“Discover China", our newly established column, covers various Chinese-related topics, including traditional festivals, music, art, films, books, food, and sports. These living expressions form part of Modern China’s intangible cultural heritage, as well as its considerable social and economic development. Thus, in the spirit of deepening the relationship between China and South Africa, the column aims to offer you a valuable opportunity to get to know China and its people. We hope you may be enriched both personally and professionally. Come and Discover China with us!
Sanxingdui is an ancient archaeological site located in the Sichuan Basin of China, approximately 40 km north of Chengdu. It is an important discovery that challenges the traditional narrative of Chinese civilization. Before the year 316 BCE, the Sichuan Basin was considered to be isolated from the Bronze Age civilization centered in the Yellow River […]
Chinese hot pot is indeed a warm, comforting, and social meal that brings family and friends together. The rich diversity of spices and condiments used in traditional Chinese hot pot reflects the culinary heritage of the country. Research indicates that there are approximately 67 different spices and condiments commonly used, sourced from 82 plant species […]
High Mountain and Flowing Water is one of the top ten famous traditional Chinese music pieces. It has a high aesthetic and musical value which reminds people of a spring of fresh water merrily flowing down a mountain, and the waves playfully rising. It is full of the harmony between man and nature, and exudes […]
The Dragon Boat Festival falls on Thursday 22 June this year, which is the fifth day of the fifth month on the Chinese lunar calendar. There are many legends about the 2,000-year-old festival, but the most famous one is commemorating the death of QU Yuan, a patriotic poet from the State of Chu during the […]
Confucius Institute at Stellenbosch University is jointly established by Stellenbosch University and Xiamen University. Here we’d like to give you a brief introduction to the city of Xiamen, a sub-provincial city in southeastern Fujian, China, beside the Taiwan Strait. Xiamen covers an area of 1,700.61 square kilometers (656.61 sq mi) with a population of 5,163,970 as of […]
The Analects (Chinese:论语; pinyin: Lúnyǔ; meaning “Selected Sayings”[1]), also known as the Analects of Confucius, the Sayings of Confucius, or the Lun Yu, is an ancient Chinese book composed of a large collection of sayings and ideas attributed to the Chinese philosopher Confucius and his contemporaries, traditionally believed to have been compiled and written by […]
Here we select two videos for you to discover China’s Great Wall, a world cultural heritage site. In the first one, Archaeologist Allan Maca leads a team of intrepid experts on an epic adventure to solve mysteries, explore secrets and reveal amazing wonders of Ancient China like never before. Guided by images from space, cutting-edge […]
Beijing, the world-famous ancient capital, has a history dating back more than 3000 years, with more than 860 years as the capital of China. Showcasing the brilliant and splendid Chinese culture, Beijing has 7 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, namely, the Imperial Palace, the Great Wall, the Ming tombs, the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace, […]
Language Days at the United Nations seek to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity as well as to promote equal use of all six official languages(Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish) throughout the Organization. Under the initiative, UN duty stations around the world celebrate six separate days, each dedicated to one of the Organization’s six […]
The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into “24 solar terms”. More than 2,000 years ago, Chinese people created this framework to mark the annual passage of time. It is based on observations of the sun’s orbit. It is a marriage of astronomy and astrology. The 24 solar terms have several applications. As it […]