The Awesome Panda Power of Turning Red
There is something special about seeing yourself on the big screen, and if not yourself, then someone who you can see yourself as, or recognise yourself in. This is one reason why Pixar’s Turning Red has been such a big thing, coming out at a time when it looked as though the studio would sooner do another movie following Bugs’ Lives, than putting an East-Asian in the protagonists driving seat.
Now, I’ve never been a ‘Disney kid’, so I was still cautious as I sat down to watch the film, having been stung twice by the mouse’s Mulan. But… I was charmed, enthralled, and thoroughly entertained by the story, and of course, characters who looked like me.
Posted in Commentary and tagged animation, china, Chinese, culture, deity, Disney, film, panda, Pixar, Turning Red
Five Fabulous Chinese Goddesses: Tian Hou
Even though China’s pantheon is mammoth, there does tend to be more male deities than female, it’s an imbalance I’ve tried to redress in my book. For Chinese goddesses are fabulous indeed, they come in many types – deities of the elements, the trades, protectors, creators. Most of the Nü Shen, Chinese for female deity, are very powerful. They also have amazing stories, and are some of China’s oldest supernatural beings. In this mini-series I write about 5 of them.
Posted in Culture and tagged china, Chinese, culture, deity, goddess, International Women's Day, sea
Five Fabulous Chinese Goddesses: Lei Zu
Even though China’s pantheon is mammoth, there does tend to be more male deities than female, it’s an imbalance I’ve tried to redress in my book. For Chinese goddesses are fabulous indeed, they come in many types – deities of the elements, the trades, protectors, creators. Most of the Nü Shen, Chinese for female deity, are very powerful. They also have amazing stories, and are some of China’s oldest supernatural beings. In this mini-series I write about 5 of them.
Posted in Culture and tagged china, Chinese, culture, deity, goddess, International Women's Day, Leizu, silk
Nanhaishen – God of the South China Sea
This coming week sees the celebration of the birth of Chinese 海神(“Hai Shen”) or god of the sea, which falls on the 11th to 13th day of the second lunar month. So I am writing about the wonderful Nanhaishen (literally “God of the South China Sea”) Temple on the outskirts of Guangzhou, a hidden treasure I discovered on my last visit back. In fact, Chinese sea gods still inspire Western culture today.
Posted in Culture and tagged Anthony Horowitz, china, Chinese, culture, Daoism, deity, fang shui, festival, Guanyu, Ken Liu, Lin Mo, Mazu, necropolis, sea god, Taoism, temple, YA
The Chinese God of Thunder
Nowadays rarely does a deity become hot topic, like Thor has, with the aid of Marvel and Hollywood blockbusters. In Chinese Thor is called 雷神 (“Lei Shen”) or God of Thunder. It is no wonder that the Thor movies have proved popular in China, as the Chinese have long had their own deity of Thunder.
Posted in Culture and tagged china, Chinese, culture, deity, God of Thunder, myth, Taoism