and elegant.
J: What are you doing this weekend?
D: I'm visiting a friend in Kaohsiung, and I think we're going to look at the Lantern Festival displays along Love River.
J: You're going to look at lanterns?
D: Yeah, it's supposed to be really nice.
It's always quite nice to walk along the river, and my friend says the lanterns are really interesting.
People make them using all different designs, so some of them look like cartoon characters and others look like buildings.
J: I thought lanterns were always just round.
D: Maybe they were traditionally, but people are quite imaginative with them now.
J: You've got me interested.
Are there any Lantern Festival displays in or around Taipei?
D: Yes, there's one in Taipei almost every year.
You could also take a trip to Pingxi where they release sky lanterns every year.
J: What are sky lanterns?
D: They're a bit like little hot air balloons.
You light a fire underneath them and they float away into the sky.
Often called "yuan dan" meaning "the first day," January 1st is the first holiday of the year in Taiwan.
Traditionally, it wasn't celebrated at all, and many older people will not make an effort to stay up after midnight on New Year's Eve.
Young people often do meet up with their friends on December 31st and stay up late.
The biggest New Year party in the country takes place outside Taipei 101, and it features an amazing fireworks display.
The 228 Incident was a massacre of thousands of Taiwanese citizens that began on February 28th, 1947.
One day earlier, citizens in Taiwan began a huge protest against the government.
The government responded by brutally killing anyone connected with the protest.
It is thought that between 10,000 and 30,000 people were killed.
The incident is remembered with a national holiday on February 28th, which is now referred as Peace Memorial Day or 228 Memorial Day.
This day in honor of children is celebrated around the world, though countries have chosen their own dates for the holiday.
In Taiwan, Children's Day falls on April 4th, and it coincides with Women's Day.
This is a national holiday, so schools and some businesses close for the day.
On May 1st many businesses, especially those related to manufacturing, close for the day, as do banks, in Taiwan.
However, many government offices and schools stay open.
Although it's known as Labor Day here, it's also called May Day and International Workers' Day in other places.
The day is often marked by workers holding demonstrations to demand better wages and working conditions.
On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, the Taiwanese celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival.
The event commemorates the death of Qu Yuan, a third-century statesman and poet who lived in China's Chu kingdom.
When Qin forces took over Chu, Qu Yuan killed himself by throwing himself into a river.
Legend has it that the local people were so distressed by this that they sailed up and down the river looking for his body.
They even threw rice dumplings into the water, hoping that the fish would eat the food instead of Qu Yuan's body.
Present day celebrations are based on this story.
Dragon boat races have become very popular, and teams now come to Taiwan from all over the world to take part in the events.
Races are fun events and the colorfully decorated boats attract crowds of spectators.
Rice dumplings, or "zong zi" are commonly eaten at this time of year.
There are several different kinds of dumplings, most of which feature sticky rice, meat, and mushrooms wrapped in bamboo or shell ginger leaves.
On the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, people celebrate Qixi Festival, which is sometimes known as Chinese Valentine's Day.
Legend has it that two young lovers were sent to different stars by the goddess of Heaven.
She then separated the stars by creating a river between them.
The magpies of the world took pity on the lovers, and decided to make a bridge over the river once a year so that the sweethearts could be united.
Just like Western Valentine's Day, people celebrate the day by giving their partners gifts.
During the Ghost Festival, it is believed that the gates of Hell are opened and the dead are permitted to return to Earth.
Traditionally in China, people say this happens on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month.
In Taiwan, however, many people believe ghosts are with us throughout the seventh month, and the period is therefore known as Ghost Month.
People believe that ghosts are so desperate for a new life that they might take the lives of other people.
To appease the ghosts, people offer food, incense, and paper money to them during Ghost Month.
They also avoid hazardous activities like swimming in lakes and rivers.
They don't whistle or talk about ghosts to avoid attracting them.
The last main festival of the year is the Mid-Autumn Festival, and it falls on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month.
The day has also been dubbed Moon Festival, and the moon plays an important role in the celebrations.
An old legend says that a beautiful woman named Chang E lives on the moon.
Once a year, on Mid-Autumn Festival, she is visited by her husband, Hou Yi, and the moon shines more brightly as a result.
In Taiwan, this is a day for families to spend time together.
People often barbecue outside their homes and eat moon cakes.
T: I keep seeing these triangular things in food shops.
Do you know what they are?
A: Are they like little pyramids?
T: Yes.
A: And wrapped in leaves?
T: Yes.
What are they?
A: They're rice dumplings called "zong zi," and they're really popular around the time of Dragon Boat Festival.
T: Why?
A: Well, the festival started when people rowed their boats across a river looking for an important person who drowned himself in the water.
T: Oh right.
A: They also dropped rice dumplings in the water so the fish wouldn't want to eat the person's body.
T: So what's inside them?
A: There's sticky rice and some fillings.
Most shops and families use slightly different recipes, so there are lots of different kinds.
My mom makes them with pork, peanuts, and dried shrimp.
T: Sounds tasty.
A: I'll bring you some if you want.
My mom makes loads every year.
T: That would be great.
Marie: A Taiwanese told me that people here believe there's a woman living on the moon
Gary: That's not entirely true.
There's an old story about a woman called Chang E who's supposed to live on the moon, but we don't really believe it.
Marie: So what's the story?
Gary: Well, Chang E used to live on Earth with her husband, Hou Yi, who was a brilliant archer.
Marie: So did he shoot her up to the moon?
Gary: No.
The story goes that there were once 10 suns, and when they started to burn the earth, Hou Yi shot nine of them down.
Hou Yi went to the Queen Mother of the West searching for immortality and was given a pill that would allow him to live forever.
Marie: Right.
Gary: Instead of eating it, he hid it in his home.
Marie: And then Chang E ate it instead?
Gary: Exactly, and then she floated up to the moon.
Marie: Wow, that's a crazy story.
In Taiwan, people celebrate Mother's Day on the second Sunday of May every year.
As in the rest of the world, it's a day for honoring and appreciating mothers.
Children usually either travel home or call their mothers on this special day.
As of the year 2000, the second Sunday in May has also been own as Buddha Day in Taiwan, so people might also make an effort to visit a temple.
Taiwan is the only country in the world to celebrate Father's day on August 8th.
In Chinese, the word for eight is "ba," and the date 8/8 sounds very similar to father or "baba." As with Mother's Day, children travel home or call their parents.
Celebrated on the ninth day of the ninth month of the lunar calendar, this festival has lost a lot of its importance in Taiwan.
Some people do still follow the traditions, however.
According to ancient Chinese thinking, nine is a good, strong number.
A double nine might be too strong, though, and this day was thought of as dangerous.
The ancient Chinese believed they could overcome this danger by climbing mountains and drinking chrysanthemum wine.
October 10th marks the start of the Wuchang Uprising in 1911.
This mass protest led to the end of imperial rule in China, and the Republic of China was created on January 1st the following year.
The day is marked by festivities outside the Presidential Building in Taipei.
The celebrations include the raising of the flag and the playing of the national anthem.
Buddhism and Taoism are the two major religions on the island.
There is also an important philosophy called Confucianism, and folk beliefs are widely practiced.
Most Taiwanese follow a mix of religions and folk beliefs.
Traditional folk religion is a mixture of several beliefs concerning gods, goddesses, ghosts, ancestors, and luck.
It is not unheard of for some Taiwanese people to go and see a fortune teller before making a big decision.
There are different customs and beliefs throughout Taiwan.
For example, people in fishing villages prefer to worship Matsu, the folk goddess of the sea.
People from other areas may worship Guanyin, the goddess of mercy, or Guan Yu, a famous soldier from China.
Farmers, on the other hand, prefer to worship the land god because he better understands the importance of a good harvest.
Taiwan's folk beliefs are colorful and diverse.
Lots of local festivals in Taiwan are actually religious activities.
One of the largest religious festivals is the International Matsu Cultural Festival, which takes place during the third month on the lunar calendar.
The pilgrimage procession sets out from Zhenlan Temple in Dajia, Taichung.
It stops at several places in central and southern Taiwan before returning to the Zhenlan Temple after nine days.
The statue of Matsu, puppets of gods, dancing lions and dragons, performing groups, and exploding firecrackers together form a loud and lively parade watched by crowds of people.
Worshippers from all over the country walk along with the procession, hoping to receive a blessing from Matsu.
Another important local festival concerns the city gods.
For example, the city god of Taipei's birthday is celebrated every year in the fifth month on the lunar calendar.
Other gods' birthdays are celebrated in front of temples and include performances that attract large groups of people.
Ethan: Tell me about the religions in Taiwan.
Laura: Buddhism and Taoism are the most important religions in Taiwan.
However, most Taiwanese believe in a mix of these two, as well as Confucianism and other folk beliefs.
Ethan: It's a good thing that people with different religions can live together in harmony.
Laura: No doubt.
Ancestor worship is also very important to the Taiwanese.
Ethan: You really worship a lot of gods and goddesses!
Can you tell me something about the folk beliefs here?
Laura: For example, Matsu, the goddess of the sea, is widely worshipped in Taiwan. 
There are many legends about her, and she is said to be the protector of fishermen and sailors.
People usually worship Matsu for good luck and safety.
Ethan: The folk beliefs here are quite vivid and interesting!
Laura: Yes.
You may have heard of the Eight Infernal Generals.
Ethan: Who are they?
Laura: They are eight messengers from the underworld.
They're in charge of capturing or expelling evil spirits and monsters.
They are also the defenders of the chief deity.
That's why you can often see them lead religious processions.
One of the first things that a first-time visitor to Taiwan notices is the temples.
They are very different from churches in the West Temples can be found all over the island, from enormous ones to small shrines.
Many of them are decorated in a very colorful and catching manner.
You may find that the various types of temples are a little confusing.
This is because they are all built according to special rules, such as feng shui (wind and water).
Of course, temples might also be built a little differently because of their own unique story and the history of their gods or goddesses.
Some temples are always crowded, like the Longshan Temple in Taipei.
No matter what time you visit, you will always find people lighting incense and doing "bai bai" rituals.
This is what it's called when someone puts their hands together, often with an incense stick between them, and bows to an altar.
This ritual can be used to venerate both gods and ancestors.
Taoist temples are usually managed by local people and they tend to be more decorative than Buddhist temples.
Taoist temples aren't just places to practice religion.
They serve as community centers where local people can get together.
You might even find elderly people playing chess or card games around the temple grounds.
Many of Taiwan's folk arts are connected to temples, such as music, dance, puppet shows and Taiwanese opera.
The architecture and decoration of the temples add a feeling of vibrancy to cultural performances.
What's more, the carved decorations of gods, dragons, spirits, other legendary creatures, and educational stories are a traditional art form in themselves.
During important holidays like Chinese New Year, people often go to temples to watch performances.
Some temples even offer different performances every day for two weeks straight.
E: There are so many temples in Taiwan.
L: Yes, it is a distinguishing feature here.
E: So, which one are we going to today?
L: I'm going to take you to Longshan Temple. It is one of the busiest temples in Taipei.
E: I can hardly tell a Buddhist temple from a Taoist one.
L: Generally, Taiwan's temples are a mix.
They are often devoted to the worship of a combination of Buddhist, Taoist, and folk gods and goddesses.
Longshan Temple is no exception.
E: When was it built?
L: Longshan Temple was built over 200 years ago.
It is officially a second-grade historic monument. It has typical temple architecture.
E: Wow, just look at the antique carvings all over the building!
L: Longshan Temple was damaged and rebuilt several times. It has the only bronze dragon pillars in Taiwan.
Here, let me show you.
E: They're amazing!
May I take a picture of them?
L: Sure.
E: What kinds of deities are worshipped here?
L: The goddess of mercy, the goddess of the sea, the god of literature, and many other deities.
You might be interested in the god of marriage, who is said to help people find their Mr. or Miss Right!
E: No wonder it is crowded with worshippers every day!
I'd like to make my wish to the god of marriage.
Maybe I'll meet my true love here!
Confucianism, as well as Buddhism and Taoism, has had a great influence on Taiwanese society.
People live and think according to Confucian thought even today.
Confucius was a great philosopher.
Since he lived in a time of war, it was his goal that one day people would live in peace.
He wanted to change the way that people relate to each other in order to create a peaceful society.
He held the idea that everyone has his or her own position in society.
It is important for all parts of society to work together in harmony.
Each person must fulfill his or her duty.
For example, a father should take care of his family and a son should love and respect his parents and look after them when they are older.
Confucius was also a great teacher.
He believed that if people are educated, they will naturally do the right thing.
"Education without discrimination" is a strong Confucian belief.
Today, Confucian temples are built in many cities in honor of this great mentor of China.
The Taipei Confucius Temple was first built in 1879 and rebuilt in 1925.
It is the largest Confucian temple in northern Taiwan.
Every year on the 28th of September, a memorial ceremony is held to celebrate Confucius' birthday.
Traditional dancing and rituals are arranged according to ancient practices.
The Taipei Confucius Temple possesses typical traditional Chinese architecture, with solemn entrances, grand red columns, ornate roofs, colorful paintings and decorations.
The half-moon shaped pond, called Pan Pond, in front of the main gate, is designed according to the principles of feng shui.
It also has the function of preventing fire and adjusting the temperature.
E: I visited a Taiwanese family last week.
They really look after their grandparents well.
L: That's because Confucianism still has an influence on Taiwanese society.
E: But, I suppose life is changing in Taiwan.
L: Yes.
Elderly people in Taiwan used to stay with the eldest son.
But that has been changing over the past few years.
E: In what way has it been changing?
L: Well, sometimes there isn't an eldest son.
So, a daughter might look after them instead.
What's more is that sometimes it's the daughters who get the best jobs these days.
E: So, Confucius thought family was important, eh?
L: He did.
But don't forget that he also had a plan for society as a whole.
E: What kind of plan?
L: Well, he thought that everyone in society should act a certain way.
There was a proper position for everyone.
E: He must be a great mentor for the Chinese.
L: That's right.
He is considered the greatest teacher in Chinese history.
You may see Confucian temples in many Chinese and Taiwanese cities.
E: Will I have a chance to visit one in Taipei?
L: Yes.
The Taipei Confucius Temple is quite large.
The architecture and decoration all follow the traditional manner and the principles of feng shui.
It will really impress you!
Taiwan has plenty of traditional arts, which can be divided into two categories: traditional crafts and performing arts.
Traditional crafts include painting carving, weaving, and ceramics.
Performing arts include folk music, folk dance, folk opera, acrobatics, and puppetry.
Although no longer living a traditional life, Taiwanese people are still interested in traditional crafts.
You might discover traditional paintings or wood carvings when you visit a Taiwanese person's house.
You might also see some traditional ceramics, such as cups, saucers, and teapots, which are both useful and decorative.
Taiwan is home to lots of different kinds of operas.
The island's own "Taiwanese opera" is actually a mix of different styles of Chinese opera.
It has also been influenced by indigenous music and Taiwanese folk songs.
Taiwanese opera is often performed outside temples, and sometimes the whole community comes out to see a performance.
In recent years, new forms of opera have been created.
It is very much a living art.
This kind of performing art tends to tell the stories of human life and folk legends.
Much of the time, it's associated with folk religions and is performed on many religious occasions.
Other folk arts, such as paper cutting, also still survive in modern-day Taiwan.
Arts that require more skill, such as puppetry, lion dances, folk opera, and acrobatics are slowly disappearing.
The government and various community groups are trying to keep these folk arts alive.
Much like other countries, the Taiwanese government has promoted festivals to help boost cultural activities.
Some of these festivals have been very successful.
Meanwhile, the innovation of traditional arts has played an important role in their survival.
For example, Taiwanese puppetry makes use of new lighting technology to create dazzling visual effects.
The puppet costumes are colorful and designed to attract the young.
E: I noticed that there are many traditional folk arts in Taiwan.
L: There sure are.
They include painting, carving, dancing, and so on.
E: But with TV, the Internet, and other new attractions, have some traditional art forms declined in popularity?
L: Some of the arts such as puppetry and lion dances are having a bit of trouble.
However, during the last few years, cultural life in the cities has improved a lot.
E: Are we talking about modern culture, like theater, music, and so on?
L: I mean all kinds of culture, Chinese and Western, modern and traditional.
E: Are there any steps being taken to save the disappearing arts?
L: The government is trying to promote the arts throughout Taiwan.
This includes building a lot of cultural centers, supporting emerging art groups and holding lots of festivals and exhibitions.
E: I heard that traditional arts have also adopted modern ideas to present a new appearance.
L: Yes, the performing arts use modern technologies and even Western materials in order to attract young people.
Some of them are very successful.
E: I have also heard about many interesting festivals related to traditional arts.
L: Yes, for example, there is the International Children's Folklore & Folkgame Festival in Yilan on the east coast.
Buildings have changed quite a bit in Taiwan over the past few decades.
Fifty years ago, many buildings in Taiwan had distinctive Chinese-style roofs.
Nowadays, most Taiwanese people live in Western-style apartment blocks.
The population of Taiwan is too big for everyone to keep living in Chinese-style buildings.
However, there are several public buildings that have been built in the old Chinese style.
One such building is Taipei Railway Station.
Traditional buildings follow the principles of feng shui (wind and water).
Feng shui is an ancient Chinese belief that tells us how buildings should be positioned.
If they are not positioned correctly in relation to water, mountains and other types of terrain, bad luck can result.
Feng shui is sometimes used when constructing homes, temples, and even public or commercial buildings.
Japan controlled Taiwan for fifty years, so it is not surprising that there are still some Japanese influences on the island.
For example, the Taiwanese language still uses many Japanese words.
Japanese food is quite popular and many people study Japanese.
You might occasionally see an old Japanese-style building.
If you're interested in this style of building, Sun Yat-sen Historical Events Memorial Hall, A Drop of Water Memorial Hall, and Huguo Chan Buddhist Temple of Linji School are good places to visit.
The Dutch and Spanish came even earlier than the Japanese.
They invaded Taiwan in the early 1600s, and have left some historic structures.
The main feature of Dutch-style architecture is the use of bricks.
Sections of brick wall outside the Anping Fort in Tainan are an example.
There are also a few British-style buildings, for example, the former British Consulate at Takao, located in Kaohsiung, which was built in 1865.
E: How is Westernization affecting Taiwanese society?
L: You can see lots of hamburger joints, Western movies, TV shows, and so on.
But that's happening in other places, too.
It's not just in Taiwan.
E: I saw some Japanese-style buildings in Taipei.
Is it because the Japanese ruled over Taiwan for a long time?
L: Taiwan was governed by the Japanese for fifty years.
A lot of buildings were constructed at that time. Some contemporary architecture is built in the Japanese style.
E: I have heard of "A Drop of Water Memorial Hall" in New Taipei City, I know it is Japanese-style.
L: Yes.
After being moved to Danshui from Japan and reassembled in 2009, it was opened to the public in 2011.
E: What are other examples of Japanese-style architecture that are worth seeing?
L: The Martyrs' Shrine in Taoyuan, the Huguo Chan Buddhist Temple of Linji School in Taipei, and the Memorial Hall of Founding of Yilan Administration are all typical Japanese-style structures.
E: I also know that there are some Dutch, Spanish, and British historic monuments.
L: Yes.
Taiwan's colonial background has resulted in a diversity of architectural styles and features.
Like any other country, Taiwan has its own traditional customs and etiquette.
Many foreigners are not familiar with these customs and etiquette, so they sometimes embarrass Taiwanese people without even knowing that they're doing anything wrong.
This can make foreigners very confused sometimes.
In Taiwanese society, it's always a good idea to make people feel good.
This is why Taiwanese people will often compliment their guests.
At the same time, they tend to be modest about themselves and the food that they're serving.
This mixture of compliments and modesty can be quite confusing to foreigners.
For example, Taiwanese people might tell a foreigner that his or her Chinese is very good.
But, if asked, they will say that their own English is very poor.
They will say this even if they speak English better than their foreign guest speaks Mandarin!
Taiwanese people rely on strong relationships with people to deal with both business and day-to-day problems.
For example, if someone is looking for a job, one of his or her friends may know someone who is looking to hire a new employee.
Thus, he or she better chance of getting a job.
This is because may have a Taiwanese people value family and friends very much.
"Helping each other" is a virtue in Taiwanese society.
However, Taiwanese people are often willing to give assistance even if they don't know you.
So, if you get lost in Taiwan, feel free to ask a Taiwanese for help.
You'll find them to be very friendly.
Finally, under no circumstances should death ever be discussed with a Taiwanese person.
Talking about death can bring bad luck.
This is why Taiwanese tourists often skip "Death Valley" when they visit America.
E: It seems like it would be easy to make a mistake here and hurt people's feelings without meaning to.
L: You just need to get familiar with the etiquette here.
Taiwanese people tend to treat people politely.
That's why you shouldn't be too direct when talking to someone.
E: So, I should be careful not to embarrass people in front of others.
L: That's right.
E: Oh, and why does everyone think my Chinese is so good even though I can only say "ni hao"?
L: Generally speaking, making people feel good is important here, so compliments are common in Taiwanese society.
E: So, they just want to make me feel good?
L: They're just trying to be polite.
But, who knows, maybe your "ni hao" is the best they've ever heard.
E: I doubt it, but it's nice of them to say so!
L: You may also want to think about complimenting others.
Even though Taiwanese people are very humble, everyone enjoys some compliments every once in a while.
E: Sure thing.
That will give me an opportunity to practice my Chinese!
L: You may like to make some Taiwanese friends, too.
It is the belief that relationships are very important, and that people should support one another whenever they're in need.
E: I'm learning to build relationships here.
It is really great that many Taiwanese are very friendly and willing to help me, even if they don't know me!
Drinking is an important part of Taiwanese culture.
When getting together with friends, many Taiwanese people love to have a little beer or wine to relax.
When drinking wine or beer, the Taiwanese toast each other for any good things that have happened to them recently.
They will usually drink all of the wine or beer from their glass at one time.
This is considered to show support to one another.
Taiwanese people often say "gan bei" and then finish their drink.
"Gan bei" means "cheers" in English.
There is even a saying that goes, "Do not keep a goldfish at the bottom of your wine glass," which implies that one should never leave any liquid unfinished.
Today, the "gan bei" culture has gradually disappeared.
The government has made great effort to raise awareness of the dangers of drinking and driving.
So, now it is more common for people to take a sip when giving a toast.
They do not ask their friends to "gan bei" very often.
In Taiwan, giving gifts is quite popular.
Gifts can be given on many different occasions.
When people get married, move into a house, give birth to a baby, start a business, and so on, they usually receive gifts from friends.
During Chinese New Year, children and the elderly receive money as a gift.
Money is also given to the happy couple on their wedding day.
Even when going to a funeral, you must give money to the bereaved.
When money is given as a gift in Taiwan, it is always put in a red envelope, unless the occasion is a funeral, in which a white envelope is used instead.
The color red represents good fortune while white is associated with death in Taiwanese culture.
When giving a gift, foreigners should be careful not to give money in any denomination that has a four, as this number represents death.
In Mandarin, the words for death and four sound almost the same.
Therefore, Taiwanese people tend to avoid this number.
Even today, hospitals in Taiwan don't have a fourth floor.
If they did, nobody would want to stay on it.
When visiting a person's home in Taiwan, it is important to bring a gift.
The gift can be fruit, chocolates, cake, wine or something similar.
When you give your gift, you should offer it using both hands.
Be modest about what it is and say that it's just something small.
Don't be surprised when the person receiving the gift puts it down to open it later.
Taiwanese people don't usually open a gift in front of the person who gave it to them.
If you are given a gift, it's best to act the same way.
If giving an expensive present, it is a good idea to wrap it up nicely Taiwanese people regard gift giving as an expression of sincerity.
However, clocks and knives should never be given to a Taiwanese person as a gift.
Clocks represent death because the word for "clock (zhong)" sounds the same as "the end of life (zhong)" in Mandarin.
Knives represent the cutting of personal ties.
Taiwanese people always take off their shoes when they enter other people's homes.
They may tell a visitor that it's not necessary, but you should take them off anyway.
After someone removes their shoes, they are often given a pair of slippers to wear inside the house.
Another useful tip to remember is that it is considered respectful to greet the eldest person first whenever you enter somebody's home.
E: Why are you buying so many pineapple cakes?
L: I’m visiting my aunt tomorrow.
I'd like to bring some gifts along.
Pineapple cakes are perfect to give as gifts.
E: Is giving gifts part of the Taiwanese culture?
L: Yes.
Gifting is very important in Taiwanese society.
The gift can be cakes, fruit, wine, and tea.
Even money is given on some occasions.
E: On what kinds of occasions is money given?
L: Mostly at wedding receptions and funerals.
Money is given either as a blessing or comfort.
E: I have heard of the custom of giving red envelopes with money in them to children and the elderly during Chinese New Year.
L: Exactly.
E: So, what's the occasion you're attending tomorrow?
L: Ha, Nothing!
It has been a long time since I visited my aunt.
I guess bringing gifts when visiting relatives or friends is simply a behavior or form of politeness and sincerity in Taiwanese society.
Especially when going to an elder person's house, it is considered rude not to bring a gift.
E: I see.
So, you can give anything you want as a gift?
L: No, no.
Clocks, knives, shoes, and umbrellas are not appropriate gifts.
Clocks imply death, and knives are taken as a symbol of cutting relationships.
E: But what negative meanings do shoes and umbrellas have?
L: Shoes imply asking a person to leave.
Umbrellas represent separation because they sound alike in Mandarin.
E: Thanks for letting me know.
I should be extremely careful when choosing gifts.
Taiwanese people receive gifts when they give birth to a baby.
However, to celebrate the completion of the baby's first month after birth, parents will send gifts to their relatives and friends.
Usually, these gifts are cakes, red eggs and sticky rice with chicken drumstick, which are symbols of auspiciousness, propagation and promotion.
Food has always been important in Taiwan culture.
Taiwanese people even greet one another by asking.
"Have you eaten yet?" One of the first things that a visitor will notice is how many restaurants and snack bars there are in Taiwan.
What's more, there are lots of food stalls along the roadsides and in traditional night markets.
You may find different styles of Chinese food in Taiwan.
Taiwan also has its own style of cooking that has developed over hundreds of years.
You may even come across traditional indigenous food.
Modern Taiwanese cities are also home to lots of restaurants serving different kinds of cuisine from all around the world.
You can find Indian, Thai, Korean, French, and Mexican restaurants among others.
In Taipei, you can even try Greek, Iranian, and Russian cuisine.
Of course, American fast food is widely available.
Taiwan also has its own fast food restaurants.
Foreigners may find them strange, yet oddly familiar.
The two basic foods of Taiwan are rice and noodles.
Since rice is so important, it should be no surprise that there are lots of tasty rice dishes in Taiwan.
For breakfast, Taiwanese people sometimes eat watery rice porridge with pickled vegetables.
This dish is called "congee" in English.
For dinner, Taiwanese families eat steamed white rice together with vegetable, fish, and meat dishes.
Sometimes, a Taiwanese dinner can end up looking like a banquet!
Noodles are the other basic food in Taiwan.
They became popular in China long ago because they are so easy to carry and store.
Two popular noodle dishes in Taiwan are "soup noodles" and "beef noodles." Beef noodles have become more and more popular.
In the past, people would not eat beef because cows were seen as important agricultural animals.
However, most Taiwanese people no longer have any problem eating beef.
Some noodles are made from rice flour.
Delicious fried rice noodles and rice noodle soup are available in night markets and from roadside food stalls.
You know, it's a little strange.
If people aren't asking if I've already eaten, they're inquiring about whether I'm full or not.
What gives?
I think they're being polite.
As you know, Taiwanese people love their food.
There's even an old Chinese saying that goes "for people, food is paramount." With all the delicious Chinese restaurants around the world, this isn't too surprising.
Why are they so interested in food?
Some people say it's because Chinese people feared not getting enough food to feed their families in ancient times.
I suppose there were lots of famines back then, eh?
Famines, droughts, and wars.
Any of these disasters could leave people hungry.
This made rice very important.
Sounds like the way the Irish feel about potatoes.
Potatoes were their main food.
As long as you had potatoes, you could survive.
That's right.
Chinese people also associated rice and food with prosperity.
Rich people could eat as much as they wanted.
So, even in modern Taiwan where everyone has enough to eat, people still think this way about food.
That's right.
Do Taiwanese people have rice with every single meal?
They do, more or less.
Whether they're at home or attending a fancy banquet, rice goes with pretty much everything.
So, all of the main Chinese styles are available in Taiwan?
Yes, that's why it's a great place for food lovers!
You can also find various kinds of foreign food in the big cities, such as Thai, Vietnamese, French and Indonesian cuisine.
Several festivals are celebrated in Taiwan every year.
For visitors, festivals can be both an enjoyable and colorful experience.
For Taiwanese people, it's a great way to keep Taiwanese culture alive in today's world and get a day off work!
Most of Taiwan's festivals go by the lunar calendar and their Western calendar date changes every year.
Chinese New Year falls on January 1st on the lunar calendar, and it is the biggest event on the Chinese cultural calendar.
It generally occurs around the end of January to early February on the Western calendar.
During Chinese New Year, families come together, eat, and enjoy each other's company no matter how far apart they live.
Traditionally, special foods such as sticky rice and year cakes are prepared.
The words for "year cake" are pronounced like "rise in the coming year" in Chinese.
So, people eat the cakes to wish for a good year.
Some of the cakes are sweet because the Chinese believe that having sweet food can bring about good luck in the New Year.
There are several unusual beliefs about Chinese New Year.
People don't like to sweep the floor during Chinese New Year because they don't want to sweep away good fortune along with the dirt.
They also don't take out the garbage until the fifth day of Chinese New Year.
During Chinese New Year, Taiwanese people visit relatives and pay respects to the god of wealth.
On the second day of the New Year, married couples go to the wife's house and spend time with her parents.
At this time, houses are decorated with flowers and couplets or congratulatory speeches written on red paper.
Red is considered lucky and white represents death.
Therefore, red is emphasized and white is discouraged during the holiday.
Children and elderly people often receive gifts of money in red envelopes.
Eventually, firecrackers are set off and families go out into the streets to enjoy traditional folk activities such as lion dances.
Not so many people believe in old ideas about good or bad fortune nowadays.
However, people still like to follow the old traditions.
It looks like you're going to spend Chinese New Year in Taiwan!
Yes, I'm pretty excited about it.
What's more, my parents just called to tell me they're coming here.
That's great!
l'd love to meet them.
Of course, l'd be glad to introduce you.
They want to meet all my new Taiwanese and foreign friends.
Is there anybody else in your family coming to Visit My brother is thinking of coming with my parents.
I was thinking it might be fun to take them to a traditional festival in Taiwan.
That's a great idea!
Do you know how long they're planning on staying?
They said they could stay for three weeks.
Well, if they're coming for three weeks that gives them the chance to stay for the entire Chinese New Year!
I understand that this is an important family time in Taiwan.
That's right.
Families try to get together just like for the Western New Year.
Everyone chats, eats delicious food, and enjoys each other's company Does everything close down?
I'm worried that they may come to Taiwan and find that nothing is open.
Not really.
In fact, people are busy getting prepared during the week leading up to Chinese New Year, so the stores are open to take advantage of the season.
So they can see all of the traditional decorations in the streets, and maybe some lion dances as well!
During Chinese New Year, some shops and restaurants are closed.
However, the scenic spots are crowded with people.
Various activities are held in the streets and temples to celebrate the New Year.
Taiwanese people start shopping for food, snacks and decorations several weeks prior to Chinese New Year.
Candies and cookies are put into red candy boxes in every home.
Dihua Streett, Taipei, is the most famous place to shop for food and snacks, or "New Year supplies" in Chinese.
It's also call the "New Year Supplies Avenue." When the Chinese New Year is approaching, Dihua Street is always packed with shoppers.
Food materials such as dried mushrooms, dried shrimps, rice noodles, etc. are available as well as Chinese herbs, preserved fruit, and tea.
On Chinese New Year's Eve, people will go home to have dinner with their family.
This is called a reunion dinner.
People usually prepare lucky foods for the dinner, such as fish, which means "to have profit every year." The word "fish" and "profit" have the same pronunciation in Mandarin.
People also eat dumplings because they are shaped like the ancient gold sycee, or ingot, now a symbol of wealth.
During Chinese New Year firecrackers are set off to scare away the evil "year monsters." It is said that the year monsters are afraid of loud noise and anything red.
That's why people hang red lanterns in front of their houses during this time of year.
Decorations such as lucky knots are hung around the house during Chinese New Year.
People like to wear red clothes during Chinese New Year because the color red represents good luck.
Black melon seed are common snacks during Chinese New Year.
The Lantern Festival takes place on the fifteenth day of Chinese New Year.
It is often known as the second New Year, or "little New Year," and it marks the end of the New Year season.
During the festival, people make elaborate, beautiful lanterns.
In the old days, only the rich were able to make these kinds of lanterns.
In modern society, everyone can enjoy them, and it has become a special kind of art.
Some lanterns are shaped like animals, people, or objects.
There are even Taipei 101 lanterns!
This is one tradition that has been modernized in a very successful way.
Nowadays, different parts of Taiwan hold public events to celebrate the Lantern Festival.
They use modern technology to provide an exciting light display.
On the night of the Lantern Festival, people traditionally eat sweet glutinous rice balls.
They are made of glutinous rice, sometimes with sweet stuffing, and served in syrup.
Answering riddles is another traditional activity.
Another important event is the Dragon Boat Festival.
This festival falls on May 5th on the lunar calendar, and usually takes place in June on the Western calendar.
In ancient China, summer was a time of disease, so this festival was created to drive away the evil spirits that cause sickness.
As time passed, the story of Qu Yuan was added.
Qu Yuan was an ancient minister and poet who drowned himself when the king would not listen to his advice.
After he jumped into the water, fishermen raced to try and save him.
Although they were too late to save his life, they threw sticky rice dumplings into the river to keep the fish from eating his body.
This is the story behind the tradition of racing dragon boats and eating sticky rice dumplings during the Dragon Boat Festival.
Dragon boat teams from different organizations are made up of students, businessmen, soldiers, and so on.
The boats themselves are highly decorated and quite beautiful.
This festival isn't just popular in Taiwan.
Nowadays, dragon boat teams come from all over the world to compete in the races and celebrate this unique festival.
What's the Lantern Festival?
It falls on the first full moon following Chinese New Year.
It's a great end to the New Year festivities.
Are there any interesting activities on this day?
You can experience the Lantern Festival in Taipei.
It has become quite famous since it started in 1990.
It's very modern, and there's an amazing light show.
Sounds good.
Another special activity on Lantern Festival is the Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival held in Tainan.
It's a little dangerous, though.
Fireworks are shot into the crowds of people.
So, you need to wear thick clothing and a helmet.
Oh, that sounds dangerous!
I think I'll skip that one.
If your family likes sports, then perhaps they should come to see the Dragon Boat Festival in June.
Is this some kind of river god festival?
No.
It commemorates an ancient poet, Qu Yuan, who drowned himself.
Why did he do that?
He tried to give a king some advice that could save his kingdom, but the king refused to listen to him.
So why is it called the Dragon Boat Festival?
Is it some kind of race?
Yup.
Teams of rowers in dragon boats race against each other.
The tradition comes from fishermen rushing to save Qu Yuan.
The boats are beautifully decorated.
It's a festival that's becoming popular all over the world!
Two important events accompanying the Lantern Festival are the Sky Lantern Festival in Pingxi, New Taipei City, and Yanshui Fireworks Festival in Tainan.
Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival is held annually.
People write their wishes for the coming year on paper lanterns and release them into the sky.
This festival is very popular among the young.
However, once the festival ends, the remains of the paper lanterns pollute the environment.
The flames from the lanterns sometimes cause fires when they land on the ground.
Thus, this activity is not encouraged as much nowadays.
A particularly crazy fireworks festival takes place around the same time as the Lantern Festival every year in Yanshui, Tainan.
Rockets and fireworks are shot into the crowds and explode around them.
The fireworks result in spectacular light and sound effects.
People come from all around the world to experience this activity, because although it can be dangerous it is also very exciting.
Participants have to wear a helmet and protective clothing.
However, some people still get hurt.
Thus, improvements are continually being made to the fireworks materials to reduce the danger.
Taiwanese people believe that ghosts leave the underworld for one month every year.
To ensure that these ghosts are happy and do not bother them, Taiwanese people observe certain traditions during "Ghost Month." This festival takes place in July on the lunar calendar.
Ghost Month is a time when families pray for the ghosts of their ancestors.
They will also leave food out to feed any "hungry ghosts" that might wander by.
Taiwanese people will also burn specially printed ghost money to make sure that their ancestors are comfortable in the afterlife.
All in all, Ghost Month is seen as an unlucky time of year.
Because of this, very few people get married, move into a new house, or open a business during this month.
Going near water is also forbidden, because the wandering ghosts may drag you under to replace them so that they can have another chance at life.
The last major event of the year is the Moon Festival, also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival.
This festival takes place on the 15th of August on the lunar calendar.
On the night of the full moon people get together with their family and eat "moon cakes" and pomelos.
Since the festival is in honor of the moon, families often look up at the moon together.
There are many different Chinese and Taiwanese legends about the moon.
While Westerners may mention a man on the moon, Taiwanese people will talk about a woman called Chang-e or the Jade Rabbit.
Over time, it has become popular for people to give moon cakes to their relatives and friends during the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Traditional moon cakes are made using egg yolks and flour.
However, nowadays moon cakes come in many different flavors, including almond, chocolate, and pineapple.
Some even come filled with ice cream!
Hmm, I don't know.
My family isn't really into sports.
If they want something very Chinese thar can be seen all over the island, they could come during "Ghost Month." What are you talking about?
They don't worry about bad luck, do they?
No, they're not very superstitious.
Are they easily frightened?
They aren't scared of ghosts, bad luck, monsters, or anything like that.
Why do you ask?
The Chinese believe that the doors of the underworld are opened once a year and the ghosts get to take a break.
So that's what you meant by ghosts, bad luck, and so on.
So, what do people do during Ghost Month?
Not much.
It's a very unlucky time of year.
Let me guess--people don't get married or buy houses.
That's right.
They won't do major things like get married or start a business.
But, they will leave food out so that the ghosts won't bother them.
Well, my family may not like such ghost stories!
If they want to avoid that time of year, the Moon Festival is also interesting.
I heard it's a day for families to have a reunion.
That's correct.
Families get together and eat moon cakes and pomelos.
Usually, they will have a barbeque outdoors and watch the beautiful full moon.
There are many legends about the moon.
In Chinese mythology, a story tells about a woman named Chang-e and her husband Houyi 后羿.
They were once immortals.
One day, ten of the Jade Emperor's sons turned themselves into ten suns to scorch the earth and caused great pain.
Being a great archer, Houyi shot down nine of them to save the earth.
However, this enraged the Jade Emperor because nine of his sons had been killed.
He drove Houyi and Chang-e out of heaven, and they become mortals.
Seeking to return to immortality, Houyi went to the goddess Xi Wangmu and asked for an elixir.
She agreed, but this elixir must be shared by Houyi and Chang-e because it was a dosage for two.
However, Chang-e accidentally swallowed all of it and found herself floating into the sky until she landed on the moon.
There she met a rabbit, named Jade Rabbit.
The Jade Rabbit lives on the moon and grinds herbal medicine in a mortar.
They keep each other company.
The Moon Festival is also called the Reunion Festival.
The country takes a day off on the fifteenth of August on the Chinese lunar calendar, allowing everyone to go home and enjoy a day with their family.
In Taiwan, people love to have barbeques under the full moon.
A barbeque with family or friends on the night of the Moon Festival isn't a traditional activity, but it is very popular among families nowadays.
In addition to traditional festivals such as Chinese New Year and the Lantern Festival, there are many indigenous and modern cultural festivals held in Taiwan.
Special industries, such as wood carving, have started to gain in popularity due to government promotion.
Examples of industry-related events include the Sanyi Wood Carving Festival and the Hsinchu City International Glass Art Festival.
Modern cultural festivals in Taiwan are quite varied.
The Taiwan International Festival of Art and Spring Scream are very representative of this category.
The Taiwan International Festival of Art began in 2009.
It invites top performers, producers, actors, and composers from Taiwan and around the world to present dance, music, and drama performances.
The festival takes place at the National Theater and National Concert Hall in Taipei.
It usually lasts for one and a half months.
Spring Scream is held in Kenting every April.
It was begun in 1995 by two Americans living in Taiwan and is now the largest music festival in Taiwan Hundreds of performing groups and artists gather in southern Taiwan to show their passion and talent for music.
There are also stalls selling arts and crafts, clothes, and food.
It's one of the most exciting festivals in Taiwan.
If you are traveling through an area where there are indigenous communities, such as the east coast, you may be lucky enough to see an indigenous ceremony.
Harvest festivals are particularly important among the indigenous tribes as they express the tribe's gratitude to the ancestral spirits and tribal deities for giving them food.
The Amis, Rukai, and Paiwan tribes all celebrate this traditional festival.
Singing and dancing are essential parts of the festival.
However, the Harvest Festival isn't just about being grateful for food.
It is also a time to unite the tribal members and sometimes to carry out coming-of-age rites.
Since Tainan was the first capital of Taiwan, it's not surprising that it has many historic sites.
Tainan has more Buddhist and Taoist temples than any other place in Taiwan.
Two important temples are those devoted to the worship of Confucius and the god of war.
The Confucius Temple is the oldest in Taiwan.
It was originally a Confucian school, which is why people call it the "first school in Taiwan" It still has some of the original stones with rules for students carved on them.
One stone tells us that students were not allowed to drink alcohol.
If you visit on September 28th, you will be treated to interesting ceremonies to honor Confucius.
Much like Tainan's Confucius Temple, the Martial Temple is also the oldest of its kind in Taiwan.
This temple is home to a striking statue of Guan Gong riding a horse and holding his legendary "green dragon crescent blade.
Guan Gong was originally a Chinese general.
Government officials and business people have been coming to this temple for hundreds of years to offer sacrifices.
They do this out of the hope that Guan Gong will reward them with good luck.
Over the years, people have donated new decorations and lavish gifts to the temple, making it a particularly vibrant structure.
Legend has it that women were stopped from entering the temple in the past because of its high step.
Tainan is a city that is teeming with wonderful things to see.
Some notable sites include the Great South Gate, National Museum of Taiwanese Literature, and the Chihkan Tower-and that's just to name a few.
The area along the west coast highway just outside the city is also known for its natural beauty.
It's a great place to do some bird-watching!
Tainan has lots of delicious traditional foods.
Coffin sandwiches are one of the more popular ones.
The bread is hollowed out and stuffed with tasty filling like curried chicken.
Pig's trotters and shrimp cakes are two other popular dishes from Tainan.
While in Tainan, also try a dessert called Anping bean jelly and a special noodle dish called danzai mian.
Just like any other Taiwanese city, you can find these special dishes and other delicious cuisine in restaurants, food stalls, night markets, and even in alleyways.
Tasty food is never too far away!
Have you considered checking out Tainan?
It's totally worth visiting, and right on the way to Kaohsiung.
What's so good about it?
It's the oldest and most historic city in Taiwan.
Sounds like a place my parents would have liked.
What a pity they didn't have more time.
It's got such great food too.
Just thinking about it makes me hungry.
I'm always up for discovering something new to eat!
As long as the food isn't too strange.
Don't worry, Tainan's food is loved by both Taiwanese and foreigners like.
Oh really?
Do tell.
The most famous food in Tainan is coffin sandwiches.
Uh, didn't you say that Taiwanese people don't like hearing about death?
Yup.
Strange name, eh?
So how does the word "coffin" apply?
I'm not really sure.
It's a bit like French toast, though the bread is hollowed out and filled with seafood stew or curried chicken.
So the filling is the body and the bread is the coffin!
It sounds like whoever invented coffin sandwiches had a dark sense of humor.
Excellent observation.
You'll be happy to know that other foods in Tainan are very tasty and they don't have such strange names.
And they are?
Pig's trotters, shrimp cakes, and Anping bean jelly.
Sounds like we'll be eating well then.
That's Taiwan for you, lots of delicious food to eat.
If you take the train to Zuoying Station, you will find yourself near Lotus Lake, one of the most beautiful places in the city.
Here, there is a large park lined with beautiful buildings and temples.
These buildings are based on traditional Chinese beliefs and stories.
If you walk around the lake, you will come across the Spring and Autumn Pavilions.
They are dedicated to Guan Gong, a famous soldier of ancient time.
In front of these pavilions there is a statue of Guanyin, the goddess of mercy.
She is riding a dragon.
It is said that she appeared in the clouds one day and made the request that the statue be built like this.
Further down the road are two tall Chinese-style buildings called the Dragon and Tiger pagodas.
One represents the tiger and the other represents the dragon.
If you go in through the dragon's mouth and come out the tiger's mouth, it is said that you'll be rewarded with good luck.
The pagodas have many paintings inside them.
Some of these paintings urge visitors to do good deeds, and others warn of the punishment that awaits them if they do bad deeds.
All of these paintings are based on traditional Chinese religion.
Other attractions of note are Shou Shan Zoo 壽山動物園, Xiziwan Scenic Area西子灣風景區, and Ban Ping Mountain半屏山 in the northern part of the city.
There is also a magnificent Confucius Temple that can't be missed.
This temple is the largest one of its kind in Taiwan, and there is an imposing statue of Confucius nearby.
Kaohsiung has opened quite a few museums over the years.
The main ones are the National Science and Technology Museum, the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, and the Kaohsiung Museum of History.
Traditional religions in Taiwan are very different to those in the west.
There are two traditional religions, Buddhism and Taoism and also a kind of philosophy called Confucianism.
Most Taiwanese will follow these religions mixed in with a type of popular folk religion which has its own gods and goddesses and customs.
Buddhism came from India 2000 years ago.
Its main belief is that people come back to Earth in new bodies after they die.
If they were good, their next life will be better.
People must try to reach perfection each time they are born again.
When they succeed, they will stay in a heavenly state and not return to Earth again.
Taoism teaches that the whole world is governed by one principle, the Tao or way.
It is very difficult to explain.
To put it simply, the Tao is the way people should live their lives in order to live in harmony with the world.
The religion was started by a man named Laotzu about 1500 years ago.
Another man named Chuang-Tzu helped to develop Taoism further.
Laotzu started it as a philosophy, not a religion but eventually it developed into a religion.
The religion then began to focus on magic ways of helping people to live forever.
It also became mixed with local folk customs and beliefs.
Confucius was the great philosopher of China.
He wanted to develop a way for people to relate to each other so that society could be peaceful.
He lived at a time when there were many wars so it is not surprising he tried to develop a peaceful society.
Confucius thought that earlier Chinese rulers had the wisdom to do this but the people of his time had forgotten it.
He thought that the wisest man is the best man and so should be the ruler.
Traditional folk religion is a mixture of many beliefs concerning gods, ghosts, ancestors, good luck and bad.
Today, the Taiwanese will often go and talk to a fortune teller before making a big decision.
Some of the gods and ghosts are local and of course, everyone's ancestors are different.
Therefore there can be many different beliefs and customs in different areas.
In fishing villages, for example, many people will worship Matsu, Goddess of the Sea.
Other people may worship Guanyin, Goddess of Mercy or Guanyu a famous soldier from China.
Farmers will worship the Earth God.
There are other folk beliefs which are important in Taiwanese people's lives.
Some of them will be mentioned later in this book.
There are also several hundred thousand Christians on the island.
Christian Missionaries have been working there for over a hundred years.
Buddhism, Taoism and Christianity are the most important but there are nine other religions practiced on Taiwan and recognized by the government.
One of the first things that a visitor to Taiwan will notice is the temples.
They are very different to churches in the West.
From enormous city temples to small shrines by the road they are found all over the island.
Except for the Confucian temples they are decorated in a very colorful, eye catching manner.
You may find yourself quite confused by the many types of temples and the statues associated with them.
They are built according to specific rules including feng shui.
Of course, each temple has its own stories associated with it.
Some of the temples are very popular and always crowded like the Lungshan temple in Wanhua, Taipei City.
If you go inside will find people lighting incense and doing the bai-bai ritual.
They put their hands together perhaps with an incense stick between them and bow to an altar.
They may be venerating a god or their ancestors or both.
Taoist temples are usually managed by the local people and are much more decorated than Buddhist temples.
Monks often take care of Buddhist temples perhaps along with local people.
Both types of temples are also community centers where people will meet.
You may even find elderly people playing games in or outside temples.
In Taiwan, the family is particularly important.
Traditionally the father was the head of the family and the mother looked after the household.
Most people would be born, live and die in the same town or village.
There would be a village leader in each village and everyone would know everyone else's business.
Families used to live in houses with central courtyards and the family would carry out religious ceremonies there.
The family would follow the general religious customs of the local area.
Generally this lifestyle came about because of the ideas of Confucius.
His ideas became the basis of Chinese society.
For Confucius it was important that all parts of Society worked together in harmony.
When he lived there were many wars and he wanted to see his country, which is now part of China, become peaceful and prosperous.
Confucius tried very hard to get the government of his country to accept his ideas.
While he lived, he was not successful but after he died his ideas were finally accepted in Chinese society.
Confucius thought that a bad government is worse than a wild animal.
So he wanted society to have a stable structure.
The Emperor would be at the top, then the nobles then the common people.
Within families the father would be at the top then the wife, then the eldest son and so forth.
However, people should not follow this system because they were afraid of the law.
They should follow it because they believe it is the right thing to do.
People must be educated to do the right thing naturally.
And this has affected Chinese society and the way people think and act.
Even today, most people think in terms of the family and are loyal to it.
However, this means that sometimes some people do not think about the rights of people outside their family.
Confucius would probably not be happy about this.
Other ways in which Chinese culture has influenced Taiwan are in painting, carving, calligraphy, ceramics, jade carving, martial arts, architecture, religion and social customs.
Another thing you may see is Chinese traditional ceramics such as cups, saucers and teapots.
Traditional Chinese painting like calligraphy is concerned with how the brush is used.
Moreover, painters would write poems as well as their signatures on their paints.
This shows the connection between painting and calligraphy in China.
There are many folk arts in Taiwan.
Some of them, such as paper cutting, are surviving in Taiwan.
Others that require some skill, such as puppetry, lion dancing, folk opera and acrobatics are finding it more difficult to keep going.
The government and other groups are trying to keep them going.
As in other parts of the world, the government has promoted festivals, some quite successfully, to help keep certain cultural activities alive.
There are various types of opera in Taiwan.
However, Taiwanese opera has developed from various kinds of Chinese opera which has been going on for 900 years.
Taiwanese opera also has been influenced by local folk songs which were also influenced by Taiwanese aboriginal music.
It is sung on occasions such as weddings and birthdays.
In recent years new forms of have developed so it is very much a living art.
As regards drama, since the 1960s, new writers and theater groups have started.
At the moment the theater scene is quite strong and includes Western plays as well as local ones.
One thing that is very different to the West that is very obvious to foreigners is the temples.
They are the centers not only of religious life but also-in many places-community life.
There are many folk arts connected to the temples such as music, dance, religious ceremonies, puppet shows and folk opera.
However, visitors will first be attracted by the architecture and decoration of the temples.
Taoist and folk temples are more decorated than Buddhist temples.
Confucian temples are quieter and with much less decoration and often feel like parks.
The decorations are carvings of gods, dragons, spirits and other legendary things and are a traditional art themselves.
In the last few years Taiwan like other many countries in the world, has been very westernized.
Society has become more organized and western things such as movies and TV have become popular.
Western-style food, drinks and restaurants are now very common and there are more foreigners in Taiwan than ever before.
A Westerner can still find much Taiwanese traditional culture and he or she can now find many familiar things in Taiwan and be more comfortable.
E: I visited a Taiwanese family last week.
They really look after their grandparents well, don't they?
L: Yes, you don't see many homes for old people in Taiwan.
E: It made me think of my grandfather on his farm about 20 years ago.
L: Of course, he'd have the family near him to watch over him.
E: Yes, my mother visited him every few days to make sure he was ok.
But he didn't want to live with them.
L: Elderly people here usually stay with the eldest son.
However, that's changing.
E: In what way?
L: Sometimes there isn't an eldest son.
So maybe the eldest daughter looks after them instead.
E: I suppose people's lives are changing in Taiwan.
L: Yes, sometimes it's the daughters who have the best jobs.
E: Of course Taiwan was a farming country about 30 years ago.
L: That's right.
Nowadays not many people farm.
So the way of life is changing and so is people's thinking.
They don't follow Confucius so much.
E: He thought the family was important, huh?
L: Yeah but don't forget, he had a whole plan for society.
E: What?
The man was to be master of the family?
L: Well, that was only part of his ideas.
He thought of the whole of society having to act in a certain way.
Each person had their right position.
E: With the Emperor on top?
L: That's it.
Perhaps it's not too surprising it took thousands of years for China to change.
But he was very worried about bad government.
He thought if everyone lived in the right way it would solve a lot of problems.
E: I notice they still seem to have their own traditional art.
L: Yes, you can still see a lot of traditional stuff.
Painting, poetry, calligraphy and so on.
E: But with TV, the Internet and other new attractions, some of the old arts have to be going down in popularity.
L: Some of the old arts such as lion dancing are having trouble, it's true.
However, in the last few years cultural life in the cities has improved.
E: Are we talking about a more modern culture theater, music?
L: Every kind, both Chinese and Western.
Theater groups and writers have started and some of them are very successful.
E: I guess Ang Lee the famous film director from Tainan, comes from this time.
L: He certainly became internationally famous during this time.
But the government is trying to help the arts.
E: By building more cultural centers, is that it?
L: They do that, yes but they also support many art groups and modern festivals.
Like many countries, the Taiwanese have their own customs, many of which come from China.
They will of course, often pardon foreigners who make social mistakes.
However, no one wants to do the wrong thing and offend people by mistake so it is well to understand some of the important social ideas in Taiwan.
In many ways, "face" is possibly the most important social idea in Taiwan and indeed, in other eastern countries.
Of course, throughout the world people do not like to lose face but in eastern countries it is particularly important not to embarrass people.
If someone does something stupid it is important that others try to protect the person's feelings.
This can cause problems for foreigners trying to do the right thing in Taiwan.
People who come from more direct cultures and who for example, may feel that a mistake is not always something to worry about can get very confused.
Face seems to become more important as a person rises in society and a person who loses a lot of money can also lose a lot of face.
Of course if someone is poor and then becomes rich he or she gains face.
Thus many people try to get rich in order to gain face which is in many ways, more important than the money.
One way in which face can be lost is by someone getting very angry.
Both the person who gets angry and the person who it is directed at can both lose face.
This is regarded as very impolite in Taiwanese culture.
However, in recent years, famous people, such as politicians, have been seen to get angry so Taiwan appears to be changing.
Nevertheless, it is best for people to try to solve differences without showing anger.
It should only be used if nothing else works.
What people try to do is to persist and smile and try to persuade the other person to do what is right.
For foreigners, this can be particularly difficult.
In the past the Taiwanese have relied on family first and friends second to get things done.
Because of this, it is important for them to know people and to exchange favors.
So it is necessary to have strong relationships with people when it comes to business or dealing with government bodies and the law.
If someone has a problem with, for example, the city council, a friend who knows another friend will talk with them to solve the problem.
Again, foreigners who come from countries where things are done through a contract or by law can find this hard to understand.
Taiwan is slowly changing here too but the system of "guanxi" as it is known, is still very strong.
So a foreigner may find that he needs to ask a favor of a friend and that later the friend may ask him for one.
He may also find people asking him for favors first and if he says no, this may cause a misunderstanding.
Because of the need to give face to others, it is important to make people feel good.
Therefore Taiwanese will often flatter guest, especially foreigners.
At the same time they will often be modest about themselves or the food they are serving.
So there is a mixture of flattery and modesty that can also be quite confusing to foreigners.
For example, a Taiwanese may tell a foreigner that their Chinese is very good and be modest about how well they can speak English-even if they speak it very well.
It is a good idea for foreigners not to take this too seriously.
Taiwan is a place where people often give gifts.
They can be given on many different occasions not just birthdays.
In Chinese New Year children are given gifts of money.
In weddings the happy couple is also given money.
Money is given in red envelopes as red is thought of as the color of good fortune.
However, you must not give certain numbers such as four, 40, 400 etc. as this is the number of death.
In the West it used to be that people avoided the number 13.
In Taiwan they avoid the number four.
Even today, hospital in Taiwan have no fourth floor.
In no circumstances should death ever be discussed.
When Taiwanese tourists visit America they usually do not go to "Death Valley."
When visiting a person's home it is usual to bring a gift.
This can be fruit, chocolates or wine.
When you give a gift you should give it with both hands and you should be modest about it saying what a small gift it is etc.
The person receiving it will put it to one side to open later.
They do not open it in front of the person giving it.
If you are given a gift you should act the same way.
If giving a more expensive present it is important to wrap it nicely.
Taiwanese people like foreign products and brand items.
Do not give white gifts or money in white envelopes as white is the color of death.
For the same reason do not give clocks as gifts.
Taiwanese people take off their shoes in other people's houses.
They may say to foreigners that there is no need but a foreign visitor should take them off anyway.
He or she will find that they will immediately be given some slippers.
Another thing to remember is that it is considered respectful to greet the eldest person first when you come into someone's house.
E: Gee, you've really got to be careful here.
I was reading about this idea of "face." It's hard to guess about people's feelings.
L: You are so right.
It's very easy to hurt people's feelings without meaning to.
E: It seems to be even more important than in the West.
L: It's connected to some many areas of life; your job, how much money you have and even if you get angry.
E: But I've seen some important people get angry here.
It can't be that important.
L: I think Taiwan is changing.
Maybe people aren't so concerned with it any more.
E: I heard though that the richer you are the more face you have.
L: Yeah, I guess some people might still think that E: Are there any other social ideas I have to think about?
L: You'll probably meet the idea of "guanxi." E: What's that?
L: Well, you know the old English expression, "You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours?" E: Oh, is that what it is?
L: You do a favor for me and I'll do one for you.
If you help me, I'll help you.
E: But like "face" it seems stronger here.
L: The reason for that is that you don't just do it once.
You build up a lot of relationships by doing favors for the same people all the time.
E: It's like what they call "networking" in the West.
L: That's it.
It's no surprise business cards are so common in Taiwan.
You have to have guanxi!
E: That's a little tough on anyone who hasn't got much.
I mean, suppose you have a problem with the government or someone official'?
L: Right.
If need some help with official business you you need to know someone before it gets done.
E: Of course that used to be a problem in the West too.
L: Yes, until they began to use ways to make sure everything was fairer.
That's starting to happen more in Taiwan too.
The civil service is being trained to deal properly with people and so on.
E: I guess Taiwan has to develop that way too.
So if I get asked for a favor or I need one I have to remember this.
L: Yes, it's very easy to have a misunderstanding.
You have to be careful too sometimes the favors aren't the same size.
E: You mean you might need a small favor and then they ask for a big one later?
L: You've got it.
If you like the person and it's not too much trouble then why not?
But sometimes it could be something awkward.
E: You mean like something you're not supposed to do?
L: That's correct.
You could find yourself in a difficult position.
E: I'll have to remember that.
The other thing I wanted to ask you about was when they tell you your Chinese is very good.
L: [Laughs] Yeah, I think you have to be careful about that.
You remember I told you about how important it is not to make anyone lose face?
E: Yeah.
L: It's connected to that.
You want to make people feel good so there's a lot of flattery in this society.
E: So they want to make me feel good.
L: They're just trying to be polite.
Of course, I don't know.
Maybe after two months here maybe your Chinese is great!
E: [Laughs] I don't think so!
But it's nice of them to say so!
L: It's also nice if you flatter others.
It also gives the Taiwanese a good feeling if you are humble.
E: Good.
That gives me an opportunity to tell them my Chinese isn't so great!
E: You know, it's a little strange.
People sometimes ask me if I have just eaten.
They seem very interested in how much I've eaten.
L: I think they're being polite.
They're probably saying hello to you in the Chinese way.
They don't understand it's different in English.
E: So when they're asking me if I've eaten, they're asking me how I am.
Is that correct?
L: That's it.
As you know, they're pretty interested in food.
E: With all the Chinese restaurants around the world and the great food in them, it's not too surprising.
L: Even in the street, you can often find stalls that have some great little snacks.
In the night markets you can have a great time eating!
E: Why are they so interested in food?
L: Well some people say it's because for a long time the Chinese were afraid of not getting enough food for themselves and their families.
E: I suppose there were famines sometimes, huh?
L: Famines, droughts and wars.
Any of these could leave people hungry.
So rice was important.
E: It's like potatoes with the Irish, isn't it?
It was the main food.
As long as you had that you could survive
L: That's correct.
And the Chinese associated rice and food with prosperity.
If you were rich you could eat as much as you wanted.
E: So even today when everyone has plenty to eat in Taiwan, there is still this kind of thinking about food.
L: That's right. Rice in the south of China and noodles in the north.
E: Really?
You think of the Chinese eating both all over China.
Why was that?
L: The weather, I think.
The weather in the north is generally better for growing wheat instead of rice.
E: So the Taiwanese have rice with every meal, do they?
L: At home they do.
But at formal business meals they don't because it's seen as too cheap for those kinds of meals.
E: I think "face" might have something to do with this maybe?
L: I think you're right.
The other reason that the Chinese and Taiwanese are so interested in food is that there is so much variety.
E: Right.
That's because China is so big and each area has its own kind of cooking, huh?
L: Yeah and when the Chinese came over in the late 1940s they brought all their different kinds of cooking with them.
E: So you've got almost all the main Chinese styles here.
L: It's a great place for food lovers!
You can also get many different kinds of foreign food in the big cities.
Thai, Vietnamese, French, Indonesian can all be found.
People celebrate many festivals in Taiwan.
A visitor can find them very enjoyable and colorful.
Workers are glad to get the holiday.
The traditional festivals also help to keep Taiwanese culture alive in the modern world.
Because they are set by the lunar (Moon) calendar, the dates change every year in the western calendar.
As well as the normal Chinese festivals, there are also local Taiwanese ones.
For example, Matsu Goddess of the Sea, is very popular in Taiwan because of the importance of fishing.
Therefore around the island, you may often find a festival to celebrate her.
Another example is the City God of Taipei whose birthday is celebrated every year.
If you go to Yenshue there is a particularly crazy fireworks festival which takes place at the same time as the Lantern Festival.
People wear protective clothing while rockets and fireworks explode around them.
Visitors come from around the world to participate.
Every year some people are hurt so if you do go, wear protective clothing (including a helmet).
There are also aboriginal and modern cultural festivals.
If you find yourself in an area where there are many aborigines such as the east coast, you may be lucky to see one.
Their harvest festivals are especially popular.
There are many varied modern festivals including the stone sculpture one in Hualien and the Children's Folklore & Folkgame Festival.
Chinese New Year is the big event of the Chinese year (around end of January-early February in the western calendar).
It is a time when families, no matter how far away they live, come together to eat and talk.
Traditionally, the mother and daughters will prepare special foods such as sticky cakes and rice and special dumplings.
There are many unusual beliefs about Chinese New Year.
Although there is special food, some people do not eat meat on New Year's Day.
This is to bring them long and happy lives.
The second day of the New Year, they are kind to dogs because this is considered the birthday of the dogs.
On other days they will visit other relatives, give respect to parents-in-law and welcome the God of Wealth.
Because farming used to be so important, farmers also have some special celebrations and make traditional drinks.
From the 10th to the 12th days relatives are invited for dinner.
The house is specially decorated with flowers and short poems written on red paper.
As we have seen above, red is considered lucky and white is the color of death.
Therefore red is emphasized and white discouraged at this time.
Children and elderly people are given money in red envelopes.
The floor is not swept in case good fortune is swept out the door too.
Firecrackers are set off and traditional folk activities such as lion dancing are enjoyed in the streets.
Today, perhaps not many people believe in the old ideas about good and bad fortune etc.
However, they often like to follow the old traditions in the same way as Western people do.
On the 14th day of the New Year Season people get ready for the Lantern Festival on the 15th.
This is often known as the "second New Year" and marks the end of the New Year season.
People make lanterns which today are highly decorated.
In the old days only the rich and powerful made such lanterns but now it is almost a kind of art.
Some of the lanterns are shaped like animals or have other interesting shapes.
So it is an old tradition which has been modernized.
Children carry the lanterns into the streets and temples are also decorated with them.
Nowadays, different places have their own public festivals.
For example, the one in Taipei which was started in 1990 is now very famous.
It uses modern technology to give an exciting light display.
Many people go to it every year in Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Park.
Another important time is Dragon Boat Festival (around June).
In the old days summer was a time when disease was especially bad so this festival was at the start, to drive off disease and evil ghosts.
As time passed, the story of Chung Yuan was added to the festival.
He was a poet of the sticky old China who drowned himself when the leader of his country would not listen to his advice.
Some fishermen raced their boats into the river to try to save him.
When they could not, they threw sticky rice balls into the river to stop the fish eating his body.
This is supposed to have started the traditions of dragon boat racing and of eating sticky rice balls on this day.
The dragon boat are made up of teams from many different organizations, students, businessmen, soldiers etc. and are very highly decorated.
This festival is growing in popularity not only in Taiwan but around the world too.
The Taiwanese believe that ghosts leave Hell for one month.
So in order to ensure the ghosts are happy and do not bother them they celebrate "Ghost Month" (around August).
Families pray for the ghosts of their ancestors and food is left out for the "hungry ghosts." The food is soon eaten by the Taiwanese as they believe the smell of the food is enough for the ghosts.
Other ideas are to burn specially printed ghost money so their ancestors have enough money in Hell.
Ghost Month is seen as an unlucky time and very few people get married or open businesses at this time.
The last major event is the "Moon Festival" also known as "Mid-Autumn Festival" (around September-October).
On the night of the full Moon people will meet with their families to eat "moon cakes", pomelos and to look at the Moon.
It was to honor the Moon.
A number of different legends connected with the Moon developed.
Where Westerners talk about the "man on the Moon," the Taiwanese talk about the woman or the "rabbit on the moon." As time passed, people began to make "moon cakes" to give to their relatives.
Traditional moon cakes are made with eggs and flour but nowadays many new types (such as pineapple) have been made.
About 600 years ago the Chinese fought against their Mongol rulers.
The story is that messages to start the fight were hidden in moon cakes which were sent around the country.
The Chinese began to fight at the same time and threw out the Mongol rulers.
This story is now part of the Moon Festival.
E: Well that sounds like a possibility.
Knowing him he'd probably want to try it himself!
L: Now, if he wants something that can be seen all over the island and is very Chinese he could come at "Hell Month" in August.
E: What are you talking about?
L: He doesn't worry about bad luck, does he?
E: No, he's a very relaxed happy man.
L: He isn't easily scared, is he?
E: He isn't frightened by ghosts or bad luck or monsters or anything like that.
What is this about?
Some kind of Chinese Halloween?
L: Something like that.
The Chinese believe that every year the doors of Hell are opened and the ghosts take a vacation.
E: So that's what you meant by ghosts and bad luck and so forth.
You had me wondering if you'd hit your head or something.
So what do people do around then?
L: Not too much.
It's a very unlucky time of year.
E: Let me guess.
People don't get married, buy houses or a lot of other things.
L: Yes.
They also leave out food for the ghosts so that they can avoid bad luck.
E: Well, I guess he could come and listen to a few ghost stories!
E: Well that sounds like a possibility.
Knowing him he'd probably want to try it himself!
L: Now, if he wants something that can be seen all over the island and is very Chinese he could come at "Hell Month" in August.
E: What are you talking about?
L: He doesn't worry about bad luck, does he?
E: No, he's a very relaxed happy man.
L: He isn't easily scared, is he?
E: He isn't frightened by ghosts or bad luck or monsters or anything like that.
What is this about?
Some kind of Chinese Halloween?
L: Something like that.
The Chinese believe that every year the doors of Hell are opened and the ghosts take a vacation.
E: So that's what you meant by ghosts and bad luck and so forth.
You had me wondering if you'd hit your head or something.
So what do people do around then?
L: Not too much.
It's a very unlucky time of year.
E: Let me guess.
People don't get married, buy houses or a lot of other things.
L: Yes.
They also leave out food for the ghosts so that they can avoid bad luck.
E: Well, I guess he could come and listen to a few ghost stories!
D: It still has the feel of an island.
It has a lighthouse, plenty of seafood restaurants and a temple to Matsu.
D: Who's that?
L: She's the Goddess of the Sea.
E: Maybe we'll try it.
Are there any sights in or near the city?
L: Well, if you do go down to Kaohsiung, you'll definitely want to visit Lotus Lake.
E: The sounds are pretty, Wwhat about the place itself?
Is it some kind of park?
L: That's right.
The lake has a large park with many temples and other attractive buildings around it.
Quite a few tourists visit it.
D: Let me guess.
Are these temples to that Sea Goddess you told us about?
L: I don't think so but there's one to Confucius which is the biggest one in Taiwan.
There are also two pavilions dedicated to the God of War with a statue of Kuanyin the Goddess of Mercy.
E: Is there anything that's particularly interesting in the park?
L: Well, there are two pagodas, one for the tiger and one for the dragon.
A lot of people like to go in the dragon's mouth and out of the tiger's.
It's supposed to bring you good luck.
D: That's always useful.
L: Another favorite place for visitors is Fokuangshan.
It's a famous Buddhist monastery.
D: Can you stay there?
L: Yes, they'll take you in for a few days.
Of course you have to follow the rules, vegetarian food etc.
However, a lot of people like to do it.
D: Is there anything else worth looking at?
L: There are quite a few museums, a Hakka cultural center and a lot of nice country side around the city.
However, you might like to take a day trip to Kenting National Park.
Many people go there from Kaohsiung.
E: That sounds good.
We'll probably need to see somewhere natural after a while.
Two other important temples are those of Confucius and the God of War.
The Confucian temple is the oldest one in Taiwan.
It was also a Confucian school.
This is why it is called the "First School in Taiwan." There are still some stones with words carved rules for the Confucian students to on them that gave follow, such as not drinking wine.
As usual in Confucius' temples, on September 28 there are interesting ceremonies to remember the wise man of China.
As with Confucius' Temple, that of the God of War is the oldest in Taiwan.
His statue is seen with a big sword and on a horse.
Government officials offered sacrifices to the god hundreds of years ago.
The God of War was originally a Chinese general who was also very good at business.
So this is a temple where businesspeople come in hope of ensuring good luck.
As time has passed people have given the temple new decorations and gifts so it is a very attractive one.
In the past it is said that women were stopped from entering the temple by its high step.
There are many other attractive temples in Tainan.
Other sights include the Great South Gate, Anping Old Culture Hall-in the oldest street in Taiwan- and the Chikan Towers, with a museum of old Dutch things.
Just outside the city, along the New West Coast Highway, there is an area of natural beauty where visitors can do some bird watching.
Visitors will be struck by the amount of activity and liveliness that occurs at places of worship in Taiwan.
One of the most interesting temples is located in Taipei, itself, Longshan Temple in Taipei City.
Zhinan Gong in the Maokong district south of Taipei is also definitely worth a visit.
Buddhist architecture fans will think they have found heaven at Shitoushan, which hosts several temples, or at Tainan, the oldest city in Taiwan; it's essential to visit at least three of Tainan's hundreds of temples.
The temple of Confucius, the oldest and most beautiful temple on the island, enjoys a quiet and peaceful atmosphere.
The Dongyue Temple enshrines a sobering wall painting that illustrates, in great detail, the sufferings in hell.
Last but not least, the Nankunshen Temple, north of Tainan, attracts people each year for an exuberant festival that includes exorcism.
One of Taiwan's most important religious events is the annual Mazu Pilgrimage during the third month of the lunar calendar.
Mazu, the sea goddess of Fujian Province, migrated to Taiwan in the 17C with the Fujianese people.
She has become the most revered deity in Taiwan; more than 870 temples are dedicated to her.
To observe the oldest and the largest celebration, head to Dajia (Taichung County) to see festivities prepared to welcome the procession: puppet and theater performances, float parades, and dragon and lion dances.
The procession moves from Dajia to Xingang (Chiayi County) and back to Dajia over a period of 9 days and 8 nights.
The return journey to Dajia, when Mazu's statue is brought back on her palanquin to her shrine, isn't any less lively; devotees are heartily welcomed by their families and friends on their way back home.
Foundation Day Observed every January 1, this island- wide holiday remembers the day China became a republic.
On January 1, 1912, Dr. Sun Yat-sen became the first president of the newly formed republic.
Plenty of fireworks light up the night skies after daytime parades and speeches.
Lunar New Year/Chinese New Year Officially a two-day holiday, this celebration is the longest and most significant of Chinese festivals, lasting up to 15 days.
Houses, cleaned to dispel bad luck, are festooned with red strips of paper bearing blessings (chunlian).
Families convene to light torches and feast on rice cakes called niangao.
Most businesses close.
Families exchange gifts; children receive "lucky money" in small red packets (hong bao).
Yanshui Fireworks Festival This hugely attended event occurs two weeks after Chinese New Year.
Lantern Festival The final day of the Lunar New Year celebration marks the beginning of the 7-day Lantern Festival.
Elaborate lanterns, often modeled after figures from Chinese astrology, are lit throughout the island and sweet dumplings called yuanxiao are consumed.
Sky Lantern Festival This festival, held in the town of Pingxi in Taipei County, is part of the Lantern Festival.
Thousands of paper lanterns lit with candles and inscribed with wishes glow in the night sky.
Several different carnivals are held throughout the celebration.
Guanyin's Birthday This religious festival is held at the island's Buddhist temples, such as Longshan Temple in Taipei, to honor the goddess of mercy.
Dajia Mazu Pilgrimage Thousands of people convene to view the annual pilgrimage of Mazu, the revered goddess of the Sea, as her statue is carried on a 300km/184mi journey around Central Taiwan.
The 9- day religious procession-the island's most elaborate-begins and ends at Zhenlan Temple in the west coast town of Dajia.
Alishan Cherry Blossom Festival From late March to early April, cherry blossoms are in full bloom in the Alishan Forest Recreation Area.
The region boasts a variety of species, with blossoms ranging from vibrant pinks to creamy whites.
Breathtaking sunrises are an added bonus of springtime here.
Flying Fish Festival Orchid Island (Lanyu) is the setting for this annual custom of the Tao (Yami) aborigines.
Arrayed in traditional costume, men launch their newly handcrafted boats on the open sea and call forth blessings at the start of the fishing season.
Spring Scream Staged yearly in South Taiwan's Kenting National Park-known for its beautiful beaches-this festival is especially popular with young Western expatriates who throng the town of Kending, the festival's epicenter.
Held over several days, the event features area and international indie bands that perform in a variety of venues.
Tomb Sweeping Day The Taiwanese honor their deceased ancestors on April 5 by sweeping their graves and paying respects at temples throughout the island.
Mazu's Birthday Celebrated in the third lunar month, joyous tribute is paid at hundreds of temples around Taiwan to this popular deity with fireworks and dancing.
Bunun Festival Based on a male coming-of-age ritual of the aboriginal Bunun tribe, this festival centers on a practice known as "ear-shooting"-marksmanship with a bow and arrow.
Other competitions include wood-chopping and millet- husking, activities once central to the tribal way of life.
Sanyi Woodcarving Festival The town of Sanyi, in Miaoli County, lauds its well-known woodcarving industry with displays, music and carving contests.
 Taipei Traditional Arts Festival Extending from April through June, this city-wide event focuses on traditional Chinese music, performed largely by the Taipei Chinese Orchestra at Zhongshan Hall.
Dragon Beat Festival Held the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, this popular race pits teams against each other, rowing to the beat of drums in decorated boats The competition is based on the story of Qu Yuan, a 3C BC poet and government official who was loyal to his sovereign, but lost trust as he was edged out by peers.
Fishermen failed to save him when he threw himself overboard after being exiled.
Yingge Ceramics Festival The town of Yingge, famous for its pottery and ceramics, stages this festival each year to showcase its highly varied output.
Amis Harvest Festival Evolved from a ceremony of gratitude to the gods for rain and a bountiful harvest, this colorful festival showcases the costumes, dances, songs and local food of the indigenous Ami people.
Ghost Month Starting in August, the customs of burning paper money and incense mark the period when ghosts are believed to emerge from hell and visit the living.
Festivals are held in cities such as Keelung to appease the spirits.
Mid-Autumn Festival/ Moon Festival This traditional festival is celebrated with family feasting that typically includes barbecues, dancing, moon gazing and eating mooncakes-the special pastries that symbolize the moon.
Confucius' Birthday Also known as Teachers' Day September 28 commemorates the birthday of the revered teacher philosopher and honors teachers in general.
Double Tenth Day/National Day Observed on October 10, this holiday heralds Sun Yat-sen's overthrow of the Qing dynasty in 1911, leading to the formation of the republic.
Retrocession Day October 25, the day in 1945 when Taiwan was freed from half a century of Japanese rule, is remembered.
Festival of Austronesian Cultures Held in Taitung, on Taiwan's dramatic East Coast, this festival presents the cultural diversity of the region's Austronesian peoples.
Festival-goers will be treated to an array of traditional snacks, crafts demonstrations and musical performances.
Sun Yat-sen's Birthday November 12 is observed in honor of the Republic of China's first president.
Commemorative speeches are given in tribute to the revolutionary leader.
Constitution Day An important historical milestone, December 25, 1946, is memorialized as the day in which the Republic of China's new constitution was adopted.
Countdown Party On December 31, Taipei holds its massive New Year Countdown Party with pop stars and a midnight fireworks spectacle.
Fengshui, which literally translates as "wind and water," is a form of geomancy in which material elements in one's immediate environment, natural and manmade, are blended in harmony to allow beneficial qi (氣) to flow.
Qi is "vital energy" that flows through the natural world.
The visitor to modern, high-tech Taiwan will see fengshui in practice all around, if they know where to look.
Restaurants, homes and other places might have an aquarium in the entrance, placed at a right angle.
The square shape deflects bad energy, and the fish inside may absorb it; a fish found floating is believed to have died from it and thus protected the premises.
Few banks or hotels have their counters directly facing the doors, for such placement invites profits to flow out.
Rural hillsides will be covered in tombs facing every which way; each of these has been positioned individually for perfect fengshui, on advice of a geomancer.
Traditional folk religion is a kaleidoscopic combination of deities, spirits and mystical beliefs.
Elements that the visitor will most likely see practiced ancestor worship and fengshui.
Outsiders generally believe that Confucian respect for elders is the source of ancestor worship, but Confucius bowed to the already common tradi- tion of honoring, and praying to, one's ancestors.
It is commonly believed that when person passes away, he or she becomes a spirit, entering another world where there are material needs much like our own.
 Many deities, in fact, serve roles similar to the officials of imperial days; the City God overseeing each urban area is a prime example.
Most families will burn paper money and offer food before a family altar that holds a tablet, considered sacred, inscribed with the names of most often three generations (sometimes more) of predecessors.
The spirits partake of the essence of the food, which the family consumes later, and the smoke carries the essence of the money to the next world.
In modern times, unusual items such as paper TVs, expensive cars and mansions are burned-all in miniature.
If the ancestors are well taken care of, they protect home and hearth, but if abandoned, the family is inviting ill fortune.
Erected in 1738 by Fujianese settlers-but rebuilt many times since then-the temple faces south.
It's designed with three main sections: front, middle and rear halls.
It is awash in golds and ted (gold symbolizes heaven and red, happiness), Lanterns hang everywhere.
When going through the front hall, visitor pass a pair of bronze columns decorated with dragons.
Four other pairs are found in the middle hall.
The statue of Guanyin (called Avalokite?vara in Sanskrit) stand in this hall and is flanked by Wenshu, the bodhisattva of transcendent wisdom and Puxian, the bodhisattva action.
Wenshu is recognizable by the flame sword he wields, cutting down ignorance, whereas Puxian is holding a flower.
Around them are dispatched the 18 arhats, enlightened disciples of the Buddha.
The rear hall contains a hall of Guanyu (on the left), where worshipers can pray to the fourth of the Four Great Bodhisat- tvas in Chinese Buddhism, Dizang (Ksiti garbha in Sanskrit), the bodhisattva of hell beings, depicted as a monk with a nimbus around his shaved head.
He car- ries a staff to force open the gates of hell and a wish-fulfilling jewel to lighten the darkness.
In the Mazu Hall, the goddess Mazu receives the prayers of people asking her to grant them a safe return when they are traveling by sea or land (air travelers should refer to Guanyin).
Mazu is shielded by her two trustwor- thy bodyguards: Qianli Yan (Thousand Mile Eyes), who helps her monitor the disasters of the world, and Shunfeng Er (Thousand Mile Ears), who is in charge of listening to the complaints of the world for her.
Bordered by Ketagalan Boulevard and Gongyuan Road, this park is dedicated to the victims of the 2-28 Incident, when protesters against the Kuomintang government were massacred on February 28, 1947.
Today the park is a much-used green space within Taipei's concrete-heavy urbanscape, offering Japanese-style gardens, ponds, arched bridges, walking paths and an amphitheatre as places for rest and renewal.
 Established in 1908 during the Japanese era, the park was the first European- style urban park in Taiwan.
In 1930 Taiwan's Japanese authorities built a radio station within it to serve as headquarters for the Taipei Broadcasting Bureau, a propaganda arm.
A year later, the Taiwan Broadcasting Bureau was founded, broadcasting island-wide from the park.
After the Kuomintang took over the island, the park was renamed, and the broadcasting association became the Taiwan Broadcasting Company, with the same function of dispensing propaganda.
In 1972 the Taipei government began administering the radio station.
The buddings of Taiwanese democracy prompted the government's acknowledgement of the 2-28 Incident, as well as the subsequent creation of a memorial museum within the former radio station, and the renaming of the park.
 In the park's center, the memorial consists of a post-Modern sculpture of a needle standing on three cubes.
The 2-28 Memorial Museum, facing the memorial on the east, provides a detailed explanation of the 2-28 Incident by way of testimonies and exhibits.
The current renovation will add new exhibit space to the museum.
A wall of mementos next to the museum is graced with spider lilies 2-28 Memorial Peace Park, the symbol of peace.
A small hall is enclosed within glass walls on which photographs of the victims have been posted.
KEELUNG Keelung's Ghost Festival The seventh lunar month is known as Ghost Month throughout the Chinese-speaking world, since popular religious tradition-a unique confluence of both Buddhist and Daoist rituals-maintains that the Gates of Hell open on the first day of this month and close on the last day.
During this period spirits of the deceased are free to wander the earth and cause trouble, especially the "hungry ghosts" more commonly called "good brethren".
Elaborate ceremonies and fabulous feasts are prepared to satiate them.
These celebrations take different forms in different places around Taiwan.
Two of the most unusual are the "grappling with ghosts" in Yilan's Toucheng Township, and Keelung's Badouzi fishing harbor, where lanterns are launched onto the sea.
The main Keelung ceremony takes place on the 14th day of the 7th lunar month, but for the entire month, the city is in party mode.
Key activities, starting with ritual opening of the gates of a tower housing funereal urns at Laodagong Temple are televised and broadcast nationwide.
During the evening lanterns, each inscribed with a family name, are paraded through Keelung's streets on decorated floats.
The event originated following a particularly nasty clash between descendents of Quanzhou and Zhangzhou Fujianese immigrants in 1851, in which more than Floating looterns, Keelung 0people died.
To heal the split community, a lantern festival honoring the dead was devised based on family names, most of which were shared by both groups, rather than based on ethnic division.
The floats make their way along the coast to Badouzi, followed by crowds of citizens.
There, shortly before midnight, with fireworks whizzing into the air, the decorated lanterns are carried into the sea by teams of men, and then set adrift until they catch fire and sink.
Everyone then heads for home, or back to Keelung's famous Temple Entrance night market, which does good business well into the small hours of the morning.
During the annual Lantern Festival (15th day of the Lunar New Year holiday), Taichung Park comes alive with red and yellow glowing lanterns.
On the evening of the festival, just before the full moon rises, firecrackers resound throughout the town, scaring ghosts.
At dusk crowds pour into the park, carrying lanterns.
This gathering is one of the city's favorite communal events, an ancient tradition that remains alive in the 21C.
At midnight on a carefully chosen day during the third lunar month--usually in mid-April-surrounded by throngs of people, clusters of devotees, swirls of chaotic ritual and the ear-splitting thunder of fireworks underfoot and overhead, a magnificent icon of the goddess Mazu is lifted from her altar a Zhenlan Temple in Dajia (45min north of Taichung), and the annual Mazu Pilgrimage begins.
For more than 200km/124mi, the statue of Mazu, goddess of the Sea, is carried on a palanquin from the temple south through Taichung, Changhua, Yunlin and Chiayi, and then back again to Zhenlan.
Along the way, the goddess will visit more than 80 temples, bringing them good fortune by her very presence.
The pilgrimage, a chaotic procession often more than a kilometer long, is a churning sea of activity that combines vigorous rituals, solemn parades of devotees, clusters of curious onlookers and the colorful costumes, masks and icons of various folk deities.
Sometimes detain or "steal" the Zhenlan Mazu, and bring the good-luck goddess to their own temples to acquire good karma.
Shoving, scuffling and even brawls are not uncommon.
Devotees will also to ignore the roaring firecrackers and duck beneath the palanquin to bring themselves good luck.
Despite the all-encompassing commotion, visitors will be struck by the genuine devotion etched on the faces of the believers, many of whom leave their jobs and follow the goddess for the entire journey.
The layers of Taiwanese folk religion run deep, and the Mazu pilgrimage is a pageant that beautifully illustrates this unique aspect of Taiwan.
Of Taiwan's many Confucian temples Tainan's is the oldest and the most complete.
Confucius, one of the world's greatest teachers, thought that education should be available to all, not just to the aristocracy.
The tablet hanging above the main entrance, the East Gate of Great Achievement, reads "Taiwans Foremost School" (全臺首學), indicating the temple's status as Taiwan's first official learning institute.
Koxinga's son, Cheng Ching, commissioned the temple in 1665, and it remained the most prestigious school until the end of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911).
Like other Confucian temples, its design is elegant and simple, in contrast to Tainan's many ostentatious temples.
There have been several reconstructions, but the temple has maintained its original integrity and is believed by many to be the best example of Fujianese-style temple architecture in Tainan.
In advance of the 2009 World Games, Lotus Pond was drained, cleaned and deepened to serve as the venue for water-skiing and dragon-boat competitions.
At the same time, non-native fish and turtle species, many of them released by Buddhists trying to earn merit, were removed.
Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival (鹽水蜂炮) Suddenly all falls quiet---the excitement and fear are palpable.
Bearers begin to rock their heavily protected palanquins carrying statues of deities.
The first bottle rockets shoot out of their "hives" like angry bees and slam into the thrill-seeking festival-goers, who must hop repeatedly to keep from being trampled or hit by the blazing fireworks.
Aimed first at the feet, the rocket barrage eventually ends over the heads of the crowds, as each salvo discharges row by row.
The noise of hundreds of exploding rockets is deafening.
Attracting tens of thousands of spectators, this event is among the world's most dangerous festivals.
Ambulances and fire trucks are on hand to deal with emergencies.
Between 10-100 attendees end up in hospital each year, either burned or crushed in the mayhem.
Village houses regularly catch fire.
Cannon walls are bamboo or metal shelves filled with fused bottle rockets stacked horizontally-like a honeycomb-and aimed at the crowd.
They are topped by a vertical pyrotechnic array poised to erupt after the rockets are spent.
Large cannon walls are almost two-stories high and eight-meters wide; smaller walls are the size of a sawhorse, but all are loaded with rockets equally capable of inflicting harm.
During the festival, rockets ricochet around the town day and night.
Personal protection is essential: heavy clothing, helmet, gloves, boots, earplugs, facemask, even a towel for your neck, with all holes taped shut for extra safety.
In the final stage, when fireworks light up the sky, spectators cautiously lift their helmet visors and take a deep breath as the acrid smoke clears.
They slap each other on the back, some slaps to congratulate, some to put out lingering fires, Hard-core revelers trudge to the next wall to experience it all again.
What is now a spectacle began as a religious rite to exorcise small towns of disease.
When an epidemic plagued the village of Yanshui nearly two centuries ago, a statue of Guan Gong was carried through the streets on a palanquin accompanied by firecrackers to scare away evil demons associated with the sickness.
The epidemic faded after two decades and thereafter, Guan Gong was paraded annually.
Guanyin Cave Around a southerly bend in the island's ring road, this cave is marked with a red and white arch.
According to local lore, an unexplained light beaming from the limestone cave guided a fisherman lost at sea to shore.
Residents searched for the source of the light, and came upon the cave containing a stalagmite resembling Guanyin, the goddess of Mercy sitting atop a lotus.
The cave, which contains an underground river, remains a holy site today.
A snack stand sells venison fried rice and venison noodle soup, ice cream and sunglasses.
Boat-burning festivals are a tradition born of plagues and other harsh conditions endured by early coastal folk in southeastern China.
Desiring to expel an epidemic from their midst, villagers loaded boats with statues of the responsible demons, as well as lavish gifts to coax these gods on board, before sending the vessels out to sea.
Significant numbers of these boats and their pernicious cargo beached on the shores of southwestern Taiwan.
There, fearful local recipients built temples to honor the beached gods in hopes of gaining protection from the pestilence-or alternatively, treated them to a feast before the boats were sent to sea again.
Modern medicine has diminished the role of pestilence gods.
The once-dreaded ritual has become a much- anticipated festival that culminates in a royal boat being set ablaze.
The belief is that disease and disaster will rise to the heavens with the smoke, ensuring peace and prosperity to the faithful.
Boat-burnings festivals are held today in Donggang.
Penghu Island and elsewhere in Taiwan.
Taiwan’s most popular public holidays are Chinese Lunar New Year, and the commemoration of the founding of the Republic of China, which coincides with the solar New Year.
January 1-3 開國紀念日-New Year's Day and the founding of the Republic of China
Chinese New Year 春節-Differs each year according to the lunar calendar-usually in late January early February.
The three-day national holiday for Chinese New Year is observed throughout Taiwan; almost all businesses are closed.
February 28 和平紀念日-Peace Memorial Day commemorates the Incident of 1947.
April 5 清明節 Tomb-Sweeping Day
Dragon Boat Festival 端午節-5th day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar.
Mid-Autumn Festival 中秋節-15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar.
October 10 國慶日-National Day
Lunar Calendar (n?ngli) There are two calendars in use in Taiwan.
One is the Gregorian, or solar calendar (yinli), which westerners are familiar with; the other is the Chinese lunar calendar.
The two calendars do not correspond with each other because a lunar month is slightly shorter than a solar month.
To keep the two calendars in harmony, the Chinese add an extra month to the lunar calendar every 30 months, essentially creating a lunar leap year.
Thus, the Chinese lunar New Year, the most important holiday, can fall anywhere between 21 January and 28 February on the Gregorian calendar.
Calendars showing all the holidays for the current year are readily available in Taiwan.
These calendars look almost exactly like the ones westerners are familiar with, but the lunar dates are shown in smaller numbers.
Renao (r?n?o) It's hard to translate into English, but renao means something like lively', 'festive', 'happy' and 'noisy' - especially 'noisy.
Many Taiwanese seem immune to noise.
You'll notice that department stores and restaurants have background music blaring at around 100 decibels.
This is used to attract customers, whereas in the West it would surely drive them away.
Lighting firecrackers is also very renao.
Many people in Taiwan have asked me why Americans like to live in the suburbs and commute to the city for work.
“The city is so much more exciting (renao),” they say, 'so why would anyone want to live out in the lonely countryside?' You may meet a number of people in Taiwan who must work in the country, but they live in the city, where housing is much more expen- sive, and commute every day to the country.
Why?' you ask.
'Because,' they say, 'the city is a good place to raise children.'
Guanxi (guanxi) The closest English word to this would be 'relationship'.
However, guanxi has stronger meaning, similar to the English expression 'You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours'.
To build up good guanxi, you have to do things for people: give them gifts, take them to dinner, grant favours and so on.
Once this is done, an unspoken obligation exists.
It is perhaps because of this unspoken debt that people automatically try to refuse gifts.
They may not wish to establish guanxi with someone, because, sooner or later, they may have to repay the favour.
Even after it is repaid, guanxi is rarely terminated.
It is a continuing process of mutual gift-giving, back-scratching and favouritism that can last a lifetime.
Guanxi also helps if you know the right people, as it can help you avoid a lot of red tape and may be mutually beneficial to all parties.
This is very important in traditional Chinese society, where stifling bureaucracy can make it difficult to accomplish anything.
Of course, guanxi exists everywhere, and it's stronger on the Chinese mainland than in Taiwan, s0 you are likely to encounter it eventually.
Those doing business with local people should be particularly aware of guanxi.
Gift Giving This is a very complex and important part of Chinese culture.
When visiting people it is important to bring a gift, perhaps a tin of biscuits, flowers, a cake or chocolate.
As a visiting foreigner, you will that people want to give you gifts.
Gift giving is a fascinating ordeal, sort of like bargaining in reverse.
Your host will invariably refuse the gift.
You are expected to insist.
The verbal volleyball can continue for quite some time.
If the host accepts too readily, then they are considered to be too greedy.
They must first refuse and then you must insist.
When receiving a gift, never open it in front of the person who gave it to you.
That makes you look greedy.
Express your deep thanks, then put it aside and open it later.
In Asia, having 'big face is synonymous with prestige, and prestige is important throughout the continent.
All families, even poor ones, are expected to have big wedding parties and throw money around like water in order to gain face.
The fact that this can cause bankruptcy for the young couple is considered far less serious a problem than losing face.
Much of the Taiwanese obsession with materialism is really to do with gaining face, not material wealth.
There are many ways to gain points in the face game: owning nice clothes, a big car (even if you can't drive), a piano (even if you can't play), imported cigarettes and liquor (even if you don't smoke or drink), or a golf club membership (even if you don't know where the golf course is).
Therefore, when choosing a gift for a Taiwanese friend, try to give something with snob appeal, such as imported liquor, perfume, cigarettes or fine chocolates.
Things imported from the US, Europe or Japan are good options that will please your host and help win you points in the face game.
Flatter your host and guest to give them big face.
Words of praise like, 'You're so intelligent and humorous (or beautiful etc)' will go down well, If you speak three words of Chinese someone will surely say, 'You speak Chinese very well'.
The proper response should be self-deprecating: 'Oh no, my Chinese is very bad' (probably true).
Boasting is a real faux pas.
Remaining humble is very much a part of the Confucian tradition.
The Chinese are famous for their humility and you will often hear Taiwanese saying things like 'Oh, I'm so ugly and stupid!'.
Be sure not to agree with such comments, even in jest.
The Taiwanese believe strongly in omens, which probably explains why Chinese geographical names always mean something wonderful, like 'Paradise Valley', 'Heaven's Gateway' or 'Happiness Rd'.
There is one national park in the US the Taiwanese never visit - Death Valley.
The Taiwanese are really into longevity; death is a taboo topic.
Don't talk about accidents and death as if they might really occur.
For example, never say 'Be careful on that ladder or you'll break your neck': that implies it will happen.
Chinese people almost never leave a will, because to write a will indicates the person will soon die.
If you wrote a will in Taiwan, it would be virtually impossible to find a local to witness your signature for you.
They will not want anything to do with it.
In spoken Chinese, the word for four sounds just like the word for death.
As a result, hospitals never put patients on the 4th floor.
If you give someone flowers, always give red flowers, not white.
White symbolizes death.
Many Chinese are afraid to receive a clock as a gift, a sure sign that someone will die soon.
The Chinese (lunar) New Year has its special taboos and omens which affect your fortune in the coming year.
During New Year's Day don't wash clothes or you will have to work hard in the coming year, and don't sweep dirt out of the house or you will sweep your wealth away.
Also, be sure not to argue during New Year, or you will face a year of bickering.
Young people and urban dwellers are far less likely to pay heed to taboos and omens than the elder generation and rural residents.
Many religions are practised in China, and all the major ones have been carried over to Taiwan.
One outstanding fact from Chinese history is that the Chinese have never engaged in religious wars.
The main religions of China are Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism.
Most Taiwanese consider themselves at least nominally Buddhist-Taoist-Confucianist, which makes for some pretty interesting temples.
Buddhism (F? Ji?o) One of the world's great religions, Buddhism originally developed in India, from where it spread all over east and South-East Asia.
With this spread of influence, the form and concepts of Buddhism have changed significantly.
Buddhism today has developed into numerous sects, or schools of thought, but these sects are not mutually exclusive or antagonistic towards one another.
Buddhism was founded in India in the 6th century BC by Siddhartha Gautama (563-483 BC), partly as a reaction against Brahmanism.
Bon as a prince, Siddhartha lived during his early years a life of luxury, but later became disillusioned with the world when he was confronted with the sights of old age, sickness and death.
He despaired of finding fulfilment on the physical level, since the body was inescapably subject to these weaknesses.
Dissatisfied with the cruel realities of life, he left his home at the age of 29 and became an ascetic in search of a solution.
At the age of 35, Siddhartha sat under a banyan tree and in a deep state of meditation, attained enlightenment.
He thus became a Buddha, meaning 'enlightened one'.
It is claimed that Gautama Buddha was not the first Buddha, but the fourth, and he is not expected to be the last.
Central to Buddhist philosophy is the belief that all life is suffering.
All people are subject to the traumas of birth, sickness, feebleness and death; the fear of what they most dread (incurable illness or personal weakness); and separation from what they love.
The cause of suffering is desire - specifically the desires of the body and the desire for personal fulfilment.
Happiness can only be achieved if these desires are overcome, and this requires following the eight-fold path.
By following this path the Buddhist aims to attain nirvana.
Volumes have been written in attempts to define nirvana; the sutras (the Buddha's discourses) simply say that it's a state of complete freedom from greed, anger, ignorance and the various other chains of human existence.
The first branch of the eight-fold path is 'right understanding': the recognition that life is suffering, that suffering is caused by desire for personal gratification, and that suffering can be overcome.
The second branch is 'right mindedness': cultivating a mind free from sensuous desire, ill will and cruelty.
The remaining branches require that one refrain from abuse and deceit: show kindness and avoid self-seeking in all actions; develop virtues and curb passions; and practise meditation.
Many westerners misunderstand certain key aspects of Buddhism.
First of all, it should be understood that the Buddha is not a god but a human being who claims no divine powers.
In Buddhist philosophy, human beings are considered their own masters and gods are irrelevant.
Reincarnation is also widely misunderstood.
It is not considered desirable in Buddhism to be reborn into the world.
Since all life (existence) is suffering, one does not wish to return to this world.
One hopes to escape the endless cycle of rebirths by reaching nirvana.
Buddhism reached its height in India by the 3rd century BC, when it was declared the state religion of India by the emperor Ashoka.
It declined sharply after that as a result of factionalism and persecution by the Brahmans.
Numerous Buddhist sects have since evolved in different parts of the world.
Classical Buddhists will not kill any creature and are therefore strict vegetarians They believe that attempting to escape life's sufferings by committing suicide will only bring more bad karma and result in rebirth at a lower level.
Yet there are other Buddhist sects that hold opposite views.
During the 1960s, for example, South Vietnamese Buddhists made world headlines by publicly burning themselves to death to protest government policies.
Somehow, the various sects of Buddhism manage not to clash with each other.
Buddhism reached China around the 1st century AD and became its prominent religion by the 3rd century.
Ironically, while Buddhism expanded rapidly throughout east Asia, it declined in India.
Buddhism in China is mixed with other Chinese philosophies such as Confucianism ud Taoism.
The Chinese, in particular, had a hard time accepting the fact that they should not wish to return to this life, as they believe in longevity.
As many as 13 schools of Buddhist thought evolved in China, the most famous, perhaps, being Chan, which is usually known in the West by its Japanese name, Zen.
Taoism (Dao Ji?o) Unlike Buddhism, which was imported from India, Taoism is indigenous to China.
It is second only to Confucianism in its influence on Chinese culture.
The philosophy of Taoism is believed to have originated with a man called Laozi (whose name is also variously spelled Laotze, Laotzu or Laotse).
Laozi literally means 'old one'.
Relatively little is known about Laozi, and many question whether or not he really existed.
He is believed to have lived in the 6th century BC and been the custodian of the imperial archives for the Chinese government.
Confucius is supposed to have consulted him.
Understanding Taoism is not simple.
The word tao (pronounced d?o) means 'the way'.
It's considered indescribable, but signifies something like the essence of all things.
A major principle of Taoism is the concept of wuwei, or 'doing nothing'.
A quote attributed to Laozi, 'Do nothing, and nothing will not be done', emphasises this principle.
The idea is to remain humble, passive, nonassertive and nonaggressive.
Chien Szuma (145-90 BC), a Chinese historian, warned 'Do not take the lead in planning affairs, or you may be held respons?ble'.
Nonintervention, or live and let live, is the keystone of the Tao.
Harmony and patience are needed, action is obtained through inaction.
Taoists like to note that water, the softest substance, will wear away stone, the hardest substance.
Thus, eternal patience and tolerance will eventually produce the desired result.
Westerners have a hard time accepting this.
The Western notion of getting things done quickly conflicts with this aspect of the Tao.
Westerners note that the Chinese are like spectators, afraid to get involved.
The Chinese say that westerners like to complain and are impatient.
Taoists are baffled at the willingness of westerners to fight and die for abstract causes, such as a religious ideal.
It's doubtful that Laozi ever intended his philosophy to become a religion.
Chang Ling is said to have formally established the religion in 143 BC.
Zhuangzi (also spelled Chuangtzu or Chuangtse) is regarded as the greatest of all Taoist writers.
You can find a collection of Zhuangzi's work in The Book of Zhuangzi, The Book of Chuangtzu and The Book of Chuangtse, which are available in English.
Taoism later split into two schools, the 'Cult of the Immortals' and the 'Way of the Heavenly Teacher.
The former offers immortality through meditation, exercise, alchemy and various other techniques.
The Way of the Heavenly Teacher has many gods, ceremonies, saints, special diets to prolong life and offerings to the ghosts.
As time has passed, Taoism has become increasingly wrapped up in the supernatural, witchcraft, self-mutilation, exorcism, fortune telling, magic and ritualism.
Confucianism (R?jia Sixiang) Confucius is regarded as China's greatest philosopher and teacher.
The philosophy of Confucius has been borrowed by Japan, Korea, Vietnam and other neighbouring countries.
Confucius never claimed to be a religious leader, prophet or god, but despite this his influence is so great in China that Confucianism has come to be regarded as a religion by many.
Confucius (551-479 BC) lived through a time of great chaos and feudal rivalry known as the Warring States Period.
He emphasised devotion to parents and family, loyalty to friends, justice, peace, education, reform and humanitarianism, and preached against practices such as corruption, excessive taxation, war and torture.
He also emphasised respect and deference to those in positions of authority, a philosophy later heavily exploited by emperors and warlords.
However, not everything said by Confucius has been   universally praised - it seems that he was also a male chauvinist who firmly believed that men are superior to women.
Confucius preached the virtues of good government, but his philosophy helped create China's horrifying bureaucracy, which exists to this day.
On a more positive note, his ideas led to the system of civil service and university entrance examinations, where positions were awarded on ability and merit, rather than from noble birth and connections.
He was the first teacher to open his school to students on the basis of their desire to learn rather than their ability to pay for tuition.
The philosophy of Confucius is most easily found in the Analects of Confucius (Lunyu).
There have been many quotes taken from these works, the most famous perhaps being the Golden Rule.
Westerners have translated this rule as 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you'.
Actually, it was written in the negative: 'Do not do unto others what you would not have them do unto you'.
No matter what his virtues, Confucius received little recognition during his lifetime.
It was only after his death that he was canonised.
Emperors, warlords and mandarins found it convenient to preach the Confucian ethic, particularly the part about deference to those in authority.
Thus, with official support, Confucianism gained influence as a philosophy and has attained almost religious status.
Mengzi (formerly spelled Mencius; 372-289 BC) is regarded as the first great Confucian philosopher.
He developed many of the ideas of Confucian ism as they were later understood.
Although Confucius died some 2500 years ago, his influence lives on.
The Chinese remain solidly loyal to friends, family and teachers.
The bureaucracy and examination systems still thrive, and it is also true that a son is almost universally favoured over a daughter.
It can be said that, even to this day, Confucian thought is behind much of Chinese culture.
Numerous forms of worship exist in Taiwan.
Many people have altars in their houses and you can frequently see people performing a worship ceremony (b?ib?i) in front of their homes.
A worship ceremony can take many forms, as they're performed for varying reasons.
Often, you will see somebody burning pieces of paper, which represent money.
If the money has a silver square in the middle it's 'ghost money'; if it has a gold square it's 'god money'.
The money is usually burned to satisfy a 'hungry ghost' from the underworld (hell) so that it will not bother you or members of your family.
The money could also be for a departed relative who needs some cash in heaven.
Truck drivers often throw ghost money out of the window of their vehicles to appease the 'road ghosts', to ensure that they don't have an accident.
Some people place the ashes of ghost money in water and drink the resulting mixture as a cure for disease.
Another custom practised is the burning of paper models of cars and motorbikes so the dear departed may have a means of transport in heaven.
Incense is frequently burned, often placed on a table with some delicious-looking food which is meant for the ghosts.
However, after the ghost has had a few nibbles, the living will sit down to a feast of the leftovers.
It's also possible to rent or borrow carved images of the deities to take home from the temple for home worship ceremonies.
If you visit a temple in Taiwan, you will probably encounter some strange objects that you may not have seen before.
One such object is a box full of wooden rods called a qian.
Before praying for something you desire, such as health, wealth or a good spouse, you must select a rod from the qjan.
Then pick up two kidney-shaped objects called shimbui (shimbui is a Taiwanese word, not a Mandarin one).
Drop them on the ground three times.
If two out of three times they land with one round surface up and one flat surface up, then your wish may be granted.
If both flat sides are down, then your wish may not be granted.
If both flat sides are up, the god is laughing at you.
Many festivals are held throughout the year in accordance with the lunar calendar Some festivals only occur once every 12 years, at the end of the cycle of the 12 lunar animals.
Some festivals occur only once every 60 years.
This is because each of the 12 lunar animals is associated with five elements: metal, wood, earth, water and fire.
The full cycle takes 60 years (5x 12) and at m the end of this time there is a 'super worship' festival, which may involve tens of thousands of participants.
You can frequently see a Taoist street parade in Taiwan, complete with crashing cymbals and firecrackers.
The purpose is usually to celebrate a god's birthday.
Look closely at the temples in Taiwan and you will see some Chinese characters inscribed on every stone, engraving, painting and statue.
These characters are not those of the artist, but rather the names of the people who have donated money to purchase that particular temple ornament.
Should you donate some money to a temple, you may also have your name engraved in stone.
Other than monks and nuns, today practically nobody in Taiwan receives any formal religious education.
Therefore, the majority of the population understands little of the history and philosophy behind Buddhism and Taoism.
2-28 (Er Er Ba) This, Taiwan's newest public holiday (established 1997), commemorates the events of 28 February 1947, when thousands of Taiwanese were massacred in a military crackdown against political dissent.
Establishing this as a public holiday was the brainchild of the DPP, and it's still very controversial.
It's entirely possible that this holiday could be cancelled.
Youth Day (Qingni?n Ji?) Youth Day falls on 29 March.
Of course, all schools are closed on this day.
Tomb Sweep Day (Qing Ming Ji?) A day for worshipping ancestors; people visit and clean the graves of their departed relatives.
They often place flowers on the tomb and burn ghost money for the deceased.
It falls on 5 April in most years, 4 April in leap years.
Teachers' Day (Ji?oshi Ji?) The birthday of Confucius is celebrated as Teachers' Day on 28 September.
There is a very interesting ceremony held at every Confucian temple on this day, beginning at about 4am.
However, tickets are needed to attend this ceremony and they are not sold at the temple gate.
The tickets can sometimes be purchased from universities, hotels or tour agencies, but generally they are not easy to obtain.
National Day (Shuangshi Ji?) As it falls on 10 October - the 10th day of the 10th month National Day is usually called Double 10th Day'.
Big military parades are held in Taipei near the Presidential Building.
At night there is a huge fireworks display beside the Tamsui River.
It's one of the more interesting times to visit Taipei.
The rest of the country tends to use this day to head to beaches, karaoke bars etc.
Retrocession Day (Guangfu Ji?) Taiwan's Retrocession Day, 25 October, celebrates Taiwan's return to the ROC after 50 years of Japanese occupation.
There are only three lunar public holidays: the Chinese New Year, the Dragon Boat Festival and the Mid-Autumn Festival, but many festivals are also held according to the lunar calendar.
Chinese (Lunar) New Year (Chun Ji?)
The Chinese celebrate New Year on the first day of the first moon.
Actually, the holiday lasts three days but many people take a full week off work.
It is a very difficult time to book tickets, as all transport and hotels are booked to capacity.
Workers demand double wages during the New Year and hotel rooms triple in price.
Dragon Boat Festival (Duanw? Ji?) On the fifth day of the fifth moon, colorful dragon boat races are held in Taipei and in a few other cities - they're shown on TV.
It's the traditional day to eat steamed rice dumplings (zongzi).
Mid-Autumn Festival (Zhyng qiu Jie) Also known as the Moon Festival, this takes place on the 15th day of the eighth moon.
Gazing at the moon and lighting fireworks become very popular at this time.
This is the time to eat tasty moon cakes (yu? bing), which are available from every bakery.
Lantern Festival (Yu?nxi?o Ji?) Also known as Tourism Day, the Lantern Festival is not a public holiday, but it still ranks as a very colorful celebration.
Hundreds of thousands of people use this time to descend on the towns of Yenshui, Luerhmen and Peikang to ignite fireworks these towns good places to visit or avoid, depending on how you feel about fireworks and crowds.
Kuanyin's Birthday (Guansh?yin Shen-gri) The birthday of Kuanyin, goddess of mercy, is on the 19th day of the second moon and is a good time for temple worship festivals.
Matsu's Birthday (M?zu Shengri) Matsu, goddess of the sea, is the friend and patron of all fishermen.
Her birthday is widely celebrated at temples throughout Taiwan.
 Matsu's birthday is on the 23rd day of the third moon.
Ghost Month (Gui Yu?) Ghost Month is the seventh lunar month.
The devout believe that during this time the ghosts from hell walk the earth, making it a dangerous time to travel, go swimming, get married, or move to a new house.
If someone dies during this month, the body will be preserved and the funeral and burial will not be performed until the following month.
As Chinese people tend not to travel during this time, it's a good time for visitors to travel easily around the island and avoid crowds.
It is also a good time to see temple worship.
On the first and 15th day of the Ghost Month, people will be burning ghost money and incense and placing offerings of food on tables outside their homes; the 15th day is usually the most exciting day of the month.
Ghost Month is the best time to visit a Taoist temple - an experience not to be missed.
Compared with Taiwan's ornate Buddhist and Taoist temples, the Confucius Temple is a modest place.
There are no statues or deities and the only time it comes to life is on 28 September, the birthday of Confucius (Teachers' Day), when there is an interesting festival held at dawn.
If you're around at this time, check the tourist offices or your hotel to see if you can get a ticket to this festival.
Probably the easiest way to get to the temple (at 275 Talung St) is via the Tamsui MRT line to Yuanshan station.
2-28 PEACE PARK This was once known as New Park, but the name was changed in 1997 by Taipei's then-mayor (and now president) Chen Shuibian.
The park's new theme is to honour the anti-Kuomintang (KMT) protestors and innocent bystanders who were murdered in the military crackdown that began on 28 February 1947.
The park's pleasant tree-shaded grounds contain a lake, a pagoda, pavilions and 2-28 memorabilia, including the 2-28 Museum.
Chenghuang Temple The temple contains lots of artwork and is especially active during Ghost Month and on the 1st and 15th days of the lunar month (see Public Holidays and Special Events in the Facts for the Visitor chapter).
You'll find the temple near the intersection of Chungshan Rd and Tungmen St.
Confucius Temple Built in 1665 by General Chen Yunghua, a Ming dynasty supporter, this is the oldest
Confucian temple in Taiwan. The temple is at 2 Nanmen Rd, near the main police station.
On 28 September -the birthday of Confucius- a colourful ceremony is held at dawn.
Dajia Zhenlan Temple is the shrine for worshiping Mazu.
Mazu is the goddess of sailors and fishermen.
Every spring, many worshipers come here for Mazu’s birthday celebration.
Mazu is the goddess of the sea that watches over fishermen.
On the Lantern Festival, a lot is drawn to decide on the exact date to start the Mazu tour.
The parade of Mazu is regarded as one of the major world religious festivals.
Tainan Confucius Temple was built in 1666.
That was the first Confucius Temple and the “Highest Institute” in Taiwan.
Tainan Confucius Temple is, of course, a First Grade Historic Site.
The Confucius Temple itself is a site of traditional culture.
All families get together for dinner on Lunar New Year’s Eve.
When I was a kid, I always looked forward to the Red Envelopes.
What are the Red Envelopes?
They are small red paper envelopes that contain money.
Do you receive the Red Envelopes as gifts?
Only when you are a kid, but you give the Red Envelopes after you grow up.
It is much more fun to be a kid than an adult.
Most Taiwanese get a week holidays for the Lunar New Year.
Before the Lunar New Year’s Day, all families clean up their places.
Most people give out the Red Envelopes after the reunion dinner.
At the Lunar New Year’s Eve, people set off firecrackers.
On the Lunar New Year’s Day, people dress in new clothes to visit their relatives.
On the second day of the Lunar New Year, married daughters visit their parents with their husbands and children.
Colorful dragon and lion dance are in the street.
All people hope to start a new year with a fresh beginning.
Have you tasted "Tangyuan" before?
What is "Tangyuan"?
It is a glutinous rice ball eaten at the Lantern Festival.
What else do you do during the festival?
People carry lanterns or watch lantern parades.
Do families get together at this time?
Many families get together and enjoy guessing lantern riddles.
I am sure they eat "Tangyuan" at the same time.
People enjoy a family reunion on the night of the Lantern Festival.
Traditionally, the Lantern Festival is the last day of the Lunar New Year.
"Tangyuan" is made of glutinous rice ball with fillings, cooked in a soup.
"Tangyuan" has different fillings, such as peanut butter and sesame.
In the Tang Dynasty, guessing lantern riddles became part of the festival.
The lantern riddles are often about health and family prosperity.
Tomb Sweeping Day is a day to worship ancestors.
We clean up the weeds around the ancestors’ tombs.
Do you clean up the tombs together with other family members?
That’s right, and it is a day for family reunion, too.
I’m going to buy some spirit money for Tomb Sweeping Day.
Is it the paper money you burn to offer to the ancestors?
You’re right, and we burn it next to the tombs.
Westerners don’t usually worship their ancestors like that.
We also lay food out in front of the tombs with smoking incense.
Do all family members get together for that ceremony?
Some families send their representatives.
Tomb Sweeping Day is on April 5th and is a national holiday.
Offerings are laid out for the ancestors, along with spirit money.
Some cold dishes are eaten especially on Tomb Sweeping Day.
It is a good tradition to clean up the graves of ancestors.
People celebrate the coming of spring on Tomb Sweeping Day, too.
Afterwards we eat the food we offered to our ancestors.
Incense burning is very important in the ceremony.
Spirit money is paper money we burn for our ancestors in another world.
Take a look at the dragon boat racing over there!
Do you see those colorful dragon boats?
Are they racing now?
Yes, it's for the Dragon Boat Festival.
Really? That sounds quite interesting.
The yellow dragon boat just got the first prize.
Let me quickly take a photo.
Do you want to watch the dragon boat racing?
Of course, please take me with you.
You've heard of the Dragon Boat Festival, haven't you?
I don't think so.
It is a holiday for Qu Yuan, who drowned himself in a river.
Why did he do that to himself?
The emperor at his time wouldn't listen to him.
I suppose it was to the emperor's loss.
The Dragon Boat Festival is on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month.
Qu Yuan threw himself into the Miluo River and died.
The locals dropped wrapped rice into the river so that fish wouldn't eat Qu Yuan's body.
Rice dumplings are sticky rice wrapped in bamboo leaves.
The locals paddled out on boats to look for Qu Yuan's body.
Nowadays people hold dragon boat races at the Dragon Boat Festival.
Many people wear perfumed medicine bags to keep away evil spirit.
In Taiwan, the Dragon Boat Festival is also celebrated as "the Poet's Day".
At Hungry Ghost Festival all ghosts will come out.
We have a day for ghosts, Hungry Ghost Festival.
Is that similar to Halloween?
Not quite similar.
When is this Hungry Ghost Festival?
The 15th of July of the lunar calendar, the Ghost Month.
What can I do to avoid the ghosts around that time?
Many people burn incense in front of their stores
What god are they worshiping?
Today is Hungry Ghost Festival, a day when all ghosts come out.
Are they worshiping the ghosts?
All people who died before us are worshiped on this day.
Your ancestors are worshiped on Tomb Sweeping Day, aren't they?
Some ghosts, who are not worshiped, wander around for food.
Now I see what the food on the tables is for.
There are rituals for the Hungry Ghost Festival in almost all temples.
In Buddhist temples, ancestors are especially worshiped on this day.
Food and drinks are laid out in front of doors to serve the hungry ghosts.
People worship at the Hungry Ghost Festival for peace of mind.
In the Ghost Month, many hungry ghosts wander about.
We hope the ghosts do not make trouble for us.
In the Ghost Month, many people avoid going swimming.
Many ghost stories are talked about in the Ghost Month.
How about tasting the hand-made moon cake?
Do you see many stores selling moon cake now?
Why are they called moon cake?
They are sweet pastry eaten at the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Is it a festival about the moon?
On that night, the moon is said to be most beautiful.
Let's watch the moon together on that night.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is around the corner.
When is it exactly?
It is on August 15 of the lunar calendar, and this year it is on September 30th.
What are you going to do to celebrate it?
My family will get together and have a barbecue outdoors.
Why do you have a barbecue at the Mid-Autumn Festival?
My family just wants to get together to admire the moon together.
Moon cake is also part of the feast, right?
The Mid-Autumn Festival is also known as the Moon Festival.
Chang-Er took her husband's magic medicine and flew to the moon.
The Jade Rabbit pounds medicine, together with Chang-Er.
Chang-Er and the Jade Rabbit live on the moon forever.
Admiring the moon with the family must be a lot of fun.
Is there anywhere I can learn how to make moon cake?
單句
China is a country with many nationalities.
Each nationality has its own customs and traditional festivals and each festival usually has fascinating legends associated with it.
Chun Jie (The Spring Festival) The Spring Festival, or Chinese New Year, is the most important festival in China, and its celebration dates back to some two thousand years ago.
It marks the beginning of the lunar year, and is the time when families get together and are reunited if they have been separated.
The date of the festival varies each year, but is usually in late January or early February according to the Gregorian calendar.
On Lunar New Year's eve, the sound of firecrackers can be heard throughout the night signifying "doing away with the old and making way for the new" The practice of letting off firecrackers, however, is on the decline because many cities have banned their use to prevent fires and accidents caused by the paper bombs.
It is an old custom for people to stay up late or all night on New Year's Eve.
In cities, most people stay up late watching TV, playing cards, dancing or preparing food for the next day.
Yuan Xiao Jie (The Lantern Festival) The Lantern Festival falls 15 days after the Lunar New Year.
It is a tradition to hang decorative lanterns in public places and eat "Yuan Xiao", a kind of glutinous rice flour ball with a sweet or savory filling.
Qing Ming Jie (The Pure Brightness Festival) The Pure Brightness Festival, is the fifth of the 24 solar terms according to the traditional Chinese calendar, which are defined according to the position of the sun in the zodiac.
The festival takes place on the fourth or fifth day of the fourth month of the Gregorian calendar, and on this day people usually go to tidy or "sweep" the graves of their departed friends and relatives, and of revolutionary martyrs.
Duan Wu Jie (The Dragon Boat Festival) The Dragon Boat Festival falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month.
It originates as a means to propitiate the river dragon gods into a popular festival commemorating the suicide of Qu Yuan, a poet of the Warring States Period (BC) who could no longer bear the moral degeneration of his state.
On the fifth day of the fifth month in the Lunar calendar dragon boat races are held in commemoration of those who tried to save the poet and as an offering to the river gods Dragon boat racing has now become a popular sport in China.
Zhong Qiu Jie (The Mid-Autumn Festival) The Mid-Autumn Festival is held on the 15th day of the eighth Lunar month, the middle of autumn in the traditional Chinese calendar, it takes place at harvest time on the night of the full moon, which symbolized unity.
Moon cakes are eaten on this auspicious day.
These are round cakes filled with dried fruits, and are symbolic of the perfect roundness of the moon at the time of the festival.
Public holidays New Year's Day (one day off); Spring Festival (three days off); Labour Day (May 1, three days off); The National Day (October 1, three days off) Foreign experts are entitled to the above holidays and many activities are arranged both locally and nationally to which experts will be invited.
In addition, experts are entitled to holidays on occasions of important festivals in their own countries, such as Christmas, watersplashing festival, Corban, etc.
Work schedules must be arranged to fit in with such holidays, as the Chinese do not normally celebrate them.
Chong Yang Jie (Double Nine Festival) Double Nine Festival is a traditional Chinese festival on the 9th day of the 9th month of the Chinese Lunar calendar, In the "Books of Changes", nine (9) is defined as a positive figure ("Yang"), and "Chong" in Chinese means "double", so it is called "Double-Nine Day".
On the day people go outing, climbing, kite-flying, drink wine (chrysanthemum wine) and eat cakes.
The day has been appointed as "Senior Citizens' Day", " Nine" pronounces the same sound as "longevity" in Chinese, so on the day when they celebrate the festival people do things to show respect and wishes of longevity to their elderly.
Other festivals: Water Splashing Festival is New Year's Day of the Dai and some other minority nationalities residing on Hainan Island, which falls on the 15th day of the 6th month of the Dai calendar usually a mid-April day.
Early in the morning during the festival, female villagers would gather to pour water over Buddhist sculptures "to wash the dust off.
After that villagers, especially boys and girls would sprinkle water on each other, believing that diseases and germs can thus be eliminated.
Christmas and Easter for Chinese Christians, and Corban and Ramadan for Muslims are also observed among some people in some places.
Lantern Festival, Pingxi Heavenly Lantern Festival(元肯節、平溪天燈)
Celebrated on the 15th day of the first lunar month, the Lantern Festival is one of the biggest and most colorful events of the year in Taiwan.
Make sure to visit Pingxi to enjoy the Heavenly Lantern Festival, when the night sky comes alight with thousands of ascending lanterns bearing wishes for the New Year.
Ghost Festival(中元祭典)
The Keelung Ghost Festival dates back to an epic feud 140 years ago between immigrant clans from Zhangzhou and Quanzhou in mainland China.
After the long fight, the locals began holding an annual ceremony to help the spirits of those killed during the feud to ascend to heaven.
Since then the festival has grown to become one of the main annual events in Keelung.
Dajia Mazu Pilgrimage(大甲媽祖繞境)
Known as the Goddess of the Sea, Mazu is one of the most widely revered of Taoist deities in Taiwan.
During Mazu's birthday, celebrated on the 23rd day of the third lunar month Mazu temples across lawan cary their resident statue of the goddess on a pilgrimage accompanied by a procession of thousands of followers.
The pilgrimage from Dajia's Zhenlan Temple to Fengtian Temple in Xingang.
Chiayi County is one of the grandest, attracting over 100.000 Worshippers.
Yanshui Beehive Rocket Festival(鹽水蜂炮)
This festival traces back to the 1885 plague in the town of Yanshui.
In order to seek divine protection from Guansheng Dijun, the townspeople held a ceremony on the god's birthday lighting firecrackers to welcome the deity and also to drive off evil spirits.
Today, thousands of people fill the streets in Yanshuei for this pyrotechnic spectacle during the Lantern Festival.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is on August 15 in lunar calendar every year, between September and October in Gregorian calendar.
According to the lunar calendar, autumn is from July to September, August is the second month of autumn, so it is known as “mid-autumn”.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the four main Chinese festivals including Lunar New Year, Tomb Sweeping Festival and Dragon Boat Festival, and it is also a traditional festival in other countries or regions such as South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, and Ryukyu.
Autumn is a harvest season.
In ancient times, the harvest celebration each year was always held in the full-moon day in autumn to appreciate the gods and the whole family members would also gather together in the celebration.
This symbolizes reunion and completeness, which is also the original meaning of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
There is a rich food culture in Taiwan, so different special foods can be tasted in this grand festival; for instance, the mooncakes which must be eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival have various tastes and flavors in Taiwan.
These range from the traditional time-honored flavor to the modern innovative flavor to satisfy the taste buds of all the people.
The pomelo produced in autumn is a particular taste for this season.
The pomelo in Madou, Tainan City is the most popular pomelo variety and
Its juicy and sour-sweet taste is unforgettable.
Most Mid-Autumn Festival activities are related to the moon.
Every country or district has different customs and celebration methods.
In Taiwan, the importance of the Mid-Autumn Festival ranks only second to the Lunar New Year.
It is a family reunion day because people working far away from home always travel back home to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival with dearest family members.
The celebration activities include worshiping the earth, appreciating the moon and sweet osmanthus, and eating mooncakes and pomelo.
The custom of enjoying the pomelo originates from the homophony of you (柚pomelo in Mandarin) and you (佑 blessing in Mandarin pronunciation) to pray for the blessing in daily life.
Besides, the largest difference between Taiwan and other countries is that Taiwanese always have a barbecue on the Mid-Autumn Festival, but the barbecue activity is actually not highly related to the Mid-Autumn Festival.
In the past, there was no traditional custom of barbecue in Taiwan.
However, since the 1980s, the successful advertisement of barbecue sauce led the tide of barbecue on the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Since then, “barbecue during the Mid-Autumn Festival” has become one of Taiwanese’s most favorite annual activities.
In the Mid-Autumn Festival, the full moon represents the reunion and carries the emotion of missing hometown and family members.
Thus, the Mid-Autumn Festival has become a colorful and precious cultural heritage.
Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the four most important holidays in Taiwan, along with Chinese New Year, Tomb Sweeping Day, and Dragon Boat Festival.
Mid-Autumn Festival is held on the fifteenth day of the eighth month on the Chinese calendar, which is usually in late September or early October.
On Mid-Autumn Festival there is a full moon, so families like to go outside at night and look at the beautiful moon while they have barbecues with family and friends.
People eat moon cakes, which are small, round, sweet cakes filled with egg yolks, bean paste, and other things.
They also eat pomelos, a fruit that looks like a large grapefruit.
Sometimes children use the peel of the pomelo to make a hat.
There is an old story that is often told on Mid-Autumn Festival about a man named Hou Yi and his wife Chang E.
Many years ago, there were ten suns in the sky.
The weather was too hot and everything was dying.
Hou Yi was a good archer, so he used his bow and arrow to shoot down nine of the suns.
Everyone was very happy, and to thank him, a goddess gave him a medicine that would make him live forever.
But Chang E took the medicine, and flew to the moon.
Chinese New Year is the most important festival celebrated by the ethnic Chinese.
Also known as the Spring Festival, Chinese Lunar New Year and Lunar New Year, the Chinese New Year is based on the Chinese lunar calendar, begins on the first day of the first lunar month, and the Lantern Festival celebrated on the 15th day of the first month marks the grand finale of the Chinese New Year celebrations.
On the Chinese New Year's Eve, family members would gather to share a sumptuous family dinner, and manage to stay up all night to welcome the New Year as it is believed that parents would live a longer life for doing this.
The first day of the Chinese New Year, people would dress in red (symbolizing luckiness and propitious) to visit relatives and friends, as well as wish everyone a prosperous year.
In the past, children would have to kneel down and show respect to grandparents in receiving red envelopes.
However, this tradition has gradually disappeared.
Today, children receive red envelopes when greeting elders with auspicious words.
The Lantern Festival is celebrated annually on the 15th day of the first lunar month to mark the grand finale of the Chinese New Year celebrations.
It is also the very first full moon day of the New Year, symbolizing the coming of the spring.
People usually celebrate this festival by enjoying family dinner together, eating Yuanxiao (glutinous rice dumpling), carrying paper lanterns, and solving the riddles on the lanterns.
The festival is celebrated with fanfare events in Taiwan, including the internationally famed Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival in New Taipei City, Bombing Lord Han Dan in Taitung, and Yanshui Beehive Rockets Festival in Tainan, to welcome the New Year in a spirit of peace, prosperity and joy.
Bombing Lord Han Dan is a special ceremony in Taitung, which a chosen man performs in the role of Master Han Dan-a god of wealth, and gets thrown by firecrackers.
During the event, the chosen man wears nothing but a pair of red short pants, holds one bamboo fan to protect his face, stands on a sedan chair, and being carried around by four devotees.
Firecrackers are to be thrown at the chosen one as it is believed that Lord Han Dan cannot bear the cold weather.
The firecrackers are to keep him warm as well as to pray for wealth and prosperities.
The Dragon Boat Festival is a significant Chinese festival which is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month.
Its origin was to commemorate the patriotic poet Qu Yuan.
This festival is one of the three major celebrated festivals in Taiwan, together with Chinese New Year and the Moon Festival.
Out of all major Taiwan festivals, Dragon Boat Festival has the longest history with many stories telling its origin.
The most popular one is about the patriotic poet- Qu Yuan.
During the declination of China in the end of the Zhou Dynasty, Qu Yuan served as a minister to the Zhou Emperor.
Qu Yuan was a wise and articulate man well loved by the people.
The fights that he had against the rampant corruption made the other officials envy him.
The officials started spreading rumors of Qu Yuan in front of the emperor and eventually Qu Yuan had lost the emperor’s trust.
Qu Yuan then got exiled when he urged to avoid conflict with the Kingdom of Qing.
He travelled and wrote poems during his exile to.
He threw himself into Milou River after he heard that Zhou was being defeated by the Qing.
The Moon Festival is one of the three most significant festivals of the Chinese communities around the world besides the Lunar New Year (Chinese New Year) and the Dragon Boat Festival.
Originally named the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Moon Festival is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month in observance of the bountiful autumn harvest.
On the 15th day of the lunar month, the moon forms a round shape that symbolizes family reunion.
Upon this occasion, the legends of the festival are often told to the children.
National Day of the Republic of China which is known as the Taiwan National Day or Double Tenth Day is to commemorate the 1911 Wuchang Uprising, a milestone of China’s politics development and a new chapter in the history of the Chinese which led to the collapse of the Qing Dynasty.
On the 10th of October each year celebration and official ceremony are held around Taiwan.
The major official firework event will only hold by one city, but the other cities will proceed with its own celebration and activities.
Every year, the Lantern (or “Yuanxiao”) Festival marks the end of the Lunar New Year (Spring Festival) festivities.
The official Taiwan Lantern Festival is staged in a different location each time, organized by a selected county or city government.
In a break with a tradition dating back 157 years, tables of Western food were laid out this year (2012) alongside the more usual Chinese fare at the Keelung Mid-Summer Ghost Festival ( 雞 籠 中 元 祭 ), for the feeding of hungry ghosts.
Also for the first time, a priest performed Christian rituals beside Buddhist and Daoist counterparts.
This strange turn of events derived from a unique combination of religious belief and historical circumstance.
The 7th lunar month is also known as Ghost Month ( 鬼月 ), since according to popular belief the Gates of Hell are open the full month and spirits of the deceased are free to wander the earth.
Given the Han Chinese people’s complex helpand-be-helped relationship with their ancestors, this is not necessarily a bad thing.
Except, that is, in the case of “hungry ghosts” (more commonly called “good brethren”), who do not have descendents making regular offerings and who might therefore cause trouble rather than offer help from the afterlife.
Elaborate ceremonies and fabulous feasts are prepared to placate them.
These celebrations are held all over Taiwan, but the largest and one of the most colorful takes place in Keelung.
It culminates at the fishing port of Badouzi ( 八 斗 子 ), where floating lanterns are launched onto the sea.
Curiously, these lanterns are all decorated with a single Chinese character, such as 謝 (xie; “gratitude”), 林 (lin; “wood”), and 江 (jiang; “river”).
The reason for this lies in the Keelung festival’s origins.
During its long period of colonization by Han Chinese, from the early 1600s well into the 1800s, Taiwan was a frontier territory in which following the rule of law was not always easy or desired, and armed clashes were not uncommon.
These were not limited to conflicts with indigenous people, or between Hakka and Hoklo-speaking immigrants, but even occurred between members of the last group, almost all of whom hailed from either the Quanzhou or Zhangzhou regions of Fujian Province in mainland China.
One particularly nasty clash in Keelung in 1851 led to around 100 deaths.
To heal social wounds and prevent future clashes, an annual ceremony honoring the dead was mutually devised and got under way in 1855.
Rather than being based on hometown affiliations as was normal, it was organized according to clan names, since these were shared by families of both groups.
This is the origin of the character on each lantern: Each is a family name that also has other meaning.
It is believed that the farther a lantern floats out to sea, the better the luck to be enjoyed by that clan in the year to come.
Wangye Worshipping Ceremony
Taiwan wasn’t always the safe, healthy place it is today.
Until the early 20th century, malaria was a constant threat and cholera epidemics were frequent.
Lacking medical knowledge and influenced by traditions they had brought from mainland China’s Fujian and Guangdong provinces, Taiwanese of Han descent lived in fear of plague-spreading demons.
Naturally, they sought divine protection from these malevolent spirits, whom they called Wang Ye (plague gods), or“royal lords.”
Taiwan in the 1990s has experienced a flourishing of modern democratic and scientific thought at the same time traditional Taiwanese folk traditions are being renewed and adapted to a modern industrialized society.
The economic gains of recent decades have brought a boom in renovating and building Buddhist and Taoist temples.
New religious groups have arisen that meld traditional Chinese religious ideas with modern concerns.
Taiwain's religious culture reflects a unique status as a culture brought by immigrants from Fujian and Guangdong, influenced by Japanese and Western presence, and then regulated by the Guomindang Party since 1947.
The dominant religious activities are ancestral rituals and community temple festivals.
According to 1994 ROC statistics, 11.2 million out of the 21 million people in Taiwan identify themselves as religious.
Of these religious Taiwanese, 43 percent are Buddhist, 34 percent Taoists, 8 percent Yiguandao, 6 percent Christians, and 9 percent followers of other religions.
These figures do not adequately portray the rich diversity of religious rituals, sects, temples, and deities that are part of Taiwanese life.
Moreover, the ongoing vitality of Taiwanese folk religion and ancestor reverence makes the distinction between Buddhists and Taoists more a matter of preferred designation than actual practice.
Traditional Chinese concepts of humanity, nature, time, and space continue to be meaningful to the Taiwanese despite the dominance of the modern scientific worldview.
The traditional worldview envisions humans living in harmony with the natural order, usually referred to as Tian, or Heaven.
Human beings should live in harmony with the natural order by understanding and adjusting their lives to the natural order as seen in the changes of the seasons and the landscape of the earth.
The transformation within this natural order is known as Dao, or the Way.
Dao is not only the way of nature; it is the way humans should follow to live in harmony with self, others, and the natural world.
All religious and philosophical approaches teach the Way, but with different emphases and interpretations.
According to the Chinese view of a harmonious natural order, all things of heaven and earth are connected by the life force, qi.
Qi is the breath of the universe, and in humans, the breath of life.
The flow of qi and the patterns of change are understood in terms of two polar opposites: yin and yang.
Yin and yang are polar opposites seen in the transformations and relationships of all things.
Cold and hot, male and female, dry and wet, moon and sun, night and day, all are examples of yin-yang dichotomy.
Another Chinese concept that interprets relationships and change is that of the five agents: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water.
These traditional concepts--qi, the five agents, and the yin-yang polarity--are used to conceptualize and order all aspects of nature and society.
Seasons can be understood in terms of the ebb and flow of yin and yang and the alternating dominance of the five agents.
Historical change can be seen as the movement of the five agents overcoming each other.
Most significantly, the human being is a microcosm of the natural universe.
Like the rest of the universe, human life is governed by qi, the five agents, and the yin-yang polarity.
The major organs of the body are dominated by the five agents; the forces of yin and yang are balanced in a healthy body.
In Taiwan two different calendars mark the passing of time: the Western calendar for business, school and government, and the lunar calendar for religious observances and personal guidance.
The Western (Gregorian) solar calendar is the official calendar and the basis for government-designated national holidays: Founding Day of the Republic of China, Women's Day, Youth Day, Children's Day, Armed Forces Day, Teachers' Day (celebrated as Confucius's birthday), Double Ten (National Day), Taiwan's Retrocession Day, and Constitution Day: These days celebrate ROC nationalism and social progress.
The official government calendar begins with the founding of the Republic of China in 1911, so the date of "retrocession" of Taiwan to China would be given as the year 34.
Some government holidays conveniently coincide with Western and Christian holidays: Founding Day is January 1, and Constitution Day is December 25, Christmas Day.
Chinese festivals follow the traditional lunar calendar.
This calendar is based on twelve lunar months and twenty-four solar divisions and is eleven days shorter than the Western solar calendar.
The biggest festival for families in Taiwan is the lunar New Year's Day, also known as Spring Festival.
On New Year Taiwanese families try to share a meal of abundance with the entire family as they face a year of new beginnings with new clothes, newly clean homes, new finances, and renewed hope for good fortune.
(See Chapter 3 for more information on festivals.) The Chinese almanac gives information about the lunar festivals and information about auspicious and inauspicious activities for each day.
For example, the Taiwanese may consult the almanac or a specialist to find out the most auspicious days for opening a new business, getting married, or moving.
To live in harmony with nature, the Taiwanese have used the tradition of fengshui.
In the natural landscape there is the interaction of yin and yang and the flow of qi.
Humans must live in accordance with those natural forces and not disrupt them when they build new structures.
In building temples, homes, or gravesites, the Taiwanese continue to acknowledge the need for humanity and nature to live in harmony.
Thus the natural-urban landscape is conceptualized through traditional concepts such as yin-yang and qi.
The Chinese science of fengshui (wind and water) is a tradition in which experts attempt to analyze the landscape in order to see the flow of qi and the relationships of yin and yang.
3Fengshui experts are consulted to position a building or a grave in a way harmonious with its surroundings and therefore auspicious for its inhabitants (or their descendants).
A well-positioned home or temple brings good fortune, wealth, and good crops to the family or community.
Poor positioning brings various kinds of ill fortune.
The tools of the trade include ancient manuals and a special compass (luoban) that incorporate the eight trigrams (bagua), the nine primary stars and twenty- eight constellations, the five elements, and the twelve-year and sixty-year cycles.
(For more information, see Chapter 6, "Architecture.") Although fully trained traditional experts are few, a generalized knowledge of fengshui principles is widespread.
Popularizers of fengshui are numerous, and the field has become quite lucrative for those consulted in the construction of large building projects.
Now interior design and furniture placement have become areas for the application of popularized fengshui principles.
Moral philosophy and political philosophy play central roles in Taiwanese history, just as they have in China since the time of Confucius (born ca.551 B.C.).
The Confucian tradition emphasizes moral cultivation of the individual and harmonious ordering of society.
The Analects, written by Confucius students to represent his teachings, places great value on the moral virtues of benevolence (ren) and propriety or ritual (li).
The more specific virtue of filial piety (xiao) is also extolled in the Analects and countless philosophical and popular texts seeking to inculcate this respect and obedience to parents and ancestors.
Much of Confucian philosophy resonates with folk tradition and organized religion in Taiwan.
The Confucian ideal of filial piety, for example, is ritually expressed in Taiwanese funerals, ancestral shrines, and religious festivals.
The Confucian tradition is also strongly hierarchical because it emphasizes the obligations in a hierarchically ordered society centered around the bonds of father and son, elder brother and younger brother, husband and wife, elders and juniors, and rulers and subjects.
The authoritarian and patriarchal tendencies of these relationships are increasingly being questioned by the more egalitarian, democratically minded Taiwanese.
The official ideology of the Guomindang Party and the Republic of China came from the father of the ROC, Sun Yat-sen, and his Three Principles of the People (sanmin zhuyi).
Sun Yat-sen was a product of the meeting of East and West.
With his Western training, lack of classical Chinese training, and life in Western-influenced ports such as Macau and Hong Kong and abroad, he advocated a form of Chinese revolution that was highly Westernized.
His three principles were nationalism, democracy, and the people's livelihood--basically concepts from the modern West sufficiently vague to be embraced by a large portion of the Chinese.
Chiang Kai-shek, successor to Sun Yat-sen and leader of the Guomindang government in Taiwan for thirty years, had a less-Westernized background and was more interested in traditional Confucian morality.
His New Life Movement advocated four Confucian virtues as a means of strengthening the party and the nation.
He defined the classical moral virtues of propriety (li), righteousness (yi), integrity (lian), and a sense of shame (chi) in modern terms of regulated attitude, right conduct, clear discrimination, and real self-consciousness.
He envisioned a highly disciplined, rational, and frugal lifestyle.
The New Life Movement was a failure in China, but its ideas took new forms in ROC educational and social policies.
There has always been a strong Confucian emphasis in the ideal culture supported by the Guomindang government.
Chiang Kai-shek's political and moral program reflected the Confucian commitment to virtues as the foundation of leadership and government.
The Guornindang Party's early commitment to Confucian culture is seen most visibly in Taipei with its streets renamed for Confucian virtues and its temple celebration for Confucius's birthday on September 28.
Textbooks used to teach language, literature, and social studies contain moral tales illustrating the Confucian values of filial obedience, loyalty, and frugality.
The Confucian orientation of education in Taiwan goes back to the examination system by which Chinese men were trained and tested in classical texts in order to become government officials.
The official examination system entered Taiwan in 1687 and lasted until 1895.
Under Japanese rule until 1945, the educational system in Taiwan was carried out in Japanese language to further Japanese colonial rule.
When the Guomindang Party came into power in 1949, education became a means of inculcating an ideal of reunified Chinese culture.
Teaching was conducted in the Mandarin Chinese dialect, a dialect unknown to most Taiwanese.
Inculcation of loyalty to the Republic of China and its party leaders was accomplished in the schools through civics and history classes and through the rituals of Chinese patriotism with the ever-present ROC flag and portraits of Dr.
Sun Yat-sen, PresidentChiang Kai-shek, and later Presidents Chiang Ching-kuo and Lee Teng-hui.
PresidentLee Teng-hui, the first native Taiwanese president and the first to be directly elected by the people of Taiwan, officially upholds the ideal of reunification with China but also seeks greater democratization and a larger international role for Taiwan.
Although the Three Principles of the People and the reunification of Taiwan with China are official ideology of the Republic of China, they are now being challenged openly and with vigor.
With growing awareness of Taiwanese identity, many Taiwanese express resentment at an educational system that has taught them about the history and geography of an idealized China and nothing about Taiwan and its local culture.
Education and the philosophy of education is in the midst of Taiwanization.
Advocates of education reform seek to change the examination system to make it more compatible with a modern, pluralistic society.
This would include the elimination of testing on the Three Principles of the People," which critics say should not be singled out as the only political thought appropriate to modern Taiwan.
With the lifting of martial law in 1987 and growing freedom for dissent, advocates of Taiwanese culture and Taiwanese independence have become more vocal and more numerous.
The Taiwanese have been embracing their own history and culture, often suppressed by the Guomindang Party to foster a sense of identity with China.
Instead of being viewed as inferior, Taiwanese language and customs are now extolled as the culture of a free Taiwan.
Especially since the first direct presidential elections in 1996, the Taiwanese have great pride in their embodiment of democratic ideals.
Democracy, freedom, and political autonomy are the new ideals for many Taiwanese.
Philosophical interests mirror Taiwanese social changes.
In the 1960s during rapid social change and industrialization, intellectuals and students were drawn to translations of existentialists: Sartre, Camus, Kafka, and Heidegger.
Some philosophers in Taiwan are engaged in the centuries-old effort to synthesize Chinese philosophy, particularly Confucianism, with Western philosophy.
For example, the "contemporary Neo-Confucian synthesis" represented by T'ang Ch?n-Yi and Mou Tsung-san incorporates the idealistic school of Neo-Confucianism (emphasizing texts by Mencius and Wang Yangming) and the German philosophers Kant and Hegel.
New intellectual trends have mirrored new social concerns.
Recently philosophers have begun work on the philosophy of science and technology to understand the place of humanity in the highly technological society in which the Taiwanese now find themselves.
Groups silent in the past have found their voices in the more open political and social environment.
Environmentalists write essays, songs, and poetry in support of a renewed appreciation and concern for the ecological well-being of the island in the face of nuclear energy and naphtha cracker plants.
Feminists such as Lyu Xiulian (Annette Lu) have offered critiques of Confucianism as they involve themselves in Taiwanese politics.
The single voice of the Three Principles of the People has been replaced with a multitude of voices struggling to define moral and political principles for a modern Taiwan.
The renewal of interest and pride in a distinctively Taiwanese culture shows itself clearly in Taiwanese folk religion.
Taiwanese folk religion is the oldest of all religions in Taiwan, with the exception of aboriginal religions.
Folk religion is overwhelmingly the most prevalent of all religious activity.
The early settlers from Fujian and Guangdong brought with them the devotion, rituals, and images of their villages and countryside.
Early immigrant life was rough and difficult.
Religious and intellectual elites were not among the immigrant groups that developed early religious life and folk traditions.
The immigrants' safe arrival in Taiwan was often marked by the building of simple shrines for their protector deities as a means of repaying them for their safe arrival on the island.
Towns formed by immigrants from the same counties created temple traditions that gave them a sense of community in spite of the loss of their older clan traditions.
Some of these temples later became the enormous temple complexes in modern Taiwan.
Many deities worshipped in Taiwan have their roots in traditions found throughout China, such as Guanyin Bodhisattva and Lord Guandi.
The Chinese Buddhist Guanyin Bodhisattva is worshipped not only by Taiwanese Buddhists but also by Taiwanese who see her as a goddess of mercy in the folk tradition.
She is worshipped for saving people from sea wrecks, fires, and illnesses and also for bringing children to women who pray for them.
The god Guandi, originally a general of the Three Kingdoms period, has been known in China as a loyal, brave hero and later as a god.
In Taiwan his status and perceived power have grown; today he is worshipped as a healing god and a patron of businesspeople.
These two figures, Guanyin and Lord Guandi, are the deities most often pictured on the family ancestral shrines.
Most deities of Taiwan are portrayed in religious art and literature with images of bureaucratic power.
Gods and goddesses are emperors, empresses, or appointed bureaucratic or military officials who have received imperial designations of their status.
Gods of folk tradition look like Qing dynasty officials sitting on thrones in their palatial temples.
The Stove God, Zaojun, is one of the lower members of this supernatural hierarchy.
His image is found in homes, especially during the New Year's Festival.
Another popular god, Lord Tudi, sits in small shrines to bring good fortune to the farms, towns, businesses, and surrounding area.
The Jade Emperor is at the top of the hierarchy, but he is not all powerful or by any means the most important of Taiwanese gods: He reigns on high, but other deities are emotionally and practically more significant to the Taiwanese.
Other Taiwanese deities are more local spirits or divinized heroes and saints.
They are valued for their healing powers and for the protection they afford from plagues and natural disasters.
Offerings and promises made to the deities ensure their continued protection.
In Taiwanese folk religion, deities are worshipped primarily because of community membership, but individuals may also choose to worship a specific deity because of his or her reputation for providing protection, good fortune, or healing.
One of the most popular deities of Taiwanese folk religion is the goddess Mazu.
In fact, she is often considered the patron goddess of the island.
According to Taiwanese traditions, Mazu grew up in the tenth century as a pious child on the island of Meizhou in Fujian Province.
When she was just sixteen she miraculously saved her father and brother from a shipwreck.
Miraculous stories of her saving interventions multiplied, and after her death a temple was built in Meizhou.
Worship of Mazu eventually spread throughout the southern coastal fishing and farming villages and onward to the Taiwanese frontier.
She is affectionately called Mazu-po, or "Granny," by the Taiwanese, but she has numerous exalted titles given to her by Chinese emperors.
In 1409 she was given the title Tian Fei, or Imperial Concubine of Heaven.
Then in 1683 she was further elevated to Tian Hou, or Consort of Heaven.
Mazu temples and festivals are the grandest in Taiwan.
One of the Mazu temples in Peikang traces its history back to 1694, when a statue of Mazu from Meizhou was enshrined in gratitude for her protection.
Peikang's annual festival for Mazu attracts more pilgrims than any other religious festival in Taiwan.
Busloads of pilgrims from Taiwanese communities travel to Peikang to bring their Mazu statues home to the mother temple and to participate in feasting, processions, and rituals.
Taiwanese celebrated the 1,000th anniversary of her ascent to heaven in 1987 with an elaborate procession and special rituals.
Since the opening of travel to the mainland, some pilgrims have made religious journeys to the island of Meizhou to worship Mazu at the original mother temple.
Bringing back images and incense from older temples in Fujian has been one way in which Taiwanese temples have increased their stature in relation to competing Taiwanese Mazu temples.
The ties between Fujian and Taiwanese temples is a complex issue in the current discussion of Taiwanese identity.
The connections to Fujianese religions and culture reinforce specifically regional--that is, Taiwanese--culture at the same time that they acknowledge the close cultural ties to China.
Numerous temples in Taiwan are devoted to the Wangye, or Royal Lords--deities who drive away evil spirits and protect against plagues.
There are over 700 registered temples to Royal Lords on the island, but the identities of the "lords" and the rituals honoring them vary locally.
Some folk traditions tell of a lord who died while trying to stop plague spirits from harming people.
The status of Royal Lords in the supernatural hierarchy is low; they are simply ghosts who have been elevated to the status of gods.
Their powers have expanded in Taiwanese traditions to include not only preventing plague (no longer of grave concern) but also bestowing general healing and prosperity.
The Royal Lords festivals involve the destruction of plague spirits by the burning of wooden or paper boats on which the evil spirits have been placed.
In addition to the gods and goddesses, Taiwanese popular religion also recognizes other spirit-beings, particularly ancestor spirits and ghosts.
Gods, ghosts, and ancestor spirits are all closely related to the human realm.
Ancestor spirits are simply the deceased and honored ancestors who contributed to a family's patrilineal line.
The honoring of ancestors is an important part of most family rituals and religious festivals.
One of the highest moral values in Taiwanese society, filial respect (xiao), is ritually expressed through offerings to the ancestors and the maintenance of a family shrine for the ancestors' tablets.
Ghosts are the spirits of dead strangers, particularly the dead who died a violent death or have no descendants to make offerings to them.
Offerings are given to them to prevent them from causing accidents or illnesses.
The seventh lunar month is a period of heightened awareness of the dangers of ghosts because they are allowed out of the underworld to roam freely.
Ghosts are an active part of the popular Taiwanese imagination: They appear in fearsome and humorous forms in folk tales, modern horror movies, and popular television series.
Ancestor spirits and ghosts are similar to the gods of folk religion because the gods are often ancestors or ghosts who eventually became respected and worshipped for their power in a larger community.
The temples and festivals of Taiwanese folk religion are the foundation of Taiwanese folk arts, puppet and opera theaters, and community identity.
Temples are the center of more than just community religious life.
They are a place to socialize over tea, to play chess, or to watch Taiwanese opera during festivals.
The elaborate festivals for the community temple bring the Taiwanese together in ways that celebrate folk traditions and solidify community leadership, hierarchy, and relationships.
Communities strengthen mutual ties by sending representatives to one another's religious processions; representatives include temple leaders, musical bands, statues of the temple's gods, and groups of young men to perform the lion dance.
Grand feasting at Taiwanese festivals celebrates and expresses hope for continued good fortune in the community.
The temple deities are given offerings of pigs, roosters, wine, tea, fruits, and sweets. (Buddhist-related deities and the celibate goddess Mazu are generally not offered meat or wine.) 
An abundance of food is offered to the gods and then eaten with family or a larger group.
This extravagant feasting at festival time or for weddings or other special social events contrasts to the relatively frugal meals of daily life.
Taiwanese folk religion has changed over the past decades.
Temples and festivals have modernized along with society.
Religious processions include elaborate lighted floats with modern nightclub entertainers.
Moreover, the Guomindang government has worked to simplify and regulate Taiwanese folk religion to reduce waste and expense.
In some temples, such as the popular Xing Tian Gong in northern Taipei, the government's influence has been successful in eliminating elaborate offerings of livestock or spirit money.
Also banned are spirit mediums who become possessed by gods and spirits at other temples.
At Xing Tian Gong and other "reformed" temples worshippers seek the healing power of the enshrined god through the burning of incense and the making of petitions.
Blue-robed volunteers assist and advise visitors needing help with the ritual or interpretation of the written fortunes.
The traditional healing arts of China are based on concepts such as yinyang, the five agents, and qi.
Traditional Chinese medicine is also based on several millennia of experimentation.
Yin and yang are polar opposites that exist in all of nature; in the human body these two polar opposites must be in harmony for one to be healthy.
The five elements of wood, fire, metal, earth, and water are symbolic means of ordering the universe and the human body.
The human body is a microcosm of the universe, containing the movement of yin and yang and the five major internal organs associated with the five elements.
In the human body it is qi, the life force, that circulates and animates the body; it is the breath as it moves through the respiratory and circulatory system.
Chinese medicine brings order and harmony to a body out of balance and maintains balance for the healthy.
The practice of Chinese medicine goes back to traditions recorded in texts beginning in the third century B.C.: the Nei jing (ca.221- 207 B.C.).
And it is heavily dependent on the influential Ben cao gang mu by Li Shizhen of the Ming dynasty (A.D.1368-1644).
Based on this ongoing tradition, herbalists in Taiwan prescribe medicine to treat imbalances in their patients, usually by combining plant and animal products into a mixture made into a tea and ingested.
Two other means of bringing harmony back to an unhealthy body are acupuncture and moxibustion.
Acupuncturists insert slender needles in order to stimulate qi within the body and harmonize the yin and yang energies.
Today the acupuncturists often use mild electrical current at the acupuncture points instead of puncturing the skin in order to achieve the same effect.
Moxibustion is based on similar principles; it is the technique of burning Chinese mugroot at certain points along the channels through which the qi flows.
Modern Western medicine is widely available in Taiwan.
Some Taiwanese continue to value traditional medicine for its ability to maintain health and its gentle means of restoring balance.
At the same time many Taiwanese view modern medicine as a necessary means of dealing with major health problems requiring surgery, though often too harsh for less serious and chronic conditions.
The Taiwanese concern for good health is also evident in the resurgence of interest in the practice of qigong and the martial arts.
In qigong practitioners direct the movement of their qi in order to heal themselves and increase their energy.
Someone who has very strong qi is able to use it to heal others as well.
Qigong is taught through self-help books, in classes, and even on television.
Chinese martial arts make use of the understanding of yin-yang and qi to strengthen and discipline the body and mind, as well as to prepare for the defense of the person.
There are some 100 different kinds of martial arts (guo-gong).
The gentle art of taijiquan, popular with both the young and the old in Taiwan, is now taught at Chinese Culture University and is part of the Asian Games.
One often sees its practitioners in the early morning in parks or on temple grounds exercising for good health and emotional calm.
Traditional medicine, taijiquan, and qigong are health practices derived from traditional religious and philosophical concepts.
They can, though, be practiced independently of one's religious worldview; indeed, these traditions are increasingly used in the West as alternative medical treatments that are gaining increased attention from the Western medical community.
Although truly religious means of healing have declined in popularity with the increased accessibility of modern medicine, they continue to be popular for chronic or incurable conditions.
Offerings are made to gods and goddesses known for their healing power along with petitions for help.
When healing does occur, the worshipper returns to the temple or shrine with more offerings in order to bao en, or repay the deity for its help.
Those who worship the Buddhist Guanyin Bodhisattva typically seek her healing power by chanting her name a specified number of times.
To repay her for her help, a follower may continue chanting or perhaps become a vegetarian for a period of time.
Taiwanese gods and goddesses are known for more than just physical healing.
Individuals seek divine power to protect their children from harm, to become pregnant, to do well on the college entrance examinations, and to prosper financially.
Religion provides much in the way of folk psychology.
In Taiwan, religion continues as a popular means of self-help and therapy despite rapid Westernization in most other areas.
Western therapeutic models that require revealing personal and family problems to a stranger are quite at odds with Taiwanese family ideals.
Religious books on self-cultivation through the Book of Changes, through various forms of meditation, and by traditional divination techniques remain popular.
Fortune telling thrives in various traditional forms.
Fortune telling is not primarily about predicting the future but, rather, about understanding the factors that influence a person's life and must be understood if one is to make decisions in harmony with the conditions of one's life.
Some experts base their conclusions and personal advice on facial physiognomy.
Others rely on Chinese astrology to interpret the influence of a person's exact time of birth on his or her present circumstances.
In temples, visitors throw crescent-shaped, red divination blocks in order to receive from the gods answers to their questions.
Then a numbered stick may be chosen to determine which numbered fortune should be applied to their problems.
The printed text of these "fortunes" is ambiguous, classical Chinese that can be freely applied to questions of marriage, illness, relocation, or a troubled child.
Temples have professional interpreters or volunteers who assist in the reading and application of the printed text.
For those inclined to high-tech advice, modernized divination appears in the form of computer software of the Book of Changes or astrological texts.
Holidays and community festivals have long provided a celebratory break in the busy lives of the hardworking Taiwanese.
On such occasions the traditionally frugal Taiwanese feast and party while reinforcing family structures and community ties.
Calendrical and temple festivals have also supported many of Taiwan's folk arts, namely, Taiwanese opera and puppet theater, specialty foods, and crafts.
In recent years the popularity of movies and television has threatened the survival of Taiwan's performing traditions, but operas and puppet theaters have learned that if you can't fight television, you can be on television.
The Taiwanese celebrate three kinds of festivals.
First are the official government commemorative holidays based on the modern solar calendar.
These mainly honor important events and leaders of the Republic of China.
Second are the major lunar festivals known and celebrated by most Taiwanese.
Third are the community-based or temple-based celebrations of the birth of regional goddesses or gods, the ascension of temple deities, or other regional or ethnic religious events.
The Republic of China's commemorative days are honored by closing of schools and government offices and by often extravagant government parades and decorations.
These days honor the founding fathers and historical events of the Guomindang and the Republic of China.
In the past these days were an occasion to demonstrate the prestige of the Guomindang Party and the power of the Republic of China's military.
Since the late 1980s, however, the military significance has lessened.
Moreover, new political pluralism and Taiwanization movements have raised questions about the propriety and significance of these commemorative days.
One might even see the February 28th Incident ceremonies, commemorating the 1947 uprising against the Guomindang in Taiwan, as a new unofficial commemorative day honoring a long-repressed tradition of political dissent.
The first commemorative day of the year is January 1, Founding Day of the Republic of China.
The day marks the anniversary of the inauguration of Sun Yat-sen as the provisional president of the Republic on the first day of 1912.
Flags, banners, and portraits of Sun Yat-sen and Chiang Kai-shek are displayed throughout the island, but particularly in the area around the Presidential Office building in downtown Taipei.
Bands play the national anthem, which extols the "Three Principles of the People" formulated by Sun Yat-sen.
Double Ten National Day marks the Republic of China's birth at the uprising in Wuchang on October 10, 1911.
The day is marked by political and cultural celebrations.
The central events in the capital city of Taipei are ceremonies, parades, and the presidential address at the Presidential Office building.
Parades and evening ceremonies present traditional Chinese and ethnic dancers, school bands, folk artist performers, and other entertainment.
The day no longer conveys the strong militaristic image of earlier decades, however.
Instead it celebrates in fireworks, music, and dance a successful capitalist island.
The birth of the Republic of China in Taiwan is marked by Taiwan's Retrocession Day, officially extolled on October 25 to commemorate the end of Japanese rule in Taiwan in 1945.
Armed Forces Day is celebrated on September 3 to honor all armed forces, whose divisions had their own separate days of honor until they were combined in 1955.
The day is meant to honor the Chinese who fought against the Japanese in World War II.
Youth Day, March 29, began as Revolutionary Martyrs Day.
Like Armed Forces Day, it commemorates soldiers, in this case especially the seventy-two soldiers led by Huang Xing who died in the 1910 Canton Uprising against the Qing government.
On this day the president of the Republic of China officiates at a service for all soldiers at the Martyrs of the Revolution Shrine in Taipei.
As the war recedes in memory, the day has become more a celebration of youth.
December 25 is an official government holiday in Taiwan.
The official reason is to celebrate not Christmas but Constitution Day, designated as such in 1963 to honor the completion of the constitution by the Constitutional Convention after the war.
That a government holiday conveniently falls on Christmas reflects the Christianity of many prominent Guomindang leaders.
In practice, for most Taiwanese December 25 is just part of the New Year's period.
Thus Christmas decorations in hotels and department stores add to the New Year's festive atmosphere.
Two of the government commemorative days, Women's Day on March 8 and Children's Day on April 4, were inspired by international efforts to improve the well-being of women and children.
Women's Day follows the international designation by the International Women's Conference in Denmark in 1910 to raise women's issues through an international day for women.
Children's Day was inspired by the 1925 conference on children in Switzerland, which urged countries to designate a day for children.
In Taiwan, the April 4 holiday promotes children's activities and honors model students.
The government honors Confucius and all teachers on the September 28 commemoration of Confucius's birthday, Teachers' Day.
The day obviously emphasizes the important Confucian value of education and respect for teachers.
It also serves to symbolize the government's commitment to represent true Chinese culture, especially in its elaborate ritual celebration at dawn in the Confucius Temple.
The elaborate ritual includes traditionally clothed dancers, ancient ceremonial music, and the traditional sacrificial offering of an ox, a pig, and a goat.
The colorful religious festivals in Taiwan follow the Chinese lunar calendar.
By far the most important are those festivals centering on the Chinese New Year.
New Year's Festival or Spring Festival is a celebration of family past and present and an expression of hope for family prosperity and good fortune.
Unlike some East Asian nations, Taiwan has clung to the traditional lunar celebration of the New Year, rather than transfer the festival into a more "Western" or "modern" event based on the Western solar calendar.
The festivities embody values too close to the Taiwanese heart--family, prosperity, and tradition--to be switched to the solar calendar.
Prior to New Year's festival itself, the Ascension of the Kitchen God on the twenty-fourth day of the twelfth lunar month begins the traditions associated with the coming of the new year.
Taiwanese traditions say that on this day the Kitchen God of every home reports to the Jade Emperor about the activities of the family.
To ensure a positive report on the family, members offer meat, sweet rice balls, and spirit money to the god before he ascends to heaven.
Preparations for New Year's festivities are hectic.
People send out New Year's cards to friends and business associates.
Families do a thorough spring cleaning to prepare for the new year.
On the doorways of homes and businesses, vertical red banners express auspicious sentiments for the New Year.
Shoppers stock up on the traditional cakes and snacks for New Year.
Taiwanese eat peanuts, which symbolize long life; melon seeds, which symbolize many descendants; and perhaps red dates, which express a woman's desire to give birth to a healthy child.
Shopping must be done ahead of time because many shops close for several days or even weeks during the New Year's period.
Preparations also include paying off current debts so that the family may begin the year with a rosy financial picture.
In Taiwan New Year's Eve is a time for family.
In the afternoon many Taiwanese worship their ancestors by offering them wine and special New Year's cake.
Family members place on their family altars offerings of cooked food, fresh fruits, flowers, pastries, spirit money, and incense.
Worship of ancestors, gods, and Buddhas is followed by the noisy sendoff of firecrackers.
If possible, all Taiwanese try to return home to share the last evening meal of the year.
If someone cannot return because he or she is working or studying far away, then a place is left empty at the table in remembrance.
This ritual meal consists of favorite foods full of symbolic meaning.
A platter of fish (yu), for example, represents the hoped-for abundance (yu) of the coming year because the two words sound alike.
To ensure the abundance, no one will eat the last of the fish.
After dinner older members of the family distribute red envelopes (hongbao) filled with money to the excited junior members of the family.
This ritual giving of wealth to the younger generation not only is great fun for children but is also said to ensure the family's future prosperity.
Some even say that the giving of red envelopes encourages reciprocity and filial piety in the younger generation, who will be expected to show respect for their elders and give them financial support.
New Year's is great fun.
Taiwanese families spend New Year's Eve playing mahjong or other games, snacking on nuts and seeds, watching television specials, and exploding firecrackers.
Loud explosions are meant to drive away evil spirits, but many boys love lighting the long strands of red and gold firecrackers for sheer joy.
The Taiwanese may stay awake until dawn of New Year's Day as part of a New Year's vigil traditionally meant to ensure the longevity of one's parents.
New Year's Day itself is full of more festivities: lighting firecrackers, making offerings to ancestor spirits and gods, playing games, and watching endless television specials.
The Taiwanese give each other greetings for a prosperous New Year.
They take great care to avoid inauspicious words or actions that might start the year off with bad luck.
Death should never be mentioned, nor should articles associated with death be present.
The spirit of New Year continues until the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.
Taiwanese families enjoy making riceflour dumplings as offerings to their ancestors and as delicious treats for themselves.
The evening glows with brightly decorated lanterns and fireworks.
The temples of Taiwan have long hung lanterns on this evening.
Lanterns have traditionally been made of paper and bamboo, but the newer electric versions use a variety of materials.
Colorful lanterns combine traditional folkcrafts and designs with modern creativity.
Often, decorative themes come from Chinese legends like the story of the White Snake or historical stories such as the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
The most popular animal depicted is usually the zodiac sign for the new year.
The largest lantern competition is now held at the spacious plaza at Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, but in southern Taiwan the Tainan Yanshui Fireworks Display attracts the largest crowds.
The First Head Feast (second month, second day) and the Final Head Feast (twelfth month, sixteenth day) both honor the hugely popular Tudi Gong, the local earth god present everywhere in Taiwan.
The First Head Feast is often seen as a birthday celebration for Tudi Gong.
He is offered meat and spirit money to ensure his blessings and protection.
On this day of their patron deity, business owners may provide a banquet for their workers.
At the Final Head Feast banquets of the past, business owners fired an employee by pointing the head of a rooster in his or her direction.
In general, the end of the year is the time for settling business accounts and making arrangements for the obligatory, and often quite generous, New Year's bonuses.
The Tomb-Sweeping Festival marks the day when the Taiwanese pay respects to their dead ancestors at their gravesites.
Traditionally Tomb- Sweeping Day has been marked as the 105th day after the winter solstice.
But this day is one festival that has been modernized and clearly politicized.
This festival is now celebrated on April 5, which is the date of Chiang Kaishek's death in 1975.
There have always been subethnic variations in the timing of this ancestral ritual.
The Taiwanese from Zhangzhou, Fujian, have traditionally swept their ancestors' tombs on Tomb-Sweeping Day itself, whereas Quanzhou descendants have traditionally swept just before the festival.
The Hakka people allow a long period during which to sweep their ancestors' graves, because their long migration on mainland China required them to be flexible if they were ever to return north to their ancestors' tombs.
The "sweeping" of the tomb means removing weeds and repairing the grave.
Family members burn incense offerings to Tudi Gong, who protects the grave, as well as to their ancestors.
Pieces of gold or multicolored paper are weighted down on the gravesite to offer ancestors spirit money and to show the community that the family's ancestors are well cared for.
The Dragon Boat Festival (fifth lunar month, fifth day) is unusual because it commemorates a historical person, Chu Yuan, the poet and minister of the ancient state of Chu.
According to tradition, Chu Yuan threw himself into a river out of despair about the state of political affairs.
Friends and subordinates threw offerings of food wrapped in bamboo leaves into the river to appease his disturbed spirit.
Today the Taiwanese honor his memory by eating rice and meat dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves (zongzi) and competing in dragon boat races.
The Birthday of the Seventh Goddess is celebrated on the seventh day of the seventh month.
This goddess protects children under age sixteen.
In a sense this day marks transition to adulthood as children leave the goddess's protection on this day.
Some families may burn paper pavilions for the Seventh Goddess to thank her for protecting their children who turned sixteen in the previous year.
The day is also celebrated as a "Chinese Valentine's Day" because it celebrates as well the romantic legend of the Cowherder and the Weaving Girl, now constellations, reunited once a year on this day when birds form a bridge to reunite the couple.
There exist countless versions of this folk tale.
In one, the Weaving Girl was the beautiful daughter of the Emperor of Heaven, who married her to the handsome Cowherd.
They fell so deeply in love that the Weaving Girl failed to make garments for the deities of the heavens and the Cowherd failed to milk the cows of heaven.
When the gods complained, the Emperor of Heaven responded by separating the loving couple except for this one day of the year.
The seventh month is the Ghost Month, a great danger to those who believe in the wandering ghosts who venture forth during this period.
The seventh month is a time to avoid starting a new home, a new business, or especially a new marriage to someone who might turn out to be a ghost.
Even the most educated of Taiwanese expressed surprise and disbelief when we packed up our belongings to move from Taipei to Tainan during this month.
On the first of the month the gates of the netherworld are opened to release the spirits for a month of wandering.
Taiwanese families and temples make offerings to the wandering spirits to encourage them to keep moving rather than to stop and bother them.
The fifteenth of the month is the day to make offering to the spirits of one's own ancestors and to release floating lanterns.
On the last day of the month, many Taiwanese set out offerings of food, beer, and cigarettes for the spirits as they return to the netherworld.
Not surprisingly, all these offerings are gone by the next morning.
The Mid-Autumn Festival (eighth lunar month, fifteenth day) is simply a beautiful, contemplative festival.
On mainland China the day used to be a celebration of the end of the harvest, but in Taiwan today the agricultural season extends almost throughout the year.
Now the modern Taiwanese primarily admire the beauty of the full moon on this night.
Families honor their ancestors and gods with offerings, but the focus is on the enjoyment of viewing the moon and eating varieties of the treat specific to this festival-- moon cakes.
The love of the moon is expressed in several legends retold by the Taiwanese.
One story tells of the beautiful Chang O and her husband Yi, the famous archer who saved the world by shooting down nine of the ten suns that appeared in the sky one day.
The Queen Mother of Heaven rewarded Archer Yi by giving him an elixir that would confer immortality.
The beautiful but greedy Chang O stole the elixir and swallowed it.
She attained immortality, but she also found herself ascending to the moon, where she has lived forever after.
Chang O lives in a beautiful jade palace full of dancing fairies--a lovely but rather bittersweet image to see while contemplating the full moon.
Numerous other lunar festivals are celebrated.
The Double Nine Festival (ninth month, ninth day) is a day for hiking and ancestor worship; it is also traditionally a time for flying kites.
A traditional holiday figured according to the solar calendar, the Winter Solstice is celebrated with red and white rice balls offered to the ancestors and to the gods (and then, of course, eaten).
In addition to traditional lunar festivals celebrated, or at least acknowledged, by most Taiwanese are numerous festivals celebrated by communities in honor of their deities.
These festivals, known as baibai, are the liveliest, loudest celebrations held by Taiwanese towns, villages, and even urban communities.
One of the biggest community festivals is truly an islandwide celebration of Taiwan's patron goddess Mazu.
The baibai celebrates the birthday of this saving goddess on the twenty-third day of the third lunar month.
This is the most important Taiwanese festival honoring a particular god or goddess.
Festivals and processions are held throughout the island, but the destination of the most devout Mazu followers is the gigantic festival in Peikang.
Representatives of hundreds of temples carry their goddess statues in palanquins to Peikang's central Mazu temple.
One might consider this festival with its ritual offerings, folk operas, noisy processions, and spirit mediums as the height of authentic Taiwanese religious consciousness.
Growing numbers of Taiwanese Buddhists honor their tradition on special Buddhist festival days.
Their most important festivals celebrate the birthdays of Sakyamuni Buddha and Guanyin Bodhisattva.
The birthday of Sakyamuni Buddha, the historical Buddha, is honored on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month.
At the Longshan Temple in Taipei, a golden statue of the Buddha is brought out and washed in dew water on this day.
Buddhists celebrate the birthday of the Bodhisattva of compassion, Guanyin, on the nineteenth day of the second lunar month and repeat the celebrations on the nineteenth day of the sixth and ninth months.
Celebrations are held at the Longshan Temple and in Guanyin temples all over the island.
Moreover, every local temple has a special festival.
Subethnic groups celebrate their own special days and hold festivals unique to their own communities.
The Hakka, the largest minority group in Taiwan, celebrate festivals for the yimin, or "righteous citizens," on various days to commemorate Hakka heroes who died in battles for which they were frequently recruited by Qing troops.
Twenty-one yi-min temples in Taiwan honor the remains of Hakka fighters involved in the Zhu Yigui Rebellion (1721), the Lin Shuangwen Rebellion (1786), and the Dai Zhaozun Rebellion (1862).
The yimin festival in Hsinchu features elaborate processions, Hakka music, and the honoring of "King Swine," the winner in the competition to raise the largest pig as an offering to the yimin.
Many festivals in Taiwan are celebrated on a very particular day, according to the lunar calendar.
Such festivals include the New Year, the Dragon Boat Festival, Qing Ming (sweeping of ancestral grave sites), and the Mid-Autumn Festival.
These occasions are observed throughout Taiwan.
An islandwide spirit unites people across demarcations of village, township, and county, as well as across the boundaries of family, lineage, clan, and ethnic group.
There are other occasions, though, that are particular to certain villages or that are celebrated at different times from village to village.
The Ghost Festival is a traditional festival and holiday, which is celebrated by Chinese in many countries.
In the Chinese calendar , the Ghost Festival is on the 15th night of the seventh lunar month.
In Chinese tradition, the fifteenth day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar is called Ghost Day and the seventh month in general is regarded as the Ghost Month , in which ghosts and s, including those of the deceased ancestors, come out from the .
During the Qingming Festival the living descendants pay homage to their ancestors and on Ghost Day, the deceased visit the living.
On the thirteenth day the three realms of Heaven, Hell and the realm of the living are open and both Taoists and Buddhists would perform rituals to transmute and absolve the sufferings of the deceased.
Intrinsic to the Ghost Month is ancestor worship, where traditionally the filial piety of descendants extends to their ancestors even after their deaths.
Activities during the month would include preparing ritualistic food offerings, burning incense, and burning joss paper, a papier-mache form of material items such as clothes, gold and other fine goods for the visiting spirits of the ancestors.
Elaborate meals would be served with empty seats for each of the deceased in the family treating the deceased as if they are still living.
Ancestor worship is what distinguishes Qingming Festival from Ghost Festival because the former includes paying respects to all deceased, including the same and younger generations, while the latter only includes older generations.
Other festivities may include, buying and releasing miniature paper boats and lanterns on water, which signifies giving directions to the lost ghosts and spirits of the ancestors and other deities.
The Ghost Festival shares some similarities with the predominantly Mexican observance of ''''.
Due to theme of ghosts and spirits, the festival is sometimes also known as the Chinese Halloween, though many have debated the difference between the two.
