WHAT IS SHAOLIN KUNGFU?

Shaolin Kungfu is a kind of martial arts practiced by monks under the special Buddhist culture of the Songshan Shaolin Temple in Dengfeng City, Henan Province. Taking martial art skills and actions as the performance form and Buddhism belief and Zen wisdom as the cultural meaning, the Shaolin Kungfu has a complete technical and theoretical system.

The Shaolin Temple, built in the Nineteenth year of The Period during the Northern Wei Dynasty (495), is a cultural space for the development of the Shaolin Kungfu. The Shaolin Kungfu, which is originally practiced by the Buddhist monks whose duties were to protect the temple, has been gradually developed into an art of perfect technology, abundant meanings and high reputation in the whole world after more than 1500 years of development. According to martial art books registered by the Shaolin Temple, there are several hundred sorts of routines of Shaolin Kungfu practiced by monks of generations, among which, several dozen are the representative of boxing routines that have been handed down. In addition, there are 72 stunts and Kungfu of special sorts like capture, wrestle, discharging bone, point percussion and Qigong. Altogether 255 routines of boxing art, weapon and mutual practice are still practiced today.

The Shaolin Temple

The Zen wisdom of Buddhism has endowed the Shaolin Kungfu with profound cultural connotations. The Buddhist commandment has evolved into the commandment of Kungfu practicing, displayed by the Kungfu morals of the practicers. This evolvement has endowed the Shaolin Kungfu with such characteristics as abstention, modesty and reservation, as well as taking regard to the inner strength, terseness and to winning by striking only after the enemy has struck.

The Shaolin Kungfu is an outstanding representative of the Chinese Wushu culture, and is the most representative performance form of the Shaolin culture.

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CHINESE PROTECTIVE CHICKEN TALISMAN

In old days the Chinese had the habit of pasting or painting chicken talismans on the doors of their dwellings on the lunar New Year's Day. This habit is still very much alive today in rural areas in Shaanxi Province in northwest China.

An ancient Chinese belief regards the chicken as the variant or emblem of the sun. Thus to paste a talisman in the image of a chicken is like having the sun on the door. The habit gives indirect expression to people's longing for the advent of spring. Chinese ancients also believed that the chicken talisman can help ward off the dismal impact of demons.

From this connection between the chicken and the sun, the ancients gave wings to imagination and invented the image of the Heavenly Chicken that is always the first to announce the sunrise on a daily basis. The lunar New Year's Day is known as “yuandan”, or the “first sunrise of the year”, and it goes without saying that only the Heavenly Chicken is capable of knowing when the sun rises for the first time of the year and reporting the news to the mundane world. Pasting the chicken talisman on the door is actually a symbolism of the chicken and sun worship.

The chicken talisman is pasted up on the lunar New Year's Day. Because it is also the Day of the Chicken, As the classic The Book of Divination puts it, “The first day is the day of the chicken, the second day is devoted to the dog, the third day to the pig, the fourth day to the goat, the fifth day to the cattle, the sixth day to the horse and the seventh day to man”.

This matchup between animals and time was derived from people's understanding of space. Seven is the number of the universe to indicate the east, south, west, north, and middle, upper and lower directions. East takes the number one position because it is the direction in which the sun rises and because it is also in accord with the first day of the week.

Wood is the symbol for east, where the divine Hibiscus rosa-sinensis and peach trees grow. While the sun rises over the top of the Hibiscus rosa-sinensis tree, the chicken perches in the peach tree. This is why east is matched up with the chicken and becomes the symbol of the day of the first sunrise of the year. In that sense, the chicken talisman entails our remote ancestors' imagination of the universe and their way of keeping time.

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TRADITIONAL CHINESE WEDDING CUSTOMS

Ever wondered how traditional Chinese wedding customs work?

Traditional Chinese wedding customs are considered as the foundation of rites in traditional Chinese culture. A wedding is usually a grand occasion with overly-elaborate formalities. There are eight major procedures of a wedding, including proposal making, birthday matching, marriage divination, betrothal gifts presenting, wedding date fixing, dowry urging, welcoming the bride to the wedding and performing the formal wedding ceremony.

The procedure of birthday matching was the process in which the boy's family asked the matchmaker to go to the girl's family to enquire about her name and date of birth. Then, the boy's parents would send the girl's and their son's names and birthdates to a sorcerer or fortune teller for divining to see if the marriage between the two would be appropriate. The foretelling of the luck of the marriage was what was called "marriage divination". 

If according to Chinese astrology the couple was compatible and both families agreed to the marriage, the boy's family would then send betrothal gifts to the girl's family. The betrothal gifts mainly included clothes, jewelry, gold, silver and cash etc. In addition, a gilded silver coin bearing the word "qiu" (meaning "proposal") was among the gifts. The girl's family would send back another coin bearing the word "yun" (meaning "agreed") among their gifts presented in return. Thus, the marriage was confirmed.

Then, the two families would make arrangements for the wedding. When everything was ready, the boy's family would invite a fortune teller to choose a wedding date believed to bring the most luck to the couple based on the Chinese calendar mythology. After the date was fixed, the boy's family would send someone to inform the girl's family of it, which was part of the procedure of fixing the wedding date.

During the period between the wedding date settlement and welcoming the bride, the boy's family would customarily urge the girl's family to send her dowry in for bridal chamber decoration, otherwise the wedding could not be held on schedule. After being urged, the girl's family would begin to prepare the dowry, which would be sent to the boy's family on a chosen date. The amount and quality of the dowry would determine the girl's future status in her husband's family. 

Welcoming the bride to the wedding and performing the formal wedding ceremony would be conducted on the same day, which was the climax of the whole wedding procedures. On the wedding day, the bridegroom's family would welcome the bride to the wedding in a bridal sedan accompanied by a wedding procession. With firecrackers exploding and band playing, the precession was a noisy and joyous show. As soon as the bride arrived at the groom's home, the couple would perform formal bows. The rituals were also called "bowing to Heaven and Earth", which were conducted to gain approval of the marriage from gods, divinities, ancestors as well as from parents, older generations, relatives and neighbors in the mortal world.

After the bowing rituals, the couple would enter the bridal chamber, followed by rituals like sitting on the bed, throwing happiness-embodying nuts and drinking the nuptial cup etc. After that, relatives and friends to the wedding would be treated to a wedding feast. Then, wedding guests, old and young, would play bridal chamber pranks and wouldn't leave until the dead of night. Thus, the wedding ceremony was finished. 

Traditional Chinese wedding customs have been around for thousands of years. They may vary from place to place and time to time, but have been holding an important position in the lives of Chinese people, causing a far-reaching impact on the way the Chinese lead their lives. 

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THE BENEFITS OF CHINESE HERBAL TEAS

The Chinese herbal tea or cold tea is a drink concocted from medicinal herbs to ease the summer heat in the human body or sore throats caused by the dry winter. 

Drinking herbal tea is an age-old custom in China. In order to repel internal humidity and heat, people collect herbs from mountains and valleys to concoct into herb tea. With many years of practice, different herbal teas have been evolved for relieving different symptoms.  Herbal tea is drinkable in four seasons, which has the functions of relieving summer-heat and body's internal dampness. 

Herbal teas' functions can be classified as inducing sweat, relieving syndrome of cold, moisturizing dry-heat and clearing away dampness. Herbal tea for inducing sweat and relieving internal heat is suitable for the people who suffer from excessive internal heat. Medicinal herbs honeysuckle, chrysanthemum, Scutellaria are the main ingredients of this herbal tea, which is appropriate for drinking in Spring, Summer and Autumn. Herbal tea for relieving the syndrome of cold is mainly made up by radix isatidis, suitable for drinking in four seasons. 

Concocted by roots of straight lady bell, fragrant  colomonseal rhizome,  tuber of dwarf lilyturf and white fungus, herbal tea for moisturizing dry-heat is effective in relieving cough and easing people's parched mouth and the scorched tongue in Autumn. Herbal tea for clearing away internal heat and dampness is good for the people who have bad breath and red and sallow complexions. Its ingredients include honeysuckle, chrysanthemum and wild Tuckahoe, appropriate for summer drinking. 

Generally, herbal teas should be drunk before they get cold. Since most herbs are cold in drug property, drinking too much will harm the spleen and stomach, especially for people who lack vital energy. Therefore, women during the menstrual period, children and the elderly people are unsuitable to drinking herbal teas. If you have no idea about your physical condition, it is better to see a qualified doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine to choose a right herbal tea for you. 

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5 NUTS TO IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH THIS WINTER

Traditional Chinese Medicine theory believes that nuts are warm and hot in nature. The cold weather makes it suitable for people to eat nuts in winter without getting internal heat. Most nuts can nourish and strengthen kidneys, brain, and heart. In addition, eating nuts in winter helps keep warm and improves your physical condition. Let's look at 5 nuts that help you stay healthier in the winter:

Walnuts 

Walnuts are high in protein, fat, minerals, and vitamins. The rich vitamin B and E help prevent cell aging, enhance memory, and slow down aging. Besides, walnuts can reduce the intestinal absorption of cholesterol, beautify skin and hair.  Walnut is an important adjuvant material for Chinese patent medicines. Walnuts have very good effects on kidney deficiency, urinary frequency, and cough. They also help relieve fatigue and stress. Overconsumption of walnuts will affect digestion. Do not peel off the brown skin of the walnut kernel, or it will cause nutrition loss. 

Chestnuts 

Different from other nuts, chestnuts contain more carbohydrates, but less protein and fat. They also have carotene, riboflavin, ascorbic acid, and other vitamins. The polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, and the minerals in chestnuts help prevent and treat hypertension, coronary heart disease, and osteoporosis. 
Chestnuts are sweet in flavor and warm in character. They can nourish kidneys, stomach, and blood. The tonic value of chestnuts is comparable with medicinal herbs like ginseng, astragalus, and angelica. 
Everyone can eat chestnuts. However, they are high in sugar and starch, the overweight and obese should eat less. Better to eat 30 grams daily. 

Hazelnuts

Hazelnut is a kind of oleaginous fruit (mostly unsaturated fatty acids) that is rich in protein, carbohydrates, vitamin E, minerals, and sugar fiber, making it beneficial to reduce cholesterol and prevent colon cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer and other diseases. In addition, hazelnut is a good source of minerals needed by the human body. Hazelnuts can also promote bone growth while balancing the blood pressure. Hazelnuts help relieve poor appetite, fatigue, emaciation, and weakness after illness. Eating hazelnuts is beneficial to the healthy development of children. 

Almonds 

Almond contains a variety of minerals, amino acids, and rich calcium. Studies found that eating almonds can reduce the risk of heart disease, lower cholesterol, and detoxify lungs. However, almond is a high-calorie food; you'd better reduce other fats intake if you're going to eat almonds every day.
Almond is commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine to cure coughs and phlegm. It is especially suitable for the elderly suffering from chronic constipation. There are two main types of almonds: sweet and bitter. Sweet almonds can be eaten directly while bitter almonds are toxic and cannot be eaten raw. 
Almonds have a laxative effect, so people who have poor digestion, loose stool, or diarrhea should eat less. 

Peanuts 

Peanuts are high in protein, fiber, magnesium, iron, zinc, and vitamin D. Besides, peanuts also contain vitamin E, vitamin B6, niacin, riboflavin, copper, potassium, zinc, magnesium and other minerals. 
Eating peanuts can nourish blood, spleen, and lungs, as well as moisturize the skin. Not suitable for the elderly who have poor digestive functions, and patients after cholecystectomy.

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TOP 5 ATTRACTIONS IN CHINA

We thought we'd share our 5 top favorite attractions in China for all you travellers out there.

1. The great wall of China

In the eyes of most travelers, you haven't been to China if you haven't climbed the Great Wall.

The Great Wall is the longest wall in the world, an awe-inspiring feat of ancient defensive architecture. It winds through rugged country and breath-taking steep mountains and certainly deserves its place among "the New Seven Wonders of the World" and the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in China.

The wall spans from China's western frontier to the east coast, totaling around 5,000 km (3,100 miles), but the most integrated and best-preserved sections are close to Beijing. So this is what people usually mean when mentioning the Great Wall of China.

2. The Terracotta Army of Xi'an

The Terracotta Army has laid underground for more than 2,000 years. However, in 1974, farmers digging a well uncovered one of the greatest archeological sites in the world. In 1987, it became World Cultural Heritage.

It is significant because the hundreds of detailed life-size models represent the army that triumphed over all other Chinese armies in the Warring States Period (475–221 BC), and who were the decisive factor in forming a united China. It raises interesting questions about why it was made, which await your consideration when you come face-to-face with soldiers of the past.

3.  The Forbidden City in Beijing

It was once a "palace city" where ordinary people were forbidden entry. An extravagant demonstration of ancient Chinese architecture, over 8,000 rooms with golden roofs are elegantly designed and painted in red and yellow.

The Forbidden City was the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing Dynasties for 560 years till 1911. Twenty-four emperors lived there. World Cultural Heritage, and now known as ‘the Palace Museum' among Chinese, it is a treasure house of Chinese cultural and historical relics.

It is recognized as one of the five most important palaces in the world (with the Palace of Versailles in France, Buckingham Palace in the UK, the White House in the US, and the Kremlin in Russia).

4.  The Li River in Guilin

The karst landscape along the Li River has captured the heart of artists. Generations of Chinese painters and poets have been inspired by the beauty of nature there, using their pens and brushes to capture the breath-taking natural scenery.

Nowadays it's a popular photography destination. When Chinese travelers seek a place for natural beauty, they first think of Li River and Yangshuo.

The 83-kilometer-long section of the Li River between Guilin and Yangshuo is the most beautiful. The river landscape is decorated with startling hills, steep cliffs, and farming villages, and is lined with bamboo groves.

The Li River was listed as one of the "World's Top Ten Watery Wonders” by America's National Geographic Magazine. Several world famous figures have visited the Li River, including former US Presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush (senior), and Bill Gates.

5. The Yellow Mountains

In east China, close to Shanghai and Hangzhou, Yellow Mountain Scenic Area woos travelers with its five wonders: sun-rises, seas of clouds, oddly-shaped rocks, twisted pine trees, and hot springs.

The Yellow Mountains are the most famous peaks in China, and one of China's three best national parks — the other two being Zhangjiajie National Forest Park and Jiuzhaigou National Forest Park. Compared to the two other national parks, Yellow Mountain National Park is easier to access, and, naturally, more popular and busy.

Jiuzhaigou in west China's Sichuan Province is famous for its multicolored lakes and fall foliage; Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is well-known for its grotesque rock pillars. If you are looking for world-class scenery, consider going to all of them.

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