In to Mortal World: a New Evolution of the Cowherd and the Weaver Myth
Today is Qixi Festival, which falls on the 7th of the seventh lunar month. Whereas Valentine’s Day is also now celebrated in China, as is Lantern Festival for first romances, Qixi is the occasion to celebrate enduring love. And as arts and commerce increasingly turn their focus on it, more couples in China are choosing tie to knot on this day. The origins of this festival, is of course, associated with the story of Niulang and Zhinüng, the mortal Cowherd and the Weaver goddess, China’s story of star-crossed lovers and one of its four greatest legends, which you can read out in my book Chinese Myths. If you’re interested in the supreme goddess who played a key role in the tale, read my guide to Chinese deities). For the traditions and customs, read my article. This year, I wanted to write about a brilliant continuation of the myth by the donghua film Into the Mortal World (落凡尘, 2024), which I managed to catch on the plane on a recent trip.
Posted in Articles, Events and tagged animation, Cantonese, china, Chinese, Cowherd and Weaver, donghua, film, Guangdong, Guangzhou, myth
Congee Concepts
I like congee. When my western friends reach for pizza or tomato soup as comfort foods, I do find myself missing that fragrant rice porridge with its accompanying bowls of tasting toppings. It seems I am not alone. I’ve been seeing a lot of social media and articles discussing this south-east Asian dish. They mainly focus on it being the secret of a healthy life, and a pick-me-up when you’re ill. Whilst all of this is true, I can’t help but feel that these representations are somewhat missing the main point, and perpetuating some misperceptions. The Chinese, for one, eat congee as an everyday staple, some even consider a delicious treat. With family roots across central, northern and southern China, I have grown up with a variety of experiences of the 粥zhou (Mandarin for congee).
Posted in Articles and tagged Cantonese, Chaozhou, china, Chinese, congee, cuisine, culture, food, jook, Teochew, tradition
Shikumen
I select restaurants to review for various reasons. Reccomendations, publicity, invite, occasionally just simple coincidence. We came across Shikumen due to a huge advert in London’s free morning paper. With an enticing dim sum menu, and a website littered with Shangai calendar pics, we thought it would be worth a trip to their Ealing branch.
Posted in Events and tagged Cantonese, china, Chinese, cuisine, culture, dim sum, Ealing, food, restaurant, review, Shanghai, Shikumen, Tianjin
Flower Markets – a Cantonese Spring Festival Tradition
Chinese New Year holds certain traditions, the preparation and cleaning, preparing food and visiting friends, and for myself, and anybody who grew up in Guangdong, no Spring Festival would be complete without a visit to the 花市 (“hua shi”), or flower market.
Posted in Articles and tagged Canton, Cantonese, Chinese, chrysanthemum, culture, flower market, flowers, Guangzhou, kumquat, market, peach blossom, plum blossom, pussy willow