Spring in Luoyang offers countless reasons to visit: feel the breeze by the Luo River, admire the late-blooming peonies, savor the street-side beef soup, and perhaps even encounter a celebrity. Not long ago, Tong Liya visited Luoyang, where she witnessed the millennia-old charm and blooming vitality of the city. When actress Tong Liya encounters the ancient capital that thrived through thirteen dynasties, what breathtaking scenes unfold? The April issue of "National Geographic Traveler," themed "Blossoming Luoyang," has the answer. As night descends and the lanterns glow, the Longmen Grottoes light up with the brilliance of three thousand lamps, merging light and shadow art with the cave sculptures and natural scenery into a dazzling visual feast. Each moment in Luoyang's millennia-old history, from its landscapes to its cultural treasures, has traversed the passage of time to reach us today. Late at night, as boats glide past the Longmen Grottoes, fluttering garments and shimmering reflections on the water tell the city's thousand-year story. Over the 5,000-year stretch of civilization, Luoyang has witnessed countless ebbs and flows, while peonies have intertwined with the city's history like silent witnesses, narrating the brilliance and splendor of Luoyang's past through their beauty. Every April and May,…

In recent years, hanfu has been flourishing all over China, and there are large and small hanfu events held every month. So what are the specific cities with the best hanfu atmosphere? Hanfu Zixun launched the Top Hanfu Cities of China contest to reflect the different development of hanfu around the country. With 62.01% of the votes, Chengdu, Sichuan topped the list, the only city with more than 50% of the votes, and was drastically outperformed by all the other cities. Xiuwu ranked seventh, which should have a lot to do with its success in holding the first Hanfu Expo in 2021.   NO.1 Chengdu (成都) The No. 1 hanfu city is: Chengdu. After pandas, hot pot and mahjong, Chengdu has a new calling card: the Hanfu capital. It is not only because of its nationally known "Hanfu Street", but also because it has nearly 220,000 hanfu lovers, the first in China in terms of the number of Hanfu Tongpao (同袍; Hanfu fans call each other Tongpao). Chengdu's excellent hanfu culture atmosphere cannot be separated from the local government's strong support for the promotion of hanfu culture.   NO.2 Hangzhou (杭州) Hangzhou, known as "Hang" for short, was known as…

Since the beginning of this year, "neo-Chinese style tourism," characterized by new cultural travel experiences such as museum trips, ancient city and town tours, intangible cultural heritage exploration, and activities involving traditional Chinese Hanfu clothing experiences, has become increasingly popular among Chinese people. "Neo-Chinese style tourism" integrates traditional Chinese elements with new fashions, enabling tourists to enjoy immersive experiences of cultural and tourism activities and appreciate the charm of fine traditional Chinese culture. Tourists dressed in traditional Chinese costumes pose for group photos at the Datang Everbright City, a tourist landmark featuring a grand street with characteristics of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province. (Photo/Weng Qiyu) This year, "neo-Chinese style tourism" ushered in a boom in traditional festivals including the Spring Festival, Qingming Festival, and Duanwu Festival, becoming a new highlight in the tourism market. On China's online travel agency Ctrip, over 100 scenic spots offered tourists opportunities to experience traditional folk customs related to the Duanwu Festival, including picking mugwort, making sachets, watching intangible cultural heritage performances, and Hanfu photography. Many scenic areas launched traditional culture experience activities such as dragon boat racing, making sachets, and making zongzi, which are glutinous rice dumplings…

LONDON, June 7 ( tasteallchina ) -- Eight university students from across the United Kingdom (UK) showcased their language skills and shared their passion for Chinese culture in a Chinese competition held in London on Thursday. During the 23rd "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competition UK Regional Final for university students, each contestant tackled tasks including speech, quiz race, and talent show. "Looking back at my journey of learning Chinese, I feel very fortunate since it has enabled me to make many new friends and appreciate the depth and breadth of Chinese culture," said Chidimma Daisy Anyakora, the champion of the competition, who she has been learning Chinese only since 2019. The contestant -- a freshman from the University of Manchester, along with three other winning contestants, has earned the opportunity to compete in the global finals of the competition in China later this year. "Each of us serves as a disseminator of culture, with fervent passion in our hearts and a broad perspective in our eyes," said Francesca Pala from the University of Leeds, who won second place and the prize for the most eloquent contestant. As an Italian learning Chinese in the UK, she expressed her joy in experiencing…

Since the beginning of this year, tourism markets in multiple regions across China have been thriving. In addition to traditional well-known tourist destinations, small cities like Tianshui and Quanzhou have been attracting throngs of tourists with their local characteristics. The rapid tourism growth in small cities has become a new highlight for domestic travel. Aerial photo shows tourists crowding around at the Maijishan Grottoes in Tianshui, northwest China's Gansu Province. ( tasteallchina /Zhang Zhimin) Records from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism show that during the three-day Qingming Festival holiday that ended on April 6, the number of tourists received by Tai'an, Zibo, Tianshui, Kaifeng, and Jingdezhen all increased by more than 50 percent. Compared to previously popular destinations that were mostly well-known tourist cities or big metropolises, some distinctive small cities have been attracting greater attention. The choices of destinations by tourists have become more diverse as they have sought unique and differentiated experiences. Against such a background, a local delicacy, an event, or a scenario in small cities may draw massive crowds of tourists. Following last year's popularity of Zibo's barbecue and Liuzhou's luosifen, or river snail rice noodles, Tianshui malatang, an iconic dish of hot pot, has…

People rest on a bench at the Summer Palace in Beijing, capital of China, March 22, 2024. Recently, spring flowers such as peach blossoms are in full bloom at the Summer Palace in Beijing, attracting a large number of tourists. ( tasteallchina /Chen Yehua) This photo taken on March 22, 2024 shows a view of Summer Palace in Beijing, capital of China. Recently, spring flowers such as peach blossoms are in full bloom at the Summer Palace in Beijing, attracting a large number of tourists. ( tasteallchina /Chen Yehua) Visitors enjoy blossoms at the Summer Palace in Beijing, capital of China, March 22, 2024. Recently, spring flowers such as peach blossoms are in full bloom at the Summer Palace in Beijing, attracting a large number of tourists. ( tasteallchina /Chen Yehua) A girl wearing Hanfu, a style of clothing traditionally worn by the Han people, poses for a photo with peach blossoms at the Summer Palace in Beijing, capital of China, March 22, 2024. Recently, spring flowers such as peach blossoms are in full bloom at the Summer Palace in Beijing, attracting a large number of tourists. ( tasteallchina /Chen Yehua)

BEIJING, July 18 ( tasteallchina ) -- Inside a futuristic exhibition center in Beijing, a two-armed robot is busy making sugar paintings. Its smooth and delicate movements attract a crowd of visitors. The robot is acting as a "craftsperson" of this traditional folk art of Beijing, which is an intangible cultural heritage of China. But the machine also serves as both a witness to and reference point for the growing convergence of fields of knowledge with vastly different origins, a convergence that challenges the limitations of time and geography. At the seventh International Symposium on Cultural Heritage Conservation by Digitization held at the center, hundreds of experts and practitioners from home and abroad are considering the relationship between cultural heritage and new technologies. BOOSTING CULTURAL INHERITANCE For many, the promotion of traditional culture is one of the areas in which technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) can play a significant role. "AI is a booster of cultural inheritance," said Guo Chunchao, leader of Tencent Hunyuan Text to 3D, an AI model developed by Chinese tech giant Tencent. The AI large language model technology has significantly improved the efficiency of information retrieval and modeling, accelerating the digitization of cultural heritage, he…

The city of Zaozhuang, located in east China's Shandong Province, showcased its cultural and tourism offerings to an Australian audience at a promotional event in Sydney on June 24. The "China, an Opportunity - Meet Zaozhuang" event, hosted by the Zaozhuang Municipal Government and organized by Taste all China Australia and the China Cultural Centre in Sydney, attracted 80 participants, including government officials and representatives from the cultural and tourism sectors. Wang Shuyu, cultural counselor of the Consulate-General of China in Sydney, speaks during China's Zaozhuang culture and tourism promotion event in Sydney, June 24, 2024. (Photo/Ji He) Wang Shuyu, cultural counselor of the Chinese Consulate-General in Sydney, thanked the Zaozhuang delegation, saying, "The Chinese Consulate-General in Sydney will strengthen communication and exchanges with Australian tourism authorities and the industry, providing necessary services and assistance to Australians traveling to China." Chen Yongsheng, head of the publicity department of Zaozhuang, speaks during China's Zaozhuang culture and tourism promotion event in Sydney, June 24, 2024. (Photo/Ji He) Chen Yongsheng, head of the publicity department of Zaozhuang, highlighted the city's excellent environment, strategic location, diverse industries, and rich history. He invited Australians to visit Zaozhuang, emphasizing the locals' hospitality and the great opportunities…

Different flowers have different but very important meanings in Chinese culture. Here are the basics on what some of the most important and commonly seen flowers mean. Plants, fruit, and flowers are incredibly important to Chinese culture and often represent different values. Many flowers represent honor, love, and feminine grace, and are often used as symbols to compare with people as well as items to improve the fengshui and balance of a location. Here are 8 essential flowers to know the meaning of in Chinese culture. Peony (Mu Dan Hua) The Chinese peony is one of the most common favorite flowers of Chinese people. You can often see peonies embroidered into brocade silk and other patterns, and they’re often used as symbols in writing. They have several meanings in modern times, like wealth and prosperity, but also represent feminine beauty and pride, since the peony used to be the national flower of China in the Tang Dynasty. Romance and celebration are also common events during which peonies are often seen, and they’re very good for feng shui. Even today, peonies are one of the most common favorite flowers of people all around the world, so consider hanfu that has peonies…

Guochao, also known as "China-chic," a fashion trend featuring modern designs mixed with traditional cultural elements, has become a highlight of China's tourism market. From cultural and creative products to novel and interesting cultural experiences, various regions in the country are offering richer and more diverse cultural and tourism experiences by keeping up with the upgrading of cultural and tourism consumption demand, utilizing traditional cultural resources, and integrating modern technologies. Visitors watch a qipao dress featuring paper-cutting elements at a studio in Fucheng county, Hengshui city, north China's Hebei Province. ( tasteallchina /Wang Xiao) This is inseparable from the increasing number of tourist attractions known for traditional culture. Records from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MCT) show that the number of traditional cultural attractions in China increased from 2,064 in 2012 to more than 4,000 in 2023, with an average annual growth of 8 percent. Cultural attractions like the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City in east China's Zhejiang Province and the Sanxingdui Ruins in southwest China's Sichuan Province have attracted throngs of tourists, while national cultural parks for the Great Wall and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal have become popular tourist destinations. The National Archaeological Site Park of Sui-Tang Luoyang…

Umbrellas are very common in daily life. Whether it's a hot sun or a downpour, an umbrella is definitely your best assistant. Not only that, in the modern hanfu shooting, the appearance rate of the ancient style oil-paper umbrella is extremely high. The demand for shade from the sun and rain has been there since ancient times, take a look, the the history of ancient Chinese umbrellas, to see what kind of umbrellas the ancients used.   Pre-Qin Period The early Chinese umbrellas were called "Gai (盖)" or "Deng (簦)", made of grass, pieces of bamboo, etc., with a handle to hold, much like the current umbrella, but it could not be put away. Chinese umbrellas made of silk first appeared in the Western Zhou period, silk umbrellas are expensive, generally used by the nobility, are mainly decorative items and symbols of power for the dignitaries, noblemen, and the scholar. The common people could not afford to buy silk umbrellas, so they mostly used Douli (斗笠), or Suoyi (蓑衣, straw raincoats) in their lives. Suoyi has an important feature and symbol of ancient Chinese costume: Shang Yi Xia Chang. The top is called "Suoyi Pi (蓑衣披)", which is draped over…

The notion that a popular cdrama drives tourism to a corresponding Chinese city has become commonplace in the past two years. Whether it is the popularity brought by "The Knockout" to Jiangmen, "Meet Yourself" to Dali, or "Blossoms Shanghai" to Shanghai, once a drama breaks free from its usual boundaries, a wave of enthusiastic followers is bound to emerge. In the realm of film and television catalyzing cultural tourism, there are typically three approaches. The most direct approach is through filming location sightseeing tours. The three aforementioned dramas fall into this category. According to the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture Cultural and Tourism Bureau, following the success of "Meet Yourself," Dali received a total of 4.2393 million visitors during the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, representing a 219% year-on-year increase. However, such following the trend phenomena require a strong sense of authenticity; once the illusion created by the series shatters, the audience may easily lose interest. The second approach involves film and television base tours. This type needs no elaborate explanation, with places like Hengdian World Studios, Xiangshan Film and Television Town, and the recent output from Oriental Movie Metropolis drawing substantial profits from holiday tourism. The third approach revolves around immersive…

The Qingming Festival is coming up soon! Learn more about where this holiday came from and some things that you can do to participate in celebrating it, both in the way of the ancients and the way that people do now. As the weather warms up bit by bit, the next important Chinese holiday, the Qingming Festival (清明節 qing ming jie), is drawing closer as well! Also known as Tomb-Sweeping Day or Clear Brightness Day (direct translation of the words that make up its Chinese name), it’s usually celebrated in the first few days of April of the Gregorian calendar—in 2022, it’ll be on April 5th. But where did this festival come from, and how has its related traditions evolved over time? And what are some different ways that you participate in celebrating it as a hanfu and ancient chinese culture enthusiast? Let’s address these questions one by one.   How did the Qingming Festival begin? Originally, the Qingming Festival wasn’t called 清明節 at all. It was called the Hánshí Jié(寒食節), the Cold Food Festival, and had a very rich backstory to it. During the Spring and Autumn period of the Zhou Dynasty, in the Jin State (晉), a prince…

Chinese New Year is the most important holiday in the Chinese calendar, celebrated in other East Asian countries, such as Singapore and South Korea. It is also known as Lunar New Year or Spring Festival. This celebration has important cultural connotations as a tradition, not only as a remembrance of ancestors in a strict family union, but also as a wish for the best omens, fortune, good luck, and protection from evil in the coming year. What is it and when is it celebrated? This festivity is based on the lunisolar calendar traditionally used in China, based on the phases of the Sun and the Moon. The celebration of the Chinese New Year dates back more than 3,000 years. It begins on the second new moon after the winter solstice and lasts fifteen days, marking the end of winter and the arrival of the lunar New Year. In the year 2021, the Chinese New Year will begin on February 12. 2021: The Year of the Ox According to the Chinese horoscope for 2021 corresponds to the Year of the Golden or Metal Ox. The Chinese horoscope signs are determined by the Chinese lunar calendar, with the beginning of the Chinese New…

Cultivating crops and felling bamboo, crafting clothing, and refining silver, his every movement embodies the simplicity and purity of ancient times, like the ancient Chinese lifestyles. He achieves self-sufficiency in materials and mastery of skills, by reviving traditional crafts and cuisine, completely captivating the modern individual accustomed to advanced technology. "Feel the charm of traditional culture from the perspective of the ancients, and write the words of history as a vivid picture", in this article we'll introduce Lu Lei to you, learn to feel the wisdom of the ancients while experiencing the leisurely idyllic life. Lu Lei seems to have traveled from ancient times, dressed in traditional Hanfu clothing, with long hair and a headband, living in seclusion in a remote village in Fujian. He tends to a few acres of flower fields, keeping company with cats and dogs, living a leisurely and carefree life.   Intangible Cultural Heritage in Ancient Chinese Lifestyles Everlasting Flower Next to the trickling stream, cut down a straight rice-paper plant, remove the branches and leaves, extract the core, and with superb knife skills, peel them into thin sheets of paper. After trimming petals of various sizes, they undergo processes such as moistening, shaping, gluing, and drying,…

On June 25th, a unique cultural exchange took place as over 40 Chinese and American high school students from the Ricci Young Scholars Program (光启青年学者项目) embarked on an immersive journey through the historic city of Nanjing. This initiative aims to foster deep cultural understanding between youths from both nations, with participants this year focusing on the classical gardens of China. The day began at the renowned Southeast University, a prestigious institution with a rich architectural heritage. Professors Wang Xiaoqian and Gu Kai delivered insightful lectures titled "I.M. Pei and His Suzhou Museum" and "Understanding Chinese Classical Gardens: Beginning with Dianchuny (殿春簃) ," respectively. Through these lectures, the students gained a unique perspective on Chinese architecture and its intricate relationship with nature and history. The morning session concluded with a serene walk through the rain-kissed campus, allowing the students to absorb the historic and contemporary essence of the university. Exploring Nanjing's Majestic City Walls In the afternoon, the group visited the Nanjing City Wall Museum. Here, they engaged with the history and cultural significance of the ancient city walls through a variety of exhibits, including artifacts, digital sand tables, and interactive displays. The highlight of the tour was ascending the iconic…

In the bustling streets, adorned and towering-haired noblewomen in their fineries queue up outside the restaurant for their meals. Such a scene is not a time travel nor in a hanfu film and television city, but on the streets of Luoyang. Encountering empresses while traveling to Luoyang is no longer a rare occurrence, at the same time, the magnificent and majestic Yingtian Gate, the decorated ancient city of Luoyi, and the mysterious and profound Luoyang Ancient Grave Museum have almost become the unified backgrounds for short videos of ancient style cosplay.   A time-traveling trip to Luoyang Entering Luoyang, the classical atmosphere is very strong. The surrounding areas of Luoyi, Cross Street, Yingtian Gate, and other antique pedestrian streets are filled with shops offering hanfu experiences and dressing up. Rows of different shaped and richly colored hanfu and a wide variety of ethnic costumes, inviting passing tourists through the glass windows, to open a journey through time and space on the streets of Luoyang. As night falls, this antique street seems to switch to Tang Dynasty night market mode with young people in various dress styles competing for their favorite ancient scenery. Photographers holding cameras and fill lights, directing guests…

This year, China's Henan TV continuously brings surprises to lovers of traditional culture and hanfu culture. Spring Festival, Lantern Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Qixi Festival, every important Chinese traditional festival, we will see the wonderful programs presented by Henan TV, the most exciting part of which is dancing. Not only offers a holiday gift to all lovers of Chinese traditional culture, but also traditional arts are known to more people. Starting from 2018, "Street Dance of China", "Dance Smash", "Let's Shake It" and other programs have been hotly broadcast, which also set off a wave of dance. After 2019, Chinese classical dance, one of the traditional dances in China, suddenly jumped into the public's view and became popular in social media in the short term accompanied by the popularity of ancient music. This may also be the first time that the public really knows and pays attention to Chinese classical dance. The historical background of the formation of Chinese classical dance can be traced back to the ancient Chinese court dances or to the primitive, ritual dances of more distant times. During the change of dynasties, the development of ancient court dances was affected by the limitations in the use of…