1 . Tea is currently the world’s most popular drink, only after water. However, there was a time when tea was known only to the Chinese. So, how did tea originate in China? And how did it get to conquer the world to the extent that people often describe something they really like as their “cup of tea”?

While we know that tea drink started in China, its true origin remains something unknown. Legend has it that about 5, 000 years ago, Shennong came across tea when dried leaves blew into a pot of boiling water. Following his discovery, tea was used as medicine, included in meals and later offered as a refreshing drink to officials and noblemen. Eventually, it became a common drink enjoyed by all Chinese people.

The love of tea inspired many people to write about it. Over the years, tea drinking became an important part of China’s rich culture. The great poet Du Fu described his tea-drinking experience in poetic language. Lu Yu, a tea master, wrote The Classic of Tea, which remains the earliest and most famous detailed study on tea in the world.

It is then not surprising that the beauty of tea was eventually spread to a wider world. Tang and Song Dynasties needed strong Tibetan horses, so the Tea Horse Road was born. Porters (脚夫) carrying back-breaking loads of tea bricks made their way through dangerous snow-covered mountain passes, to trade Sichuan and Yunnan tea for horses. Over time, the gift of tea was further delivered to Western Asia and Easten Africa. As early as the Tang Dynasty, Saicho, a Japanese monk came to study in China and took tea seeds and tea-making customs to Japan. Around the 1600s, tea was shipped to Europe from China by Portuguese and Dutch sea traders.

3 . Chinese Festivals

As an ancient country, China has various festivals.

In the evening before the Spring Festival, families get together and have a big meal. Children also get lucky money from parents.

During this festival, there is special food called “tang yuan”, which is said to symbolize both the first full moon and family unity and completeness. Part of the Lantern Festival tradition involves a game to guess riddles (谜语) attached to the lanterns.

Stilt walking, drumming and the dragon and lion dance are the main entertainment forms of the Lantern Festival.

It is to celebrate the patriotic poet Qu Yuan, a loyal and highly respected minister, who brought peace and prosperity (繁荣) to the state but ended up drowning himself in a river as a result of being vilified (诽谤).

On the 7th day of the 7th lunar month, there is a traditional festival full of romance. Recently the youth have celebrated it as Valentine’s Day in China.

It is a traditional festival for both the Han and minority nationalities in China.The custom of worshipping (礼拜) the moon can be dated back to the ancient Xia and Shang dynasties. The Mid-Autumn Festival is also a holiday for members of a family to get together.

On the ninth day of the ninth month in the Chinese lunar calendar, people celebrate the Double Ninth Festival. People usually climb mountains and eat double-ninth cakes, which means our life will become better and better.

4 . Ollivier Jean-Baptiste, 25, a vlogger from France living in China, delivered a speech on the latest episode of the China Daily Youth Power series on Jan 30. In his speech, Jean-Baptiste spoke about his initial impressions of China. Just like his family and friends, he saw China as a mysterious place with a culture entirely different from Western countries.

The idea of visiting China first came to him when his uncle, who worked in China, returned with endless praise for the Chinese lifestyle. “Everything, from the food to the scenery, was incredibly appealing,” he recalled.

Later, a Chinese woman introduced him personally to the everyday life of Chinese people, which exposed him to a different way of living. The woman later became his wife, and they moved to Beijing in 2022, which Jean-Baptiste described as “eye-opening” for him. “She took me to see the flag-raising ceremony. Witnessing countless people rushing toward the flag, I was deeply moved. It’s a country of strength, unity, and love,” he said.

When Jean-Baptiste went to his wife’s hometown, the beautiful countryside located in Southwest China, for the first time, a group of locals started shouting “waiguoren”, which means “foreigner”, and ran after him. He understood that this was their way of showing interest and hospitality. “Many, even those who spoke little English, would say ‘welcome to China’. I felt the warmth of home in a foreign country,” he said.

These experiences made Jean-Baptiste eager to spread Chinese culture. When he returned to France for vacation and shared photos in China with his family, they were also excited. After learning about the 15-day visa-free travel from France to China, they couldn’t wait to book their trip to China. “I’m overjoyed to host them showcasing China’s modern development and rich history,” he said. “I may be just an ordinary person with limited influence, but everyone can be a cultural ambassador.”

7 . 24 Solar Terms — Frost’s Descent

The traditional Chinese solar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. Frost’s Descent (霜降), the 18th solar term of the year, begins this year on October 24, 2023 this year and ends on November 7.     1    . Here are the five things you should know about Frost’s Descent.

Frosty autumn. Frost consists of white ice crystals of frozen water vapour near the ground. During Frost’s Descent, frost begins to appear. But in the lower reaches of the Yellow River region, frost first appears in late October or early November. As Frost’s Descent comes,    2     .

    3     during Frost’s Descent, it can help people resist the cold and protect their bones. In the countryside, people believe that their lips will crack if they don’t eat persimmons (柿子) during this period.

Eating apples. The apple is one kind of recommended fruit during Frost’s Descent. There are many sayings about apples’ benefits in China, such as “Eat an apple after meals, even old men can be as strong as young men,” just as the Western proverb goes, “    4    ”. Apples can moisten the lungs, relieve one’s thirst and help one’s digestion.

Eating duck. It’s a custom to eat duck on the first day of Frost’s Descent in south Fujian province and Taiwan. There is a saying in Fujian which goes, “Even nourishing all year is not as good as nourishing the human body on the first day of Frost’s Descent.” Eating duck is a way for people there to gain weight.

Eating dates. The date is one of the fruits on the market during Frost’s Descent. Nutritious with a great number of vitamins, dates (大枣) can nourish the blood, decrease blood pressure, and improve one’s immunity.     5    .

People in areas such as Daxin county in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region often celebrate the first day of Frost’s Descent. In the Frostvs Descent Festival, the Zhuang people offer sacrifices, dance and sing folk songs. With a history of more than 360 years, the festival is to commemorate Cen Yuyin, a heroine in battles against foreign aggression. Frost’s Descent is a big day for all of the Chinese.

9 . One of the world’s oldest preserved human settlements has been significantly damaged by pouring rain in Pakistan as the country battles the worst floods in its history.

Moenjodaro, a World Heritage site in the Indus River valley 508 kilometers (316 miles) from Karachi, was built in the Bronze Age, some 5,000 years ago. “Unfortunately we witnessed the mass destruction at the site,” reads a letter from the Cultural, Tourism & Antiquities Department of Singh state sent to UNESCO and signed by director Ihsan Ali Abbasi and architect Naveed Ahmed Sangah. The letter adds the site was being used as temporary accommodation for surrounding residents whose own homes had flooded.

Moenjodaro’s significance can’t be underestimated when it was added to UNESCO’s register in 1980, the organization wrote that Moenjodaro “bears exceptional proof to the Indus civilization,” comprising “the most ancient planned city on the Indian subcontinent”.

The letter explains some of the immediate actions the site team has taken to mitigate the flood damage, like bringing in water pumps and repairing brickwork. But it’s clear that these measures will not be enough.

Abbasi and Sangah ended their letter by asking for 100 million Pakistani rupees ($45 million) to cover the costs of full repairs. UNESCO has responded to the request for help, allocating $350,000 from its emergency fund for damaged historic sites in Pakistan during UN Secretary General António Guterres’s visit to the flood-stricken country this week.

The funds will go to Moenjodaro and other sites including the Amri Museum. While the sum is far less than needed to fully repair the sites, it will pay for urgent work while UNESCO and local organization consider the best way forward. Sadly, the conservators of Moenjodaro have known for some time that flooding could bring a serious risk to the site.

In their letter, Abbasi and Sangah express concern that Moenjodaro could be added to the list of UNESCO sites in danger, which the preservation body updates periodically to highlight historic places that are at severe risk of ruin.