East Asia Blog Round-Up : 26/2/2012

Another week, another Eye on East Asia Blog Round-up.

Here is this week’s selection :

• A Curmudgeon Abroad - Kaminoge tries to appease the gods with a visit to Guangfu Temple (廣福宮).
• A Man with Tea - Toranosuka writes about the sights and sounds of Japan’s Sakishima islands.
• Appetite for China - Diana compiles a list of kosher Chinese cooking ingredients.
• Bamboo Butterfly - Rhonda shares some tips for teaching English in Taiwan.
• Chinesense - Anton posts a short photo diary about foreign domestic workers living in Hong Kong.
• Chinese Quest - The author reconsiders his research topic after falling in love with Chinese palaeography.
• Dale’s Korean Temple Adventures - Dale visits Geumsansa Temple (금산사) in Gijang.
• Hiroyuki’s Blog - Hiroyuki posts a recipe for a Niigata speciality, mame-ten (豆天) or soybean tempura.
• Hokkaido Kanpai - The author visits the Snow Festival (雪まつり) in Sapporo.
• Hoops & Homonyms - Jenny and Ian decide to leave China and explore South-East Asia.
• Japan Navigator - Ad talks about the regional sake of Yamagata Prefecture.
• Life in Kawagoe - The author shows off her family’s collection of hina dolls (雛人形).
• Life on Nanchang Lu - Fiona has a delicious meal out at the Old Place Noodle restaurant (老地方面馆).
• Living a Dream in China - Sara posts some of the beautiful photos she took on her visit to the Dapeng Fortress (大鹏城) in Shenzhen.
• My Kafkaesque Life - The author pays a visit to the Big Buddha on Bagua Mountain (八卦山) in Changhua.
• Rory in Beijing - Rory is back in Beijing after two months of travelling across China.
• Shizuoka Gourmet - Robert explains how to make professional-looking tempura at home.
• Taiwan Duck - JJ.Lymm shares her recipe for octopus in tomato sauce (茄汁章魚).
• Tales from Hebei - Kelly produces a short guide on the latest fashion trends in small-town Hebei.
• Tigers & Magpies - Eddie explores the Gangseo Marsh Ecological Park in Seoul.
• Tofugu - Hashi delights in the beauty of Japan’s customized manhole covers.
• TravelWire Asia - Chris posts a handy guide for decoding Korean nutritional labels.

That’s all for this week.

The next Eye on East Asia Blog Round-up will be posted on Sunday 4th March 2012.

East Asian Archaeology & Cultural Heritage News : 26/2/2012

China :

• Archaeologists in Jiangsu Province continue to study the ruins of an ancient city in Xuyi County. The site has been dubbed Jiangsu’s “Atlantis” and is thought to be the remnants of Sizhou (泗州), a city which historians believe was destroyed in a catastrophic flood in the late 1600s.

• Over a dozen academies across China are currently petitioning for UNESCO World Heritage status for the Long March route. Academics involved in this project hope that this will lead to greater awareness of the importance of protecting cultural heritage sites for posterity and help promote “red tourism” in some of the country’s more impoverished areas.

• The Beijing government will be spending 1 billion yuan on the restoration and renovation of cultural relics and heritage sites this year while activists and netizens continue to condemn the local government’s failure to protect the city’s ancient buildings from demolition.  This report comes only two months after the demolition of the courtyard house that was once home to two of China’s most renowned architects, Liang Sicheng (梁思成) and his wife Lin Huiyin (林徽因).

• Over the years, billionaire Wang Yongchao spent his sizeable fortune on thousands of cultural relics and traditional courtyard houses from across Shaanxi Province. The buildings were disassembled and re-built just outside of Xi’an and now house China’s largest privately-owned folk art museum, the Guanzhong Folk Art Museum.

• Hong Kong’s last Cantonese opera house has been saved thanks to Cantonese opera fan and feng shui master Li Kuiming (李居明). Li signed a four-year lease with the owner of the Sunbeam Theatre (新光戏院) and it is thought that the opera house will re-open for business later this year.

Japan :

• The residents of Nagoya (名古屋) have voiced their concerns over the local government’s plans to rebuild Nagoya Castle. While some believe that the proposal to demolish the concrete structure and rebuild the castle using traditional methods would boost tourism, others feel that the project would be a costly decision to make in the current economic climate.

• The discovery of a wooden strip unearthed in Tsukuba (つくば) has led researchers to believe that the Heian and Nara government administrations based in western Japan also held sway in some of the islands’ peripheral areas. The strip bears the character hiro, which had been used as a unit of measurement in Japan’s Kinki region (近畿地方), and is the first such strip to have been discovered in eastern Japan.

Mongolia :

• Mongolia’s Ministry of Education, Culture and Science has recently published three books which catalogue the country’s cultural heritage. Ministry officials believe that the books will promote the protection of cultural heritage in Mongolia and will be useful tools for the country’s Customs and Border workers.

• Chicago’s Field Museum is currently holding an exhibition on Genghis Khan which should dispel the myth that the Mongol leader was merely a bloodthirsty military warrior. The exhibition looks at the cultural impact that Genghis Khan’s armies made on the lands they conquered and explores Mongolian traditional culture and history.

South Korea :

• Artisans are continuing their efforts to restore Songnyemun (숭례문), also known as Namdaemun (남대문), to its former glory. The gateway, which  is one of South Korea’s national treasures and was almost destroyed by fire in 2008, has undergone extensive restoration work over the past two years and officials believe that the new structure will be completed by the end the year.

• The Seoul Metropolitan Government will be working with the Korea Tourism Organization and Cultural Heritage Administration to promote Seoul’s four royal palaces as hubs of traditional Korean culture. Numerous cultural and educational events have been planned for 2012 and visitors will be able to participate in late-night tours, sample Korean court cuisine and attend gugak concerts throughout the year.

Taiwan :

• Taiwanese railway expert Su Chaoyu has called for a national railway museum as a means of preserving the island’s rich railway culture. Su feels that more should be done to promote Taiwan’s unique railway culture on an international scale and he has even suggested that Taiwanese-Japanese ties could be improved through “railway diplomacy”.

• The Taipei City government has launched an online distance-learning programme to help people learn more about Taiwan’s aboriginal languages. The programme offers online courses in Atayal, Saisiyat and Puyuma and is part of the government’s commitment to improve minority language teaching on the island.

101 Challenge : Update for February 2012

It’s been a month since I embarked on my 101 Challenge so I thought it was time for a short update on my progress. I took almost two weeks’ break from my challenge whilst my mum was visiting me so my progress has been limited at best.

Learn one new chengyu/kotowaza every week - I’ve only tackled one kotowaza in the past month : 石の上にも三年. This kotowaza is quite relevant to my project as its translation is “perseverance prevails”. If anyone knows how I can use this kotowaza in everyday speech, feel free to let me know.

Read Bettine Vriesekoop’s “Duizend dagen in China” - I’ve read the first couple of chapters so far and am slowly making my way through the rest of the book. Dutch is not my native language so it’ll probably take me a few more weeks to complete this book. Despite my slow progress through the book, I think this is a great way for me to improve my Dutch reading skills and broaden my vocabulary, especially since the book is on a subject of personal interest (the book is about Bettine Vriesekoop’s time as China correspondent for one of the Netherlands’ most renowned national daily newspapers, the NRC Handelsblad).

Read at least 5 Japanese and/or Korean novels in translation - I’ve succeeded in reading one novel thus far, Kyung-Sook Shin’s “Please Look After Mom”. The book has sold over a million copies in South Korea alone so when a fellow blogger brought the book to my attention a few months ago, I added it to my “must read” list. I enjoyed reading this book, which was my first Korean novel in translation, and thought the author did a fantastic job of contrasting the traditional values of the missing mother with the norms and realities of modern-day South Korean society. To be honest, it’s a novel that I find quite hard to relate to given that I have a very good and close relationship with my mother but I was still able to understand the pain that each of the family members feels when they realize what they have lost. All in all, it’s a moving piece and a pertinent reminder of the importance of family even in this digital age.

That’s all for this month. I will continue working my way through that mammoth list of tasks and will post another update of my progress towards the end of March.

East Asia Blog Round-Up : 22/2/2012

Guess who’s back?

It’s been a wonderful and relaxing week and a half despite the fact I haven’t left the country and still had to go into the office while my mother was visiting me. Girly nights in, delicious home cooking and watching Swiss tennis champion Roger Federer win the ABN Amro tournament mens’ single title at the Ahoy in Rotterdam. What more could a gal ask for?

Seeing that there wasn’t a blog round-up last weekend (or the weekend before that), I thought I’d treat you all to a rare mid-week Eye on East Asia Blog Round-up. So here it is.

• Ajumma’s Journal - The author talks about the benefits and challenges of trying to eat like a Korean Buddhist monk.
• Bamboo Butterfly -  Rhonda talks about her love of baozi (包子).
• Beyond Kimchee - Holly shares her recipe for Korean royal roast pork (맥적).
• Carl Gene - Carl compiles a list of 45 Mandarin sentences with Chinese characteristics.
• Confused Laowai - Niel shares his thoughts on the use of Chinese characters in tattoos.
• Dale’s Korean Temple Adventures - Dale visits Jangansa Temple (장안사) in Busan.
• Frog in a Well: China - C.W.Hayward talks about the complex issue of “authenticity” in American Chinese cuisine.
• Hacking Chinese - Olle shares some practical advice on how to learn to understand regionally accented Mandarin.
• Haikugirl’s Japan - Ali talks about how Valentine’s Day is celebrated in the UK and Japan.
• Japan Navigator - Ad writes about the film and films of Japanese director Masumura Yasuzo (増村保造).
• Just Another Day in Japan - Paul reviews For Fukui’s Sake, Sam Baldwin’s book about his life as a JET teacher in rural Japan.
• Life Behind the Wall - Jo shares her story of how she met her Chinese husband.
• Life is a Journey - Fang talks about her experience as a volunteer translator.
• Life on Nanchang Lu - Fiona writes about her recent visit to Harbin and its Ice Festival.
• My Kafkaesque Life - The author visits Douliu (斗六), the capital of Taiwan’s Yunlin County (雲林縣).
• My Mid-Twenties in Mongolia - Liz celebrates Tsagaan Sar (Цагаан сар), or Mongolian Lunar New Year.
• Of Kangaroos & Kappas - Daniel gives some advice to those who have applied for an ALT position on the JET program.
• Out to Lunch - Carolyn shares her recipe for a tasty Chinese snack, lotus root chips (炸藕片).
• Patrick Cowsill - Patrick shares his thoughts on Taiwan’s new seat belt law.
• Red Cook - Kian prepares a classic Beijing dish, zhajiang mian (炸醬麵).
• Roboseyo - Rob lists his five alternative places to visit in Seoul.
• Seoul Sub-urban - Charlie and Liz explore the area around Seoul’s Sangsu (상수) metro station.
• Shanghai Street Stories - Sue Ann talks about the delicious snacks on offer in Kyrgyzstan’s bazaars.
• Shards of China - Nicholas talks about his personal experience with acupuncture.
• Shenzhen Noted - Mary Ann shares her thoughts on urban conservation and the preservation of local heritage in China.
• Shizuoka Gourmet - The author writes about the various tansu (箪笥) chests which could be used to decorate a Japanese-themed dining room.
• Shu Flies - Catherine shares some of the photos she took of the colourful lanterns on display at this year’s Taipei Lantern Festival (台北燈節).
• Sinosplice - John posts a list of ideas for mum-friendly activities in Shanghai.
• Sophie’s Japan Blog - Sophie interviews J-List’s Peter Payne.
• Speaking of China - Jocelyn replies to a letter from a reader who faces a tough choice between a broken family and a broken heart.
• Surviving in Japan -  Ashley interviews Baye McNeil, author of the Loco in Yokohama blog and the book Hi! My Name is Loco and I am a Racist.
• Taiwan Duck - The author shares a recipe for Taiwanese-style char siu pork (叉燒肉).
• Taiwan Xifu - Serina falls in love with Taiwan again thanks to Taiwanese soap operas.
• Tales from Hebei - Kelly’s cautionary tale of the trouble she faced when she tried to renew her Canadian passport.
• The Japan Guy - Donald lists his five biggest gripes about living in Japan.
• The Korea Guide - The author explores the Kwangjang Sijang (광장시장) market in Seoul.
• The Kunming Report - Eddie talks about his first experience of an evening at a KTV bar.
• The View From Over Here - The author talks about her new teaching position at an adult hagwon (학원).
• Tigers & Magpies - Eddie climbs Hallasan (한라산), one of South Korea’s sacred mountains.
• Tofugu - Hashi explains why learning Japanese isn’t as hard as people think it is.
• TravelWire Asia - Chris posts a short but handy guide to Korean street food.
• World of Bunny - The author takes in the sights and sounds of Tianjin.
• Writer. Traveller. Tea Drinker - Becky takes a tour of the tulou (土楼) earthen houses of Fujian Province.
• Xinjiang : Far West China - Josh shares recipes for three of his favourite Xinjiang dishes.

That’s all for now. The next Eye on East Asia Blog Round-up will be posted on Sunday 26th February 2012.

New Additions to the Blogroll : 21/2/2012

• 365 Days in Korea - Two teachers and their journal about their 365 days in South Korea (Korea Blogs)
• A Totally Impractical Guide to Living in Shanghai - Notes from Over There (China Blogs)
• Anna in Asia - A college senior preparing to live and work in China for a few years (China Blogs)
• Chinaful - Your bridge to all things China (China Blogs)
• Chinesense - Photo portaits and interviews (China Blogs)
• Country Fried Egg Roll - Chronicling our journey from Southern US to Shenyang, China (China Blogs)
• Doubting to Shuō - Learning Chinese, teaching English, trying to understand more (Taiwan Blogs)
• Eleonora’s Life in Korea - Korea and life of a foreign student in Korea (Korea Blogs)
• Evan & Rachel - Two Americans: Travelers, Expats, Lovers. Currently settled in Seoul, Korea as teachers and students (Korea Blogs)
• Journey to Hong Kong - A Hong Kong blog (Hong Kong Blogs)
• Living & Teaching in Japan - Peter’s blog about living and teaching in Japan (Japan Blogs)
• My Seoul Stories - Stories of Seoul told by a Korean (Korea Blogs)
• Nomad Steppes - One girl’s adventures in Mongolia and beyond (Mongolia Blogs)
• Pig With a Pineapple - An outlet and a resource for those interested in life in Taiwan, living or working abroad (Taiwan Blogs)
• Sandy’s Neipu Notebook - An American living in southern Taiwan(Taiwan Blogs)
• Seoul Sub-Urban - Discovering Seoul, one subway stop at a time (Korea Blogs)
• Snarky Tofu - Kindly follow my traveling human peep-show… (Taiwan Blogs)
• Space for Grace - Kathy’s life as a single mum in Taiwan (Taiwan Blogs)
• Sydney to Seoul - Sydney to Seoul is my own self-studying tool, a way of tracking my progress as I try to understand the inner workings of the Korean language (Language Learners)
• The Kunming Report - Eddie’s experiences as an English teacher and traveler in Kunming (China Blogs)
• Unbrave Girl - Encouraging scaredy cats since 2009 (China Blogs)
• World of Bunny - Currently adventuring in China (China Blogs)

Two-Week Break

Just a short notice to let you all know that Eye on East Asia will be on a two-week break starting from tomorrow (10th February).

My mother will be staying with me for the next two weeks so there will be no news digests or blog round-ups until the weekend of the 24th/25th.  I only get to see my mother every few months or so, so blogging will have to take a back seat whilst she’s here.

If you need your East Asia fix, there are many fine blogs listed in the blogroll. Alternatively, you can read some of my older posts : Announcing the 101 Challenge, Food Culture in Taiwan, East Asian Language Resources on Twitter, The Beauty of Korean Food, 中国网络电视台, Things Asian, Videos (check out the Delicious Nippon series!), and Shinya Shokudo.

See you in two weeks’ time!  :)

East Asia Blog Round-Up : 5/2/2012

Here is this week’s Eye on East Asia Blog Round-up :

• A Man With Tea - Toranosuke talks about the difficulties of engaging in Japanese culture in the US.
• Ajumma’s Journal - The author talks about the role of the peony, or moran (모란), in Korean culture.
• An American in North Korea - Joseph posts some stunning photos taken at the Arirang Mass Games (아리랑 축제).
• Beyond Kimchee - Holly shares her recipe for deep-fried winter vegetables.
• Blonde Adventures - The author visits one of Korea’s five grand palaces, Gyeongbokgung Palace (경복궁) in Seoul.
• ChinaB - Hannah explains why she thinks Guangzhou holds the key to China’s future.
• Dale’s Korean Temple Adventures - Dale visits Mireukasa Temple (미륵사) in Busan.
• East Asia Student - Hugh talks about the first year of his Chinese Studies degree at Churchill College, Cambridge.
• Fili’s World – Fili explores the Nanputuo Temple (南普陀寺) in Xiamen.
• Gyeongju Blog - Sherwin visits the Yeongcheon Memorial and National Cemetery (국립영천호국원 ).
• Haikugirl’s Japan - Ali reviews Lian Hearn’s novel Blossoms and Shadows.
• Haus in Korea - Meghan goes shark diving in Busan.
• Japan: Life & Religion - Doug sings praise for Japan’s convenience stores.
• Just Another Day in Japan - Joe talks about his life post-JET.
• Kunisaki - Alex mingles with the demons at the shujou-onie festival (修正鬼会) at JoubutsuTemple (成仏寺).
• Laowai Chinese - Albert shares his first impressions of the new Chinese Grammar Wiki site.
• Life & Times in China - Julie celebrates her first Lunar New Year in China.
• Life on Nanchang Lu - Fiona talks about her 3-day train journey to Harbin (哈尔滨).
• Lingomi - Steven interviews Dave, the author of the Chinese Hacks blog.
• Mountain Phoenix Over Tibet - The author talks about the difficulties of transliterating Tibetan place names.
• My Beijing Survival Diary - The author hosts a dumpling party.
• My Kafkaesque Life - The author goes on a sightseeing tour of Chiayi (嘉義) in southern Taiwan.
• Naruhodo - Steffen delves into the world of traditional Japanese mathematics (和算).
• Roboseyo – Rob shares his thoughts on Girls Generation’s (소녀시대) recent performance on the David Letterman Show.
• Shards of China - Nicholas talks about the rise of male prostitution in China.
• Shenzhen Noted - Mary Ann explores Macau’s historic city centre.
• Taiwan Duck - The author shares her recipe for Taiwanese-style braised chicken (紅燒油雞).
• The Korea Guide - WonTaek lists some typically Korean habits and behaviours.
• The View From Over Here - The author has fun in the snow at the Daegwallyeong Snow Festival (대관령 눈꽃 축제).
• Tigers & Magpies - Eddie wanders among the tombs of the Daereungwon (대릉원) tomb complex in Gyeongju.
• TsukuBlog - Avi talks about one of Ibaraki’s (茨城) unique festivals, hatsu uma (初午).
• Writer. Traveller. Tea Drinker – Becky escapes the madness of China’s New Year celebrations to spend the holidays in Hong Kong.
• Xinjiang : Far West China - Josh shares some beautiful photos of Xinjiang in the winter.

That’s all for this week. There will not be a blog round-up for the next two weeks as my mother will be visiting me, so the next Eye on East Asia Blog Round-up will be posted on Sunday 26th February 2012.

East Asian Archaeology & Cultural Heritage News : 4/2/2012

China :

• Bloomberg - On Chinese New Year, Beijing Loses Part of Its Memory
• China.Org.Cn - Heijing, a Town Forgotten By Time
• China Daily - Dai Ethnic Medicine Facing Extinction
• China Daily - Famous Traditional Courtyard Home Bulldozed in Beijing
• China Daily - Master of an Ancient Miao Folk Dance
• People’s Daily - Ancient Craft of Ink Stick-making Revitalized
• People’s Daily - Performance Highlighting Chinese Cultural Heritage Held at U.N.
• People’s Daily - Protecting Our Heritage
• The Guardian - Chinese Developers Demolish Home of Revered Architects

Japan :

• Asahi Shimbun - Bean-throwing Festivals Held to Drive Away Demons
• Asahi Shimbun - Mount Fuji, Kamakura Eyed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites
• People’s Daily - Japanese Archaeologists Find Pottery with Ogre’s Face

South Korea :

• Chosun Ilbo - Push for Kimchi on World Cultural Heritage List
• The Korea Herald - Brand Panel Pushes More Sites on U.N. World Heritage List
• The Korea Herald - Royal Books Returned from France Available Online
• The Korea Herald - Traditional Culture Promoted for New Wave of Hallyu
• The New York Times - To Combat Modern Ills, Korea Looks to the Past
• Yonhap News Agency - South Korea Seeks to Get Confucian Schools, Temples Listed as World Heritage