News Digest – 17th October 2012

Reblogged from China Heritage Watch:

Excavation of Han Dynasty Tombs at Daminggong Palace Site (Kaogu.CN)

Excavation works at the Wanda Square (万达广场) at the Daminggong Palace (大明宫) archaeological site in Xi'an (西安) have uncovered 15 Han Dynasty tombs and over 170 artefacts,including clay pots, porcelain, bronze mirrors, bronze ware, and crossbows. Archaeologists hope that these findings will shed some light on the production and use of Han Dynasty porcelain in the Xi'an area.

Read more… 99 more words

If you're interested in Chinese archaeology & cultural heritage, feel free to visit my other blog, China Heritage Watch!

East Asia Blog Round-Up : 14/10/2012

Here is this week’s edition of the Eye on East Asia Blog Round-Up!

• Bamboo Butterfly - A white girl’s guide to being Taiwanese.
• Chris Backe - Five misconceptions many Westerners have about South Korea.
• Contemporary Japanese Literature - Kathryn’s critical review of Alex Kerr’s book, Lost Japan.
• Fili’s World - Fili explores the lesser-known tourist attractions of Hong Kong’s Sheung Wan district.
• FluentFlix - An interview with Cheng Yangyang, founder of YoYoChinese.Com.
• Green Shinto - John ponders the allure of Japan’s rock temples.
• Hacking Chinese - Olle’s guide to pinyin traps and pitfalls.
• Jay Dee in Japan - Jay Dee shares his photos of some of Fujisawa’s attractive manhole covers.
• Life Behind the Wall - Read through Jo’s list and find out if China is the right country for you.
• Life on Nanchang Lu - Fiona misses out on meeting a living Buddha.
• LocksleyNet - Locksley explores China’s creepy abandoned “Disneyland”.
• Peckish Laowai - Discover an easy way to listen to foreign language radio on your PC or smartphone.
• Tea Leaf Nation - Find out how Chinese social media is changing lives one story at a time.
• The Capital in the North - The author tries (and fails) to do something productive with his National Day holiday.
• This Japanese Life - Ever wondered what it would be like to be sick in Japan?
• Tofugu - John lists his top 10 Japanese drama series.
• TsukuBlog - Avi writes about one of Japan’s Kanto region’s greatest festivals, the three-day long Sawara Festival in Chiba Prefecture.
• Writer, Traveller, Tea Drinker - Becky talks about the myths and realities of China’s dating culture.

Geunjeongjeon (Throne Hall) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

That’s all for this week’s edition of the Eye on East Asia Blog Round-Up. The next edition will be posted on Sunday 21st October 2012.

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BBC Radio 4: China: As History is My Witness

Reblogged from China Heritage Watch:

BBC Radio 4 is currently running a podcast series on Chinese history titled China: As History is My Witness, in which BBC journalist and Sinophile Carrie Gracie explores the lives and times of some of China's key historical figures and examines how Chinese society has evolved over the course of 3,000 years.

Among the people featured in the series are the "Great Historian" and father of Chinese historiography 

Read more… 92 more words

Bite-size lessons in Chinese history courtesy of BBC Radio 4.

East Asia Blog Round-Up : 7/10/2012

• A Man With Tea - Toranosuke shares his thoughts on the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands debate.
• Borrowed Culture - Fabrizio goes for a walk in the Beijing hutongs.
• Carl Gene - Carl lists 25 common Chinese abbreviations.
• ChineseQuest - The author updates his language learning goals for the next few months.
• Confused Laowai - Niel compiles a list of 9 essential digital tools for Chinese learners.
• Conquering Japan & Beyond - Justin talks about his Wakayama weekend adventure.
• Dale’s Korean Temple Adventures - Dale visits the picturesque Gyeseungsa Temple in Goseong.
• FluentFlix - Ben interviews Chinese learner Phil Beckwith.
• Hermit Hideaways - Gregory goes for a hike in Naejangsan National Park.
• How to Japan - Dan puts together a definitive guide to reading and learning real Japanese using manga.
• Korean Modern Literature in Translation - Charles reviews the short story anthology, Early Spring, Mid-Summer.
• Laowai Chinese - Albert lists the top 10 Chinese characters and words you need to know for shopping in China.
• Life Behind the Wall - The author talks about her recent bout of food poisoning and experiences at her local Chinese hospital.
  
• Life on Nanchang Lu - Fiona visits the Labrang Monastery in Xiahe.
• Lingualift - Greg explains the use of slippers in Japan.
• Living a Dream in China - Sara shares her first impressions of her autumn semester courses at Sun Yat-Sen University.
• Maggie Moo Does Korea - Maggie battles the crowds to see Psy live in Seoul.
• More Things Japanese - Benjamin joins in the fun at the 2012 Kitadaito Festival.
• Rurousha - The author writes about higanbana, a Japanese flower associated with loss and longing.
• Selly’s Little World - Selly celebrates the Mid-Autumn Festival with some KTV and a lush Chinese banquet.
• Seoul Sub-Urban - The authors explore the area around Seoul’s Yeonsinnae Station.
• Sophie’s Japan Blog - Sophie interviews Renae Lucas-Hall, author of the romance novel Tokyo Hearts.
• Surviving in Japan - Ashley writes a short guide explaining where you can see and enjoy Japan’s autumn foliage.
• The View From Over Here - The author takes part in some of the Chuseok events held at Namsangol Hanok Village.
• Tofugu - Hashi takes a look at Japan’s unusual themed cafés.
• Webs of Significance - YTSL visits Meiji Shrine in Tokyo.
• YoWangdu - Lobsang writes about sand mandalas and their significance in Tibetan Buddhism.

Namsangol Traditional Korean Village in Seoul, South Korea. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

That’s all for this week’s edition of the Eye on East Asia Blog Round-Up. The next edition will be posted on Sunday 14th October 2012.

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Eye on East Asia’s Tasty Links : 29/9/2012

Time for another portion of Eye on East Asia’s Tasty Links!

• Aeri’s Kitchen - Aeri shares her recipe for Gangnam style carbonara tteokbokki.
• Easy Korean Food - Luna shares some simple but tasty recipes for Korean side dishes (banchan).
• Haikugirl’s Japan - Ali posts her monthly recipe for September: prawn ramen.
• Hiroyuki’s Blog - Hiroyuki shares his award-winning recipe for enoki hot cakes.
• Humble Bean - Azusa posts a video recipe for hearty miso soup.
• Kimchi Mom - Amy prepares some steamed shisito peppers (kkwarigochu muchim).
• Korean Bapsang - Hyosun shows you how to make your own radish water kimchi (dongchimi) to enjoy in the winter months.
• Life on Nanchang Lu - Fiona lists her ten must-try Uyghur foods.
• Out to Lunch - Carolyn makes Cantonese-style coconut and lotus moon cakes.
• PRC & Me - Matthew tucks into his first moon cake of the year.
• Sinosplice - John talks about the current state of moon cake commercialism in Shanghai.
• The View From Over Here - The author attends the Royal Court and Aristocrat Food Festival (궁중과 사대부가의 전통음식축제) at Uihyeongung Palace.
• With Pork Throat - EEW explains why you shouldn’t pass up the opportunity to try local street food during your travels.

Chinese Moon Cakes (Photo credit: hto2008)

That’s all for this week. The next edition of Tasty Links will be posted on the blog on Saturday 6th October 2012.

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East Asia Blog Round-Up : 26/9/2012

• Ask a Korean - The author gives in and shares his thoughts on Psy’s hit song Gangnam Style.
• Aussie on the Izu - The author attends some sumo matches at Tokyo’s Ryogoku Stadium.
• Bamboo Butterfly - Rhonda shares her short and sweet Taipei travel guide.
• Country Fried Egg Roll - The Left Brain talks about his first experience of eating snake.
  
• Dale’s Korean Temple Adventures - Dale visits the beautiful Okcheonsa Temple in Goseong.
• Fili’s World - Fili visits Taipei’s Puppetry Art Centre.
• From Korea With Love - Alex undergoes a painful ordeal in Daegu.
• From Our Ger - Susie admires the spectacular autumn colours of the Mongolian countryside.
• Good & Bad Japan - The author writes about the woes of clothes shopping in Japan.
• Green Shinto - John attends a festival at the Shimogamo shrine in Kyoto.
• Hermit Hideaways - Gregory hikes along the trails of Cheonggyesan.
• Korean Modern Literature in Translation - Charles reviews the anthology Words of Review, a collection of stories by three female Korean writers.
• Life on Nanchang Lu - Fiona shares some photos of the stunning mountains and deserts of Xinjiang.
• Mark’s China Blog - Mark shares his thoughts on Ang Lee’s controversial 2007 film Lust, Caution.
• Marshmallow Sensei - Matt writes about how his height could be his undoing during an earthquake.
• More Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan - The author attends this year’s Kawamoto Kagura competition.
• My Korean Corner - Dia lists her favourite sounds of Korea.
• Seeing Red in China - Hannah explains why she has no female Chinese friends.
• Sinoglot - Kellen talks about the issue of simplified characters in Taiwan.
• This Japanese Life - Eryk gets tangled up in red tape when he loses his Japanese ID card.
• Tofugu - Hashi talks about how stars are depicted in Japanese culture.
• Travel Wire Asia - Chris shares 8 dirty secrets about Korean love motels.
• Webs of Significance - YTSL explores the temples and bamboo groves of East Kamakura.

Shimogamo-jinja Shrine
(Photo credit: inkelv1122)

That’s all for this week. The next Eye on East Asia Blog Round-up will be posted on Wednesday 3rd October 2012.

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Thinking Chinese

If you’re looking for a way to improve your Mandarin skills and learn more about Chinese culture and society at the same time, Thinking Chinese may be the website for you. It’s updated regularly, comprehensive, relevant and, best of all, it’s free!

According to the site’s authors, Thinking Chinese is “a place where modern China is exposed to the foreign reader in an innovative and revealing manner”. Visitors to the website will find a wide range of language learning resources at their disposal, such as bilingual articles on a variety of topics, a thematic dictionary of Chinese idioms, a section devoted to modern Chinese slang, and some fun puzzles that will help you get to grips with Chinese radicals, characters and vocabulary. Furthermore, there are dozens of articles on popular culture, contemporary Chinese society,  online trends, and business culture which will give readers an insight into the Chinese mind.

There are no audio or video resources on this site and the thematic dictionary would be far more effective if the authors had included some example sentences to demonstrate how the idioms and slang are used, but, all in all, Thinking Chinese is an excellent resource for anyone who wishes to boost their reading skills and learn more about China and its people. Add it to your bookmarks today!

Thinking Chinese can also be found on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter.

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This Week in East Asian Archaeology – 17th to 23rd September 2012

Catalogue of Lost Chinese Artifacts on Display in Beijing (Global Times)

A catalogue which lists over 15,000 artefacts that were stolen during the Sino-Japanese wars and the Japanese occupation of China is currently on display at the Palace Museum in Beijing. Items listed in the catalogue include oracle bones, books, jade pieces, and traditional paintings, and heritage workers have hoped that the list will aid in the identification and repatriation of the missing artefacts.

Radical Overhaul at Forbidden City? (People’s Daily Online)

Beijing officials have put forward a proposal to move imperial artworks and antiquities out of the Forbidden City in a bid to alleviate overcrowding during peak season and public holidays. Tens of thousands of people visit the World Heritage Site each day and city officials believe that moving the antiquities into a new, purpose-built museum would help limit damage to the palace buildings. Some heritage experts disagree with the proposed measures and argue that the antiquities could suffer irreparable damage during relocation and would lose their cultural significance and historical value if they were moved out of their original setting.

Buddha Hall Oldest in China (Global Times)

Archaeologists are currently trying to determine if Leiyin Cave in Beijing’s Yunju Temple is the oldest Buddha hall in China. Artefacts unearthed at the site are believed to date back to the early 7th century and it is thought that the research conducted at the cave has advanced the historical record of Buddha halls by two centuries.

Laser Survey Reveals Possible Additional Burial Site at Ancient Tomb (Mainichi)

Laser surveys of the Mozu and Furuichi kofun tomb clusters in Osaka Prefecture have revealed a previously undetected dirt platform at the site of Emperor Ojin’s kofun tomb in the city of Habikino. The platform is 22 metres long, 16 metres wide and 3 metres high and archaeologists believe it may conceal a second burial site. Further research will reveal the actual purpose of the structure.

Sunset at the Forbidden City, Beijing
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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Eye on East Asia’s Tasty Links : 22/9/2012

Are you feeling hungry for this week’s edition of Eye on East Asia’s Tasty Links?

• Appetite for China - Diana shares her recipe for tomato egg drop soup.
• Beyond Kimchee - Holly shows you how you can make gluten-free “nude” pork and cabbage dumplings.
• Fuchsia Dunlop - Fuchsia posts a link to an interview she did for the website Talking of Food.
• Humble Bean - Azusa posts a video which shows you how to make your own kombu and katsuo dashi.
• Japanese Cuisine - Yukari prepares a dish close to her heart, anago chirashizushi (穴子ちらし寿司).
• Korean Bapsang - Hyosun attends the 4th International Kimchi Conference in Washington D.C.
• Life on Nanchang Lu - Fiona spends a day getting to know the bakers of Kashgar and learns how to make delicious Uyghur naan bread.
• Little Corner of Mine - The author shares a recipe for vegetables with wood ear (木耳) fungus.
• Maangchi - Maangchi makes braised saury, or kkongchijorim (꽁치조림).
• Shizuoka Gourmet - Robert cooks up some tasty kabocha (カボチャ) pancakes.
• Taiwan Xifu - Serina writes about xibing (喜餅), wedding cake packages that are normally given to friends and relatives at Taiwanese weddings.

Chirashizushi (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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East Asia Blog Round-Up : 19/9/2012

• American in North Korea - Joseph shares his photos of his visit to the Dongbong Co-operative Farm.
• Chengdu Living - Sascha explains why we shouldn’t believe the hype surrounding the anti-Japanese protests in China.
  
• Country Fried Egg Roll - The author lists some of the places in Shenyang that sell American and other imported groceries.
• Dale’s Korean Temple Adventures - Dale visits the colourful Eungseoksa Temple in Jinju.
• Dru’s Misadventures - Dru returns to Hiroshima.
• Fili’s World - Fili talks about the little-known Museum of Drinking Water in Taipei’s Water Park.
• Fluent Flix - Ben interviews Greg Bell, Chinese learner and author of the blog En Route to Fluency.
• Hacking Chinese - Olle lists 12 songs that are excellent for learning Chinese and expanding your horizons.
• Into the Middle Kingdom - Matthew writes about his visit to the Chiu Gompa Monastery in Western Tibet last May.
• Journey to Hong Kong - Anna revisits the charming fishing village of Tai O on Lantau Island.
• Life & Times in China - JZ talks about the highs and lows of his first week as a student in China.
• More Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan - The author seeks out onigawara “demon tiles” in Shikoku.
• My Kafkaesque Life - The author compiles a list of parks in Taipei.
• Oh Happy Dae - Janelle explores the Hongdae Free Market.
• Rurousha - The author talks about Japanese “fox weddings” (狐の嫁入り).
• Shu Flies - Catherine celebrates the 5th anniversary of her move to Taiwan and writes about the 10 things she’s learnt in that time.
• Sinoglot - Randy writes about Zhu Haijuan, a native Mongolian speaker, and what it’s like to grow up as a Mongolian speaker in Jilin Province.
• Tales From Hebei - Kelly finds that she’s increasingly unsurprised by all the ridiculous things that go on around her.
• Tea Leaf Nation - Eddie shares 15 feel-good internet stories from China.
• The Wild East - Steven lists 5 of Taiwan’s top tourist attractions.
• Tofugu - John writes about dragons in traditional Japanese culture.
• Unbrave Girl - Sally talks about the 5 things she kind of liked about Macau.
• Webs of Significance - YTSL shares some beautiful photos taken of Hakone’s Lake Ashi.
• Zooming Japan - Jasmine visits Japan’s “Cat Island”, Tashirojima (田代島).

Torii of the shrine in Hakone, at Lake Ashi
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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