“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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
This short video introduces the Chinese Spring Festival, an event that is celebrated by more than 1.6 million Chinese and Southeast Asians, as well as other Asians living around the world. In 2022, the Chinese Spring Festival falls on the first 3 days of February, while the last day of January is considered “Spring Festivals […]
For more than 2,000 years, the Chinese zodiac, also known as “Shengxiao” (生肖), is a repeating cycle of 12 years. Each year is represented by a different animal. The 12 animals include the Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. The order of the Chinese astrology signs is related […]
The Chinese Lunar New Year is a time to invite prosperity and welcome good luck. Many cultures hold ancestor worship ceremonies on the first day of the Lunar New Year, with different rituals such as visiting and sweeping ancestors’ graves and preparing food for them. Folk arts and performances like dragon and lion dances, paper […]
The Niányèfàn (年夜饭) refers to the family dinner on New Year’s Eve. Being one of the most important meals of the year for Chinese people, it is the heart of the Spring Festival. So, in preparation for this big meal, what does a typical day look like? Let’s join Yegor on his videoblog and experience […]