(If this one by General Song Zuying Mr. Sha Baoliang gives you goose bumps, visit here for an earlier version of the same song) In America, I haven’t seen anybody getting married without an exchange of vows that goes something like this: “I, (Bride / Groom), take you (Groom / Bride), to be my (wife / husband), to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, … [Read more...] about From Bows to Vows: Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs Issue Recommended Wedding Vows
Learning about the Chinese Mind through Chinese Food
This may not be a profound truth that I just discovered, but have you noticed that Chinese food and Chinese thinking have a lot to do with each other? Obvious as it may seem, one can become more reflective after encounters with another type of food and thinking behind it. In my case, the comparison is between China and America. 1. In cooking we don't have "1 cup", "1/4 cup", … [Read more...] about Learning about the Chinese Mind through Chinese Food
Global Warming or Global Fussing?
Chinese philosopher Liezi once described a story about a man from the Kingdom of Chi who was so worried that the sky would fall down that he was losing sleep and appetite and generally the will to live. The phrase “Qi Ren You Tian"(杞人忧天) has then evolved into a generic idiom describing a big fuss over nothing, used typically in negative connotations. After the global warming … [Read more...] about Global Warming or Global Fussing?
Chinese Copyright Protection in the Age of Digital Books, Creative Commons, Remixes, and Mashups
This may sound like a Dilbert kind of approach, but some problems are solved if you wait long enough. Copyright protection is certainly a case in point. The United States has been a patient critic of Chinese copyright protection, but according to Wei Gu, columnist for Reuters, such calls for action has fallen on deaf ears (see: Copyright protection battle in China). The … [Read more...] about Chinese Copyright Protection in the Age of Digital Books, Creative Commons, Remixes, and Mashups
Fear of Kubin is the end of wisdom
Wolfgang Kubin, Bonn University Professor of Chinese Studies, is a well-known critic of Chinese literature, a critic in every sense of the word. Every time he speaks about Chinese literature, he makes waves among observers of Chinese literature. He was famous for “trashing” Chinese literature, which has at various times being interpreted as trashing of Chinese literature in … [Read more...] about Fear of Kubin is the end of wisdom