New Additions to the Blogroll – May 2010

Here is a list of some of the blogs which were added to the Eye on East Asia blogroll in May 2010 :

• Asia Shock - A blog on horror and dark cinema from Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Thailand.
• Asian Cine Fest - News, reviews, and considerations of Asian films and filmmakers.
• Chinese Hacks – Tips, software, websites and interesting posts based on Chinese language and culture.
• Dongya Entertainment - A blog aimed at Irish fans of East Asian cinema.
• I Love Korean Movie – News and reviews of South Korean films.
• Tom Vick : Asian Cinema Plus - Reviews and thoughts on Asian cinema by a writer and film programmer based in Washington DC.

If you have a blog which focusses on East Asian culture, language and/or travel, feel free to contact me about a link exchange. Inclusion in the blogroll will be at the blog author’s discretion.

East Asia Blog Roundup : 30/5/2010

Here is this week’s East Asia blog roundup :

• Aeri’s Kitchen – Aeri posts her recipe for spinach and soybean paste soup, or sigeumchi doenjangguk.
• Ben Ross’ Blog – Ben shares his case study of migrant workers working in the hairstyling industry, which is based on his own and migrants’ experiences of working in a barbershop in Fuzhou.
• Danwei - The Danwei staff interview author Jean Kwok and ask her about her novel Girl in Translation and her thoughts on the Asian American emigration experience.
• Fukuoka Dreaming – Asawa teaches readers how to make delicious sake-steamed clams, or asari no sakamushi.
• Korean Modern Literature in Translation - The author talks about the impact that foreign bloggers living in South Korea have made within the blogosphere.
• Mandarin Segments – Greg celebrates his blog’s first birthday.
• Red Cook – Kian shares an authentic recipe for moo goo gai pan, a Cantonese dish consisting of chicken and mushroom.
• Roboseyo – Rob talks about the factors which have led to cultural change in South Korea.
• Shizuoka Gourmet – Dragonlife posts a compilation of tofu-based recipes.
• Sinosplice – John posts some images he found online of creative Chinese character art.
• Speaking of China – Jocelyn gives some advice to a reader who is trying to cope with a premature baby and overbearing Chinese parents-in-law.
• Sweet Persimmon - The author talks about the concept of “imperfect beauty”, or fukanzen no bi.
• The View from Over Here - The author shares her recipe for deep-fried squid, or ojingae twigim.
• Wandering Taiwan – Micki and Kristen visit the Ju Ming Museum in Jinshan, Taiwan.
• Xinjiang : Far West China – Josh shares five more little-known facts about China’s Xinjiang Province.

That’s all for this week. The next blog roundup will be on June 6, 2010.

East Asian Archaeology & Cultural Heritage – 29/5/2010

2,000-year Old “Icebox” Unearthed in Northwest China (Xinhua)

Archaeologists in northwest China’s Shaanxi Province said Wednesday they had found a primitive “icebox” dating back at least 2,000 years in the ruins of an emperor’s residence.

The “icebox,” unearthed in Qianyang County, contained several clay rings 1.1 metres in diameter and 0.33 metres tall, said Tian Yaqi, a researcher with the Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology.

“The loops were put together to form a shaft about 1.6 metres tall,” Tian said.

The shaft was unearthed about 3 meters underground within the ruins of an ancient building which experts believed was a temporary imperial residence during the Qin Dynasty (221 – 207 BC). [continue reading]

Prehistoric Rock Paintings Found in Yellow River Valley (Xinhua)

A group of 24 rock paintings dating back 9,000 years have been found on cliffs in a Yellow River valley in northwest China’s Gansu Province, villagers and officials said Tuesday.

The paintings, which formed a rectangle 7.5 meters long and 4.4 meters wide, portrayed the family life of a man, two women and three children, as well as hunting and ploughing in their community, said Liu Zaiming, a local official in Pingchuan District in the city of Baiyin.

Liu was among the first to detect the paintings on the red sandstone of Dalangshan Mountain in Pingchuan, on the western bank of the Yellow River, China’s second longest waterway. [continue reading]

Revealing China’s Ancient Past (Physorg.com)

An archaeologist at Washington University in St. Louis is helping to reveal for the first time a snapshot of rural life in China during the Han Dynasty.

The rural farming village of Sanyangzhuang was flooded by silt-heavy water from the Yellow River around 2,000 year ago.

Working with Chinese colleagues, T.R. Kidder, PhD, professor and chair of anthropology in Arts & Sciences, is working to excavate the site, which offers a exceptionally well-preserved view of daily life in Western China more than 2,000 years ago. [continue reading]

Saving Treasure (Xinhua)

Hu Wengao might have become a billionaire. But he is now 10 million yuan (about 1.47 million U.S. dollars) in debt.

And despite his wife’s grumbling, the 56-year-old former policeman continues with his expensive vice.

He has packed three rooms of his home with about 1,500 antiques, including more than 400 bronze mirrors, some 600 jade, stone and bone objects, more than 30 bronze items, and some 300 pottery and porcelain items.

Whenever he brings home a bronze with patina or an ancient jade charm, he is too excited to sleep, and often spends days at home studying and enjoying it. [continue reading]

Cultural Relics Shown at Shanghai Expo (Xinhua)

Apart from various pavilions representing different nationalities at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, there are also pavilions focusing on the past, present, and future of the people and the cities they live in.

The Urban Footprint Pavilion is one of them. Among the highlights visitors see at the venue are ten priceless pieces from Dunhuang Grotto of Northwest China’s Gansu Province.

Upon entering the pavilion, visitors will find themselves surrounded by fresco replicas from Mogao Grottos depicting the lifestyle of the Tang Dynasty some one-thousand years ago. [continue reading]

Many Relics to be Rebuilt by Locals (Xinhua)

Religious and ethnic considerations must be taken into account in the restoration of cultural relics damaged in the April 14 earthquake in a predominantly Tibetan-populated area bordering Qinghai and Sichuan provinces, the country’s top relics protection authority said on Thursday.

Five national-level and 23 provincial-level cultural relic sites were shattered during the powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake, Guan Qiang, deputy director of the department of cultural heritage conservation at the State Administration of Cultural Heritage (SACH), said at a briefing in Beijing.

Most of them are monasteries and other religious places like the Gyana mani stone mound in Sengza village, near the epicenter of Gyegu township in Yushu county, Qinghai province. [continue reading]

Saving Underwater Relics (Xinhua)

Chinese underwater archaeologists hope to make their ongoing efforts to salvage the sunken ship Nan’ao-1 off the coast of Guangdong province an exemplar for other underwater projects.

A total of 20 archaeologists have been working on the centuries-old shipwreck since early April, making it the biggest in-situ underwater archaeological excavation in China since the establishment of its first underwater archaeological team in 1987.

They hope to recover the ship’s full load of over 10,000 pieces of antique porcelain by the end of July before the monsoon season arrives. [continue reading]

93 Tombs Belonging to Warring States Period, Han Dynasty Unearthed (Sify News)

Archaeologists have discovered 93 tombs ranging from the times of China’s Warring States Period to Han Dynasty at the Zhangduo Ruins in Neiqiu of Xingtai, Hebei.

The Warring States period stretches from 475 B.C. to the unification of China under the Qin Dynasty in 221 B.C.

Earlier, two Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-220 A.D.) kiln sites and 104 Warring States period to Han Dynasty tombs were found.

The 93 tombs found in the south of Zhangduo Village are divided into Number One and Two cemeteries. [continue reading]

Chinese Bronzes of All Ages Displayed at National Palace Museum (Focus Taiwan)

Taiwan’s National Palace Museum has launched a permanent exhibition which displays Chinese bronze artifacts spanning 1,500 years, from the late Xia dynasty (early 1700 B.C.) to the Zhou (475-221 B.C.) — a period known as the Bronze Age of China.

The artifacts, which went on exhibit Friday, are from the royal collections of the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties between the 10th and 20th centuries, and reflect the exquisite taste of China’s royal families.

The museum hopes that through the exhibit, “Rituals Cast in Brilliance — Chinese Bronzes Through the Ages, ” people will be able to learn the complete development of an exquisite material culture in early Chinese ages, a museum spokesman said. [continue reading]

Owner of Ancient Bronze Case from Baekje Kingdom Revealed (Korea Times)

The small, round bronze case that was found at Mireuk Temple in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, belonged to a high ranking official of the Baekje Kingdom (18 B.C.-660 A.D.), according to the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage (NRICH), Wednesday.

The case was found in the internal space of the temple’s stone pagoda. Called the “Sarigong,” this space is where the Sari or cremation remains, and related relics are placed.

The internal space inside the pagoda is called the “sarigong,” and it is where the “sari,” or cremation remains, and related relics are placed. [continue reading]

Things Asian

While searching the web for some Japanese recipes, I stumbled upon a website which may be handy for anyone who is planning a trip to Asia : Things Asian.

Things Asian is a travel website and online community which is jam-packed with hotel and restaurant recommendations, travel tips, photos, recipes, local customs, and travel stories posted by its members. Visitors can navigate the site by selecting a specific country or topic or by simply running a search for whatever it is that they are looking for. China, Japan and Thailand are among the most popular destinations catered for at this site but visitors can also find a wealth of information on some of the less-commonly visited countries, such as Laos, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan.

Anyone who is interested in writing for Things Asian should consult the Writers’ Guidelines page before submitting any articles. You can also create a free account if you simply wish to share your travel tips, post photos or comment on other writers’ articles.

Note – The blog author is not affiliated with Things Asian in any way and is thus unable to answer any questions you may have about the Things Asian website.

East Asia Blog Roundup : 23/5/2010

Here is this week’s East Asia blog roundup :

• Aeri’s Kitchen - Aeri shares her recipe for Korean-style fruit salad, or gwail salad.
• Annyong Anyang! – The author posts some photos she took during a visit to the Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul earlier this year.
• Danwei – The Danwei staff interview Deanna Fei, whose debut novel A Thread of Sky tackles issues of identity and “root seeking” among the Asian-American community
• Fukuoka Dreaming – Kaeru reviews the free iPhone app for checking Japan’s train and subway timetables, Eki Locky.
• Just Hungry – Maki shares her recipe for tsubu-an, or Japanese azuki bean paste.
• Konnichiwa – Bartman attends the annual Sanja Matsuri festival in Asakusa, Tokyo.
• Korean Modern Literature in Translation - The author reviews the book Modern Korean Fiction : An Anthology.
• Maangchi - Learn how to make satuéed seaweed, or miyeok julgi bokkeum, with Maangchi’s latest recipe.
• Nihon Shock – Lloyd explains the meaning and usage of some polite Japanese expressions.
• Red Cook – Kian shares a simple recipe for pork and Chinese chive pot stickers, or guotie.
• Sinosplice – John tackles the complex issue of the “linguistic power struggle” between English and Chinese in China.
• The View from Over Here - The author learns how to make makkoli and other Korean dishes.
• Wandering Taiwan – Micki and Kristen explore the old streets of Jiufen.
• Xinjiang : Far West China – Josh asks what it is that gives Xinjiang’s lamb kebabs their distinctive flavour.
• ZenKimchi – Tammy posts a recipe for posotbap, a Buddhist Korean dish made from mushrooms and rice.
• 四海为家 – Maria visits one of the Five Great Mountains of China, Taishan.

That’s all for this week. The next East Asia blog roundup will be on May 30, 2010.

East Asian Archaeology & Cultural Heritage – 20/5/2010

Human Sacrifices Discovered at Torched Shang Dynasty City Huanbei (The Independent)

A team of researchers excavating a 3,300 year old Shang Dynasty palace-temple complex at the ancient city of Huanbei have discovered that it was burned down after only 50 years of use by the city’s own rulers.

The complex was stripped of all its goods before being destroyed, but a large number of human sacrifices were left behind, with 40 discovered in one building alone.

Professor Zhichun Jing, of the University of British Columbia, has been working with colleagues in China to excavate and study Huanbei, which is a large site, slightly bigger than New York’s Central Park. The palace-temple complex was at the centre of Huanbei, and would have had a population of at least 10,000 people. [continue reading]

Tomb of Ancient Chinese General Excavated (China.org.cn)

Photo taken on May 12, 2010 shows the excavation site of the tomb of Cao Xiu, a noted general from the Three Kingdoms period (220-280 A.D.) in Mangshan of Luoyang City, central China’s Henan Province. Archaeologists of Henan provincial cultural heritage bureau confirmed that they have founded the tomb of Cao Xiu during the tomb excavation in Mengjin County of Luoyang City at a press conference on Monday. [see photos]

10,000-year-old Shells Unearthed from China Construction Site (Xinhua)

Construction workers have unearthed more than a dozen sea shells dating back 10,000 years — a key archaeology discovery — at the hi-tech zone in northern China’s industrial city of Tianjin, archaeologists said.

The shells were found 17 meters underground earlier this month.

The city’s geological survey and research institute Thursday confirmed the shells were a major discovery. [continue reading]

A Grave Robber’s World (China.org.cn)

Slim and short, a young man squatted behind a pile of porcelain vases and wooed his customers. His grimy fingernails, soiled skin and the yellowish freckles on his wrists provided a clue to his vocation – grave robber.

Dong Mu (alias) is one of hundreds of antique dealers who convene at Baoguo Temple in Beijing each Thursday to sell their merchandise. Without any hint of shame, but rather as a selling point, Dong boasts that he himself dug out the items from graves.

Grave robbers like Dong wander the countryside and cities stealing from the dead, and hoping to make a fortune. Experts estimate 100,000 grave robbers could be roaming the country. [continue reading]

Taiwan Needs a National Aboriginal Museum (Taipei Times)

If Taiwan is a culturally diverse country, then how is that reflected in our museums? The National Palace Museum in Taipei remains the main portal for those who want to learn about Chinese culture in Taiwan. The only Taiwanese museum dedicated specifically to Aboriginal culture is the Cultural Park Bureau of the Cabinet’s Council of Indigenous Peoples. Its status is uncertain, it lacks research experts and its permanent exhibitions are not being updated. In other words, it falls far short of the standard we have a right to expect from a national museum of Aborigines.

Aside from the National Palace Museum, the highest-ranking national museums in Taiwan are the National Museum of History in Taipei, the National Museum of Natural Science in Taichung, the National Science and Technology Museum in Kaohsiung, the National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium in Pingtung and the National Museum of Prehistory in Taitung. The Museum of Prehistory is the highest-ranking museum in Taiwan dedicated to prehistoric research, Aborigines and the connection between prehistory, Aborigines and Austronesia. Although it is charged with promoting balanced cultural development in eastern Taiwan and in the nation’s remote regions, the Museum of Prehistory has the smallest staff, even though Aborigines make up a majority of residents in those areas. [continue reading]

Envoys Offer Globalizing Tips on Baekje Bash (JoongAng Daily)

For 55 years, South Chung-cheong’s Baekje Culture Festival has been a modest regional celebration of one of Korea’s ancient three kingdoms. But this year, the local government is taking it international, running activities to attract foreign visitors to the event from Sept. 18 to Oct. 17 in the district of Buyeo and city of Gongju.

With it comes a new name, the 2010 Great Baekje World Festival.

Foreign ambassadors to Korea from 10 countries visited Buyeo and Gongju on Saturday and Sunday with 100 members of a group called the Korea Tourism Supporters. [continue reading]

Joseon-era Mummy Found at Construction Site (JoongAng Daily)

A mummy estimated to be about 500 years old was recently unearthed at a construction site on the outskirts of Seoul, a research institute said yesterday.

The 154-centimeter (5-foot) tall female mummy was discovered early last month at an industrial complex being built in Osan, some 55 kilometers south of Seoul, by a group of scholars and researchers from the Seokyeong Cultural Properties Research Institute. [continue reading]

East Asia Blog Roundup : 16/5/2010

Here is this week’s East Asia blog roundup :

• Daily Onigiri – ROK shares some photos taken of the cherry blossoms at Tokyo’s Chidorigafuchi Park.
• David on Formosa – David reviews the Taiwanese movie Taipei Exchanges.
• Filination – Fili visits the  Che Kung temple in Hong Kong’s Sha Tin district.
• Japan : Life & Religion – Doug talks about the health benefits of tsukemono, or Japanese pickled vegetables.
• Jottings from the Granite Studio – Jeremiah writes about his experiences thus far in Yunnan and his time amongst the Tibetan residents of Napa.
• Just Hungry – Maki’s fifth and final entry in her Postcards from Kyoto series on Kyoto’s delicacies and food culture.
• On My Way to Korea – The author has a fun night out at the Lotus Lantern Festival in Seoul.
• Shizuoka Gourmet – Dragonlife shares a recipe for vegan edamame tofu.
• Speaking of China – Jocelyn gives some advice to a reader who wants to know how to cope with body image issues in China.
• The Hopeless Romantic – Claytonian explains some money-related yoji, or Japanese 4-character idioms.
• The View from Over  Here - The author talks about her recent green tea picking experience at the Hadong Green Tea Festival.
• Waiguoren Critic of South China – Matthew bids farewell to his old passport.
• Webs of Significance – YTSL spends a day wandering around Hong Kong’s Po Tai Island.
• Xinjiang : Far West China – Josh is pleased to see that “full” internet access has been restored in Xinjiang after almost a year.

That’s all for this week. The next blog roundup will be on May 23, 2010.

East Asia Events in the Netherlands – May 2010

Cinemasia Film Festival

Dates – 20th to 30th May 2010

Location - Het Ketelhuis, Amsterdam

Details – The Cinemasia Film Festival will showcase some of the latest feature films and documentaries from around the Asian continent, the USA and the United Kingdom. This year’s selection includes the Korean blockbuster Haeundae, the Taiwanese drama Yang Yang, the Japanese animated feature Summer Days with Coo, and the documentaries 1428 and Kimjongilia.

Further information - The full programme of events, ticket prices and film synopses can be found at the Cinemasia Film Festival website.

Japanese Market, Leiden

Date - 23rd May 2010 (12:00 – 17:00)

Location – Rapenburg, Leiden

Details – A Japanese-themed market which has been financed and organised by the SieboldHuis Foundation in Leiden. Visitors will be able to sample Japanese delicacies, learn more about traditional Japanese arts and sports, or purchase a range of Japanese products.

Japanese Garden at Clingendael Estate, The Hague

Dates – 1st May to 13th June 2010 (09:00 – 20:00)

Location - The Clingendael Estate, The Hague

Details - The Japanese Garden was a project initiated by Baroness Marguerite Mary van Brienen, a Japanophile and former owner of the Clingendael Estate. The  garden is home to a beautiful pavilion, bridges and stone lanterns and is only open to the public for a few months each year.

Further Information - More information on the garden’s opening hours and attractions can be found at this site, where visitors can download a free brochure (in Dutch or English) for their reference. The brochure includes some background information on the history of the garden as well as information on how to get there by car or public transport.

East Asian Archaeology & Cultural Heritage – 13/5/2010

Topkapı Palace Showcases 5,000 Years of Japanese Art (Hurriyet Daily News)

As part of the 2010 Japan Year in Turkey, an exhibition titled “Enduring Beauty: 5,000 Years of Japanese Art” opened Tuesday at the Topkapı Palace Museum’s Dormitory of the Privy Chamber. Japanese Prince Tomohito Mikasa attended the inauguration of the exhibition, organized by the Agency for Cultural Affairs of Japan, the Tokyo National Museum, and the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

“It is the right time to celebrate ‘Japan Year in Turkey’ since 2010 is the 120th anniversary of the establishment of Japanese-Turkish friendship. 2003 was celebrated as the ‘Turkey Year in Japan’ and Turkey’s politics, economy, culture, education and sports were promoted to Japanese people throughout the year,” Mikasa said at the ceremony. [continue reading]

114 Terracotta Warriors Discovered at Museum Pit (China Daily)

A company of Terracotta Warriors – most painted in rich colors – have been unearthed at the largest pit within the mausoleum complex of the emperor who first unified China.

A total of 114 Terracotta Warriors have been found at No 1 pit, one of three, where excavation started in June last year, said Xu Weihong, head of the excavation team.

“The total area of the excavation was some 200 sq m and we were pleasantly surprised to find rich colors on Terracotta Warriors,” he said. [continue reading]

China Repairs Cultural Relics in Ancient Silk Road (People’s Daily Online)

The 300-year-old Tomb of the Fragrant Imperial Concubine in Kashgar, covered by towering trees, looks quiet and pleasant in the warm sunshine of May. Tourists attracted from afar by the sight of the famous Fragrant Imperial Concubine were gratified to find that some of the secondary buildings next to the main building are currently under repairs.

The sanctuaries outside churches and temples as well as the ancient architectural complex of the Tomb of the Fragrant Imperial Concubine, which are in danger of collapsing, are now under repairs. [continue reading]

Chinese Archaeologists to Help Restore Two Tang Dynasty Relics in America (Xinhua)

Three Chinese archeologists left Xi’an, capital of northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, Friday for the United States to help with the restoration of two Chinese Tang Dynasty (618 AD – 907 AD) relics housed at the University of Pennsylvania.

The university asked the Shaanxi-based Daming Palace Foundation, affiliated with the cultural relics bureau, to recruit experts to help with restoration of the relics,two horse sculpture reliefs, which were smuggled to America in 1914, said a foundation spokesman.

The relics were among six stone horse carvings discovered in the Mausoleum of Emperor Li Shimin (or Taizong of the Tang Dynasty) in Shaanxi. The other four are housed in the Museum of Ancient Steles in the capital of Shaanxi. [continue reading]

‘Ghostly’ Pictures of Great Wall of China Taken from Underwater (Telegraph.Co.Uk)

The section of wall lies under the surface of Panjiakou reservoir about three hours drive northeast of Beijing.

A team of professional divers braved the murky conditions to get some ghostly shots of the wall which ran from 13 metres below the surface to the bottom at 35 metres.

Though urban legend has it being the only man-made object visible from space this one part is lying up to 100 feet below a valley flooded when a dam was built. [continue reading]

Salvage Team Retrieves Ancient Ship’s Secrets (China Daily)

Archaeologists made a breakthrough on Monday in their effort to salvage relics from the sunken merchant vessel Nan’ao No 1, when they reached the hold of the ship and began to retrieve items from the water off Shantou in East Guangdong province.

Sun Jian, director of the salvage team from the National Underwater Cultural Heritage Protection Center, said: “Our work is focusing on salvaging relics from the cabin of Nan’ao No 1, instead of cleaning the silt that covered the vessel and salvaging a small number of relics from outside the ship, as previously.” [continue reading]

1,000 Ancient Rock Paintings Found in East-central China (People’s Daily Online)

Archaeologist Ma Baoguang recently found some 1,000 hieroglyphic rock paintings in Yangce Town, Biyang County of east-central China’s Henan province, acording to the report from http://www.dahe.cn.

Ma went to Yangce with his students for an archaeological investigation on the eve of the May Day holiday. They spent over a week there and have found approximately 1,000 rock paintings of various types within an area of 5 square kilometers in villages such as Chenzhou, Tangligou, Xuzhuang, Leigutai, Anzhai, and Guogang. [continue reading]

Unique Edo Period Kabuki Style Kept Alive and Well in Mountain Village (The Mainichi Daily News)

A troupe specializing in a unique kabuki style from the Edo period performed Wednesday night at a shrine in a mountain village here, attracting some 500 spectators.

Despite a steady drizzle, the audience enjoyed a play in the “Hinoemata Kabuki” style — first developed more than 260 years ago — performed on a thatch-roofed stage set up on the grounds of a shrine in the Fukushima Prefecture village of Hinoemata.  [continue reading]

East Asia Blog Roundup : 9/5/2010

Here is this week’s East Asia blog roundup :

• Fukuoka Dreaming – Kaeru posts some of the photos taken at Fukuoka’s annual Hakata Dontaku Festival.
• Haikugirl’s Japan - Alison has a fun day out at the Hamamatsu Festival.
• Just Another Day in Japan – Dylan talks about the challenges that vegetarians may face during their stay in Japan.
• Just Bento – Maki shares her recipe for char siu, or Chinese-style roast pork.
• Maangchi - Learn how to make pasanjeok, Korean skewered pancakes with vegetables and beef, with Maangchi’s latest recipe.
• Nihongo Noobie – Nick lists some of the best places to find Japanese goods in London.
• Notes from Xi’an - Richard posts his reviews of five coffee shops he has visited in down town Xi’an.
• Shanghai Scrap – Adam shares his tips for getting the most out of your visit to the Shanghai Expo 2010.
• Sinosplice – John visits the Shanghai Sculpture Park in Sheshan, Shanghai.
• SweetPersimmon - The author lists some of the guidelines that students must keep in mind when attending their tea ceremony lessons.
• The View from Over Here – The author visits Beppu, a Japanese town which is famous for its hellish hot springs.
• Webs of Significance – YTSL reviews the Taiwanese gangster movie, Monga.
• 四海为家 – Maria visits Qufu, the birthplace of Confucius.

That’s all for this week. The next East Asia blog roundup will be on May 16, 2010.