Meeting Traditional Expectations

IN the early morning of February 4,the day after Chinese New Year,Hao Liuyan's 18-month-old daughter was coaxed into the family's ancestral shrine in Shengli Village,Huangni Town,Qianshan County in Anhui Province.The girl was to be formally introduced to ancestral lore following local customs.Long hours followed when elders recounted family stories harking back generations,punctuated by the celebratory fireworks outside.Uninterested and perplexed,the toddler gazed through the incense mist at the peeling ...     

Peacock Dance

CHINESE folk dance is a microcosm of the country’s rich culture.The Peacock dance of the Dai ethnic group is one of the most traditional folk dances in China.The presence of the Dai was first recorded in Han books in the f irst century.This ethnic group is mainly found in Yunnan in southwest China,the province known as the "land of eternal spring." It has its own language,calendar and medical science.Though being in a border area,the Dai people have always maintained contact with the heartland economy and culture.     

Budget Roundtables Catch On

THE town will build new trash depots, so we won't have to trek miles to dispose of our garbage! Mo Hailiang is a happy man. Mo, from Shangmo Village, is also a deputy to the People's Congress of Xinhe Town, Wenling City in Zhejiang Province. We have a say in how and on whom to use the government allocation. In his town's democratic roundtable budget review in February, Mo proposed an additional RMB 300,000 to build trash depots and update the dustbins. His amendment was passed with 63 votes in favor and ...     

Living in Comfort and Joy in Fengdu County

LINING both sides of the streets of downtown Fengdu are rows of camphor,sweet osmanthus and ginkgo trees.The local government has set its sights on building Fengdu into one of the most livable cities in western China by 2012 and one of the most livable cities in all of China by     

The Last Hunting Tribe

IN the primeval forests of northeastern China live the Evenkis, an ethnic minority of about 30,000 people. Most of them inhabit Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and the northwestern part of Heilongjiang Province, where winter is long and punishing. Evenkis are believed to be descendents of the Tungus people, who originated from lands to the east of Lake Baikal thousands of years ago. Later, some of     

Last Look at Hutong Life

WHEN Wu Wei moved to Beijing in the 1950s,he was told by locals that the city had nearly 4,000 marked hutongs or lanes lined with courtyard homes,and countless smaller ones off the record books. These tightly-knit communities that occupy old and labyrinthine     

Shoton Festival

PERCHED at 3,650 meters above sea level,Lhasa,capital of Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR),is among the highest cities on earth. In Tibetan the name means "holy land," and this is true to its function:the city is the heart of Tibetan politics,economy,culture and religion. The landmark Potala Palace overlooking the city is the emblem of theocratic rule that held sway in the region until 1951.     

Cultural Restructuring:Commercialization of Performing Arts

DURING the week-long Spring Festival holiday in January 2012, instead of traveling outside of the capital to enjoy her time, Mrs. Wu chose to watch performances in Beijing, and she was not alone.     

Monsieur Hero:Cultural Envoy to China

SEBASTIéN Roussillat,born in Rennes,France,23 years ago,has been studying Chinese language in China for five years.He is now doing an M.A. in Teaching Chinese as a Second Language at Shandong Normal University.     

Little Investments Go a Long Way

WUYUN Sandan and her family live a spartan life in Inner Mongolia, relying mainly on the crops and animals they raise on their 20 mu (1mu=1/15 hectare) of land. With a little investment, this land could provide 44-year-old Wuyun a much more comfortable life,