SFC Chinese Culture, Custom & Festivities

Written on Wednesday, 16/1/2025

What a feast of Chinese knowlege I come across from YouTube lately. The following is a fantastic video on Chinese characters. Some fine tuning is required, but overall I find it informative and educational.

Enjoy.

How Chinese Characters Work Go here to learn basic Chinese in 30 days (free): https://go.mandarinblueprint.com/yt=nryurgnldlwGo here to learn fluent Chinese: https://go.mandarinblueprin...

Written on Thursday, 16/1/2025

Overall this YouTube video gives a very good run down of the various China's dynasties. Except some incorrect pronunciations, the presentation is factual and easy to understand.

Enjoy.

All of China's Dynasties in ONE Video - Chinese History 101 💥Learn more about Chinese culture with Shen Yun Creations: https://sypa.us/chinese-jaredIn this video we give you every Chinese Dynasty from around 2000 BC ...

Written on Wednesday, 15/1/2025

Be proud of your Chinese name! Unlike others, Chinese have such rich culture, and the naming system continued for thousands of years, until it was ruined by western influence as well as that of the Christian religion.

There is a saying that "nothing in life is permanent!". This is not the case for me, because my name is and will always be Sin Fong Chan even when I pass on.

Unfortunately, on the first week I arrived in Australia, my brother introduced me to his friends by calling me by an Anglo name. I can never forget this insult and embarrassment.

He, his wife and some of his friends continued to call me by that name, but I kept correcting them. I did not allow my friends to do likewise by usingbthat demeaning, derogatory and insulting name.

Do you know how your Chinese name is derived? Watch the following YouTube video, and you will understand why your identity must not be corrupted by the less cultured people.

Enjoy the video.

Why Every Chinese Name Tells a Unique Story 💥Discount on Shen Yun tickets: https://shenyun.live/Jared💥Shen Yun Creations: https://sypa.us/chinese-jared00:00 - Intro00:21 - Surname03:55 - Personal nam...

Written on Su day, 22/12/2024

Why is D**g Jie (Winter Solstice) More Important Than Lunar New Year?

D**g Zhi also known as the Winter Solstice, marks the arrival of winter. Historically, it has been celebrated as a significant festival (Jie). During the Han Dynasty, D**g Jie was regarded officially as the beginning of the New Year. The government would hold celebrations, and people would visit each other.

Celestially speaking, Winter Solstice is the day with the shortest daylight and the longest night in the northern hemisphere. The ancients believed that this day marked the peak of yin energy and the rise of yang energy, symbolising the key moment of a transformation and the need to replenish vitality and energy.

Traditionally farmers take a break after the harvest. This period marks the end of the agricultural year and provides a time for rest and reflection before the next planting season. Members of family living away from home return to reunite and enjoy dinner together, sharing delicious food that symbolises reunion and happiness.

Written on Saturday, 21/12/2024

Today is D**g Jie, the arrival of Winter or Winter Solstice for the northern hemisphere.

So many people heard of D**g or D**g Jie, which is more important than Chimese Lunar New Year. Do you know why?

Do you know only two important Chines festive dates are based on Gregorian or Solar calendar? D**g is one of them. Do you know which is the remaining one?

Many people have the misconception that being a Chinese means they have to give up their nationality / citizenship, religious following, or political beliefa.

The meaning of being Chinese is multifaceted and can be deeply personal.

We play many roles in everyday life: parent, child, sibling, teacher, student, employer, employee, etc.

So, I am an Australian, born in Malaysia of Chinese descent. I am proud of what I am!

今天是冬節，北半球的冬季到來。

很多人聽過冬或冬節比農曆新年還重要。 你知道為什麼嗎？

您知道中國祇有兩個重要的節日是基於公曆或陽曆嗎？ 冬至就是其中之一。 你知道剩下的是那一個嗎？

許多人有這樣的誤解，認為成為中國人就必須放棄自己的國籍/公民身份、宗教信仰或政治信仰。

作為中國人的意義是多方面的，並且可以是深刻的個人意義。

我們在日常生活中扮演許多角​​色：父母、孩子、兄弟姊妹、老師、學生、雇主、員工等。

所以，我是一個澳洲人，出生在馬來西亞，有華裔血統。 我為我自己感到自豪！

Don't brag about "Yes we can"

Promise and commit "Yes we'll do"

Seventh Day of Seventh Lunar Month - Qi Xi Jie (七夕节) or Qi Jie Dan (七姐誕)

On the evening of July 7th of the lunar calendar, it is commonly known as 七夕节 (pronounced as Qi Xi Jie) "the seventh eve". According to legend, it is the day when the 牛郎 (pronounced as Niu Lang), the Cowherd and the 织女 (pronounced as Jie Nu) the Weaver girl meet each other over the bridge made up of larks.



Jie Nu was the maternal granddaughter of the 王母娘娘 (pronounced as Wang Mu Niang Niang), the Heavenly Queen Mother. She was beautiful and had a pair of dexterous hands, which could weave countless different styles of clothes. On the contrary, Nui Lang was a child of a poor family on earth. His parents died young and he lived with his older brother. The mean sister-in-law divorced the Niu Lang’s brother, claimed the fields and house, and gave only one old cow to the Nui Lang.



Niu Lang was not discouraged, but diligently cultivated and carefully cared for the old cow. It turned out that this old cow was a divine spiritual man who violated the Laws of Heaven, was degraded as a cow, and banished to the Earth to lead a tough life. In order to thank him, the old cow tried to match Niu Lang with Jie Nu. One day, it told Niu Lang, there was a lake under the mountain, and seven fairies bathed in the lake every evening. As long as Niu Lang stole one of the fairies’ clothes, the fairy would not return to the Heavenly Palace and would stay as his wife.



So Niu Lang followed the instructions of the old cow. As a result, the fairy Jie Nu really became his wife. After the marriage, Jie Nu gave birth to two children and they lived a happy life. Unfortunately, good things did not last; the news about Jie Nu married Niu Lang finally reached the 玉皇大帝 (pronounced as Yu Huang Da Di), the Great Jade Emperor, the ruler of Heaven. He was outraged and sent the Wang Mu Liang Liang to bring Jie Nu back to Heaven. After the Niu Lang found out what had happened to his wife, he put on his magical cow hide coat, and took his children to raced up to the heaven to find Jie Nu.



Niu Lang found Jie Nu and they tried to make the run back to the Earth, which angered Wang Mu Liang Liang. She took off her royal hairpin from her hair piece, using her divine power, she “drew” the 银河 (pronounced as Yin He), the Siver River or Milky Way, separating Niu Lang and Jie Nu. There was no way to hold back the scream and the tears of this family of four. Such indescribable sad separation moved Wang Mu Liang Liang, and so she declared on the 7th day of 7th month each year, she would “build” a bridge out of larks, so that Niu Lang and Jie Nu could meet on the bridge.

La (腊), Layue (腊月), Laba Jie (腊八节)

The original meaning of "La" is "dried or preserved meat", and it also refers to a method of processing meat. After the meat is marinated with salt or sauce, it is then placed in a ventilated place to air dry.

The weather at the end of the lunar year, the 12th month, is less cloudy, less rainy and dry, and the northwest monsoon blows, is ideal for air-drying meat because the meat does not deteriorate easily. Furthermore, there are not many mosquitoes to contaminate the meat. Thus, this month is also known as Layue (腊月).

Laba (腊八) means the 8th day of Layue (腊月). It was originally a Buddhist festival to commemorate Sakyamuni Buddha's enlightenment, and it gradually became a folk festival known as Laba Jie (腊八节).

On this day, Laba Zhou (腊八粥), also known as “七宝五味粥”(seven-jewel five-flavour congee) or "佛粥" (Buddha congee) is consumed. The ingredients include rice, glutinous rice, black rice, red rice, red beans, soybeans, black beans, mung beans, kidney beans, red dates, walnuts, lotus seeds, peanuts, 1 small handful each, and 1 piece of rock sugar.

Laba Jie (腊八节) was on 30 December 2022.