So cheer up and let’s keep learning!

1. China might be closed, but that doesn’t mean you can’t visit other Chinese-speaking places.

Yeah, waiting for China to reopen is taking a while. But, hey, there are plenty of Chinese-speaking places in the world. The great news is that some have reopened already!

The meowsome Gardens by the Bay in Singapore are another good reason to learn Chinese – Photo by Isaac Matthew 

Did you know Singapore, for instance, has the Chinese language as one of its official languages? Plus you can travel there again.
Taiwan is slowly reopening too. There’s still a quarantine, true, but it’s being regularly shortened. Here’s to hoping there’ll be none one day soon! With the fact you can now learn in Traditional Chinese on Ninchanese, you have everything you need to get ready to go!

Related: Simplified or Traditional Chinese: which should you learn?

2. China might be far but there are plenty of occasions to speak Chinese around you.

Next to English and Spanish, Chinese is the most spoken language in the world.
So, look around you. You’re bound to find occasions to speak Chinese. To hear Chinese.
Chinatowns. Stores. People.

DC’s Chinatown is one of the many places you can go to practice speaking Chinese – Photo by Richard Tao

Go talk! There are plenty of occasions, everywhere! Just the other day, I chatted a good hour with the salespeople in a Chinese tea shop in Bangkok’s Chinatown.

Finding occasions to speak in Chinese, when you’re learning, is essential. Otherwise, you get rusty! Believe me, from experience, getting a chance to speak in Mandarin, if anything, will act as a great motivation to review what you’ve learned in Chinese so far and practice some more in Chinese!

Did you know, for instance, that Richmond, Canada has a 74% Asian population? It has the highest concentration of Chinese nationals outside of China. Why not schedule a trip there?

And if there are no real occasions where you live, go online. Learn Chinese online. Find people to talk to online. Come chat in Chinese on our Discord chat. Game in Chinese with Chinese speakers. Find yourself an online pen pal. The options are endless, you just have to go looking for them!

Related: What is the Chinese language?

3. It’s good for you from an economic point of view

What’s the downside to knowing an additional language in the job market? None, really.
What’s the downside to knowing the language spoken by one of the biggest economic powers in the world? Even more non-existent. In fact, it’s another meowsome reason to learn Chinese!

China’s brand new skyscrapers – Photo by Road Trip with Raj

From working in China to working with China, to working with Chinese people, for Chinese people, in Chinese, you have plenty of options.
Do you want to do business with China? Have Chinese suppliers?
Do you want to do translations? Interpretation?
In all those fields and many others, knowing Mandarin Chinese, and Business Chinese is a huge plus. So get your learning on!

Related: Explore the Chinese Business course on Ninchanese and get ready to do business in Chinese! 

Liking these reasons to learn Chinese so far? Here’s more!

4. It allows you to see the world from a different perspective

By learning the Chinese language, you’re opening yourself up to a different way of seeing the world, of perceiving it.

See the world differently. Photo by Yiran Ding

Learning Mandarin Chinese helps you have a different world approach. Concepts and ideas are expressed differently in Chinese.

It can be small things, like the fact you don’t “take” medicine, for instance, you “eat” it in Chinese ((You 吃药). And bigger things. For example, the Chinese sentence order is wildly different from, say, the way sentences are shaped in English.
Or the fact that you and me, we might think “I” and point to ourselves. We’re used to thinking solo. A Chinese speaker, when tasked with drawing “I”, the self, might, on the contrary, draw themselves surrounded by others. The concept of “self” is a little different in the Middle Kingdom.

It’s the little details like that that give you insights into how the Chinese people think. Personally, I find that endlessly fascinating. It’s definitely one of the reasons I’ve never stopped learning Chinese.

Plus, if expanding your understanding of cultural differences wasn’t your cup of tea, seeing the world in a different way helps you grow your critical thinking skills. With all the fake news and conspiracy theories swirling around, you (and we all) seriously need that…

5. It’s good for your brain

Learning any language is wonderful for your brain. It develops new areas of your mind and, in particular, strengthens your natural ability to focus and process information.

Learn Chinese and fire up your brain connections! – Photo by Moritz Kindler

Mandarin Chinese, with its beautiful characters and lack of alphabet? It’s like acid for the brain. In a meowsome, wonderful way. It creates in your brain all those new connections. Purrfect to form and strengthen your brain. Go for it.

For instance, a 2003 study found that people who speak Mandarin Chinese use both temporal lobes of their brains to understand the language.  In contrast, English speakers only use the left temporal lobe. Unlock a whole new temporal lobe!

There are plenty of other reasons for learning Mandarin that are good for your brain:

• It keeps your brain healthy. No neural network degradation for you, good person!
• It helps form good thinking patterns in your brain.
• It develops new areas of your mind and utilizes other parts of your brain.
• Some studies say it even helps with math skills!

What’s not to like?

Related: Why learn Mandarin Chinese, the language of Confucius?

6. Chinese culture and history are still very cool

You can’t visit the huge country that is China at the moment, sure. But China still has an extremely interesting history and culture you can explore from afar and learn more about.

There’s a lot to love in Chinese culture aesthetically. Photo by Sahil Pandita

From a rich culture, which led to some amazing inventions for instance, to epic historical events, there’s a lot to discover. And why not do that in Chinese directly? That’s a great reason to learn Chinese!

Related: 10 amazing inventions you didn’t know were Chinese
All you need to know about Chinese dynasties

If you like the idea of learning more about Chinese history but aren’t into history books or museums, there are many many historical C-dramas, as well as youtubers you can check out! Also, check out Ninchanese where you’ll learn Chinese culture as you learn Chinese!

Related: 8 Vloggers to watch to learn more about Chinese culture

7. Reason to learn Chinese: You gain access to a whole new world of content and culture

There’s a large quantity of high-quality Chinese-language content out there, you just need to know how to find it!

From Music to Games, to Movies, to Art, to books… there are a lot of Chinese-speaking artists to discover.

Related: 30 Chinese celebrities to know about

On TV, Cdramas and Taiwanese dramas have a lot of fans, and rightly so!

Related: 10 popular TV shows to improve your Chinese

Romantic and historical C-dramas get their fair share of fans, and  Chinese Wuxia and XianXia are also two media genres that are very popular.

Related: Platforms to watch Chinese videos.
Films to watch

Music and books

In books, there’s a lot to discover too! From Chinese classics like the JingPing Mei, or… to science fiction novels, China and Chinese-language artists have a lot to offer. Take the time to explore!

If you’re more a fan of video games, lots of great offers there too.

 8. Beautiful language Chinese characters

Mandarin Chinese is an amazing language, and its Chinese characters are endlessly fascinating.

There’s the fact Chinese is the oldest written language in the world, dating back to over 4000 years ago.

There’s the fact there’s no alphabet, and that Chinese characters are usually logical. Most Chinese characters contain components and a phonetic component. There are also many opportunities for art with Chinese characters, especially Chinese calligraphy.

In short, Chinese characters are an excellent reason to learn the Chinese language. At the very least, explore the language!
Chinese characters also enable very intriguing poetry to exist. Ever heard of the poem composed only of the sound “shi”? It has a meaning, of course, and is written using many different characters!

9. [Insert your own reason to learn Chinese]

Here’s a secret. All that matters is that you find pleasure in knowing the language.

Truth be told, you don’t need a specific good reason to keep learning a language. You need yours. All you need is to want to learn it. If the language interests you, you’re golden. No need for a huge, lofty goal. It can be a very small goal. Or even, just the fact you derive pleasure from learning and knowing the language.
So find what motivates you and keep learning! Everyone has their own reason to learn Chinese.
Whatever your reason, we’re here to help you learn Mandarin Chinese! It’s all happening on Ninchanese.

And one more thing…

If you want to continue learning Chinese with authentic and entertaining content, then you’ll love Ninchanese.

With Ninchanese, you get a complete method to learn Chinese which has you speaking, reading, writing, and more in Chinese. What’s more, whether you’re a beginner or an advanced learner, there’s content your level on Ninchanese and plenty more!

Start using Ninchanese on the web, with your computer or tablet, or on your phone with the Android app.

The Nincha Team

Stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Try the best way to learn Chinese today.
Ninchanese is free to use!

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The post 9 meowsome reasons to still learn Chinese even though China is CLOSED appeared first on Ninchanese.

I was only at the beginning of my journey into the world of Chinese language and Ninchanese. I was discovering new words and characters every day, I was trying to memorize them. Water, happy, big… get ready, topic, fruit juice… go to work… Zhou Jie Lun. What? Zhou Jie Lun showed up on my screen. I think it was right after “加油” jiā yóu. I was happy with 加油, I needed 加油. I needed to be 加油’d because Chinese is challenging, and learning words is demanding, you need the motivation, you need the 加油. And all the words I met before made sense.

I already got a little nervous with 雪碧 Xuě bì before, but I accepted it as a companion to 可口可乐 kě kǒu kě lè which, in my opinion, was just as important to learn as 果汁 guǒ zhī or even 水 shuǐ. But I immediately felt there was something wrong going on with this 周杰伦 Zhōu Jié lún thing. So I clicked, looked at the translation, and… Jay Chou?

I’m sorry Jay, we love you!

Who is Jay Chou?

What the hell was that? It must be a bug. I was working on the beta version of Ninchanese, so these things happen. So I decided to forget about it. But this spaced repetition system thing can be annoying at times and Jay Jie Lun Chou something watzefuk kept coming back. Google them. Oh my god. Who is this weird guy with the hairdo of a Chinese Beatles? I was not happy. I wanted to learn Chinese, not random names of random singers.

So I googled again, and I found out that this Zhōu Jié lún was famous, if not the most famous pop singer in Taiwan and China! So he was indeed a Beatles. And yes, I know who Paul McCartney is. Or John Lennon. So I understood what it was about.

The idea was to introduce me to some famous names in China. Or Taiwan… well, it is complicated. Anyway… My mood changed immediately, and I was happy. I am one of these persons who never really got interested in Chinese culture before I started learning Chinese (for personal reasons). It took me some time to watch my first movies in Chinese, to read my first book of Chinese History.

And then, my appetite started to grow, and meeting this new character was actually a good thing. OK, so I clicked on Youtube, and my enthusiasm vanished, but there is no accounting for tastes (although I must say that if you like what he sings, you should cut off your ears, OK ?). I was happy again because I was going to learn new names, new things.

Ninchanese is an incredible app for learning Chinese!

” I actually graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a MA in Chinese.
I’ve used Ninchanese daily, and it has helped me a lot!  “

 – Connor, Ninchanese User

Try Ninchanese, an award-winning method to learn Chinese today:

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Chinese Culture to westerners

There was still one problem, though. Even before I started to learn English as a second language in school, I knew who Tom Cruise was or Ronald Reagan (god, I am old). Or Martin Scorsese, or Abraham Lincoln (no, I am not that old, please). It was a little more complicated with Spanish, German or Russian (I am French by the way) but not that much. Almodovar, Kant, Pushkin, the list goes on. However, besides Mao, my knowledge of Chinese celebrities was thin. Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan… And these names don’t even sound Chinese! I was curious to understand why I did not know more Chinese names.

As a westerner, I was not automatically connected to things Chinese. Spain, Germany or the UK are neighbors, the US conquered the world of culture,  Russia and the Soviet Union have had strong relationships with Western Europe and the world for centuries (about five centuries) so we know about them. Even some Japanese names sound familiar to western ears thanks to the economic power that the country was up until twenty years ago. The deep relationship Japan had with the US after the Second World War when the US military decided to put thousands of GI’s to preserve Japan from a communist invasion made us closer to Japan.

But China is different. Chinese culture seemed incomprehensible to most foreigners for ages, the country was closed to our world for most of its History, we can even say it was culturally self-sufficient, and it was only very recently that China decided to battle with the US to conquer the world in the field of popular culture.

Should we learn about Taiwanese celebrities as well?

But back to Zhou Jie Lun. The guy is not Chinese but Taiwanese. So does it really make sense to memorize his name on Ninchanese? It does. To keep things simple, the History and mindset of Chinese people are different from ours, as Westerners. The Rise of Nationalism during the 19th century was something very European, certainly not Chinese. So yes, we can say that Zhou Jie Lun is Chinese. He is a Han, and that makes him culturally Chinese (I won’t go into politics here, especially not into the extremely complicated relationship between China and Taiwan). Just like Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee are culturally Chinese. The former was born in Hong-Kong, which was part of the UK at the time, the latter was born in San Francisco from Hong-Kongese parents. But what about the language?

In my opinion, it doesn’t matter. Han is Han, and Cantonese is no less Han than Mandarin. But it does make things more complicated when you want to learn names. Cantonese is a very different language from Mandarin so the name of Hong-Kong celebrities sound totally different in Mandarin and Cantonese (although the writing is the same). Hong-Kong natives also have an English name (sometimes totally unrelated, phonetically speaking, to their Chinese name) and celebrities have various pseudonyms and nicknames. Not to mention various pseudonyms and nicknames. Sometimes we have the same problem with American Born Chineses’ names.

Should we learn Chinese culture when learning Chinese?

My point is that I think it is essential for any learner of Mandarin Chinese to know things about the Chinese culture. To know names, to know who they are, to know what they do. When most methods of Chinese language put a focus on food (food is essential in the Chinese culture) and names of dishes, I think it is equally necessary to get students to know the most famous individuals in the Chinese world (and yes, some of them can be chefs).

So with my limited knowledge, I drew a list, my Mandarin speaking girlfriend corrected it, and I sent it to Ninchanese’ boss, co-founder, now billionaire socialite [Nincha team note: we wish] (but not Han, so he is not on the list) Jean-Rémi. Jean-Rémi, myself and everyone at Ninchanese will be happy to have you add your two cents (or more) to the list.

We want to hear your voice!

If the list looks good, and you want it, it will make a new world on Ninchanese. So, now’s the moment to be part of this new world (maybe) and know more about the in – famous Chinese celebrities.

Okay, here is the list Possopo put together, and his funny comments. Possopo, the floor’s all yours:

Politics

毛泽东 (毛澤東) – Máo Zé dōng – Former President of the People’s Republic of China 

No intro needed to this man who has his portrait hanging on 天安门 Tian An Men square in 北京 Beijing.

邓小平 (鄧小平) – Dèng Xiǎo píng – Former President of the People’s Republic of China 

One of Mao’s sidekicks who led China to economic reforms that consequently led to what China’s economy now is.

习近平 (習近平) – Xí Jìn píng – Current President of the People’s Republic of China 

Chinese Donald Trump but more powerful.

孙中山 (孫中山) – Sūn Zhōng shān or 孙逸仙 (孫逸仙) Sūn Yì xiān (Sun Yat Sen) – Former President of the Republic of China

He had a key role in the overthrowing of the Qing Dynasty, is both revered in mainland China and Taiwan for reasons that would take hours to explain.

蒋介石 (蔣介石) – Jiǎng Jiè shí (Tchang Kai Tchek) – Former President of the Republic of China

Once the nemesis of Mao, leader of the Republic of China, aka Taiwan and Director-General of the Kuomintang until his death.

Philosophers

孔子 – Kǒng zǐ (Confucius) – Chinese teacher, politician, philosopher of the Spring and Autumn period.

One of the most prominent philosophers in the History of the world.

老子 – Lǎo zǐ – Chinese philosopher

Founder of philosophical Taoism, semi-legendary figure. No one knows if he really existed.

孟子 – Mèng zǐ (Mencius) – Chinese philosopher

Number two in the school of Confucianism, number two in Chinese philosophy. And completely cool with being second.

秦始皇 – Qín Shǐ huáng – First emperor of a unified China

Forever guarded by an army of terracotta warriors.

神农氏 (神農氏) – Shén nóng shì – Mythical figure

Who, legend has it, taught Chinese agriculture and the use of herbal drugs to everyone.

Sports

王建民 – Wáng Jiàn mín – Taiwanese baseball pitcher

who made it to the MLB.

姚明 – Yáo Míng – Basketball Player

Biggest (more like tallest) rival of Shaquille O’Neal in the NBA.

Music

郎朗 – Láng Lǎng – Piano player

Human-robot programmed to play the piano with bravado and a total lack of feeling.

周杰伦 (周杰倫) – Zhōu Jié lún – singer

The J-Lo of Taiwan, except he is a man and I think he has a flat ass. (haha)

马友友 – Mǎ Yǒu yǒu – ABC world-famous cellist.

Listen to his version of Bach’s Cello Suites.

Cinema

张艺谋 (張藝謀) – Zhāng Yì móu – Film Director

The godfather of modern Chinese cinema, known for movies like The Red Lantern.

李安 – Lǐ Ān (Ang Lee)  –  Taiwan-born Film Director

Known for Eat Drink Man Woman (if you’re into arthouse cinema) and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (if you’re into commendable entertaining movies).

侯孝贤 (侯孝賢) – Hóu Xiàoxián (Hou Hsiao-Hsien – Taiwanese transliteration) – Taiwanese Film Director

A leading figure in world cinema who won prizes in Venice and Cannes.

王家卫 (王家衛) – Wáng Jiā wèi or Wong Kar-Wai – Hong Kong Director

World Famous for In The Mood For Love, amongst others.

李小龙 (李小龍) – Lǐ Xiǎo lóng (Bruce Lee) – actor, martial art artist, and more

Bim bam yaaaaaa! Nough’ said.

成龙 (成龍) – Chéng Lóng (Jackie Chan) – actor

Popularized the Zui Quan with the movie Drunken Master and then became the most famous Asian actor of all times.

李连杰 (李連杰) – Lǐ Lián jié (Jet Li) – actor

Just like Bruce Lee but born a generation later and still alive today.

吴宇森 (吳宇森) – Wú yǔ sēn (John Woo) – actor

A major figure in action movies, and also a major figure in Hong Kong cinema.

Art

李白 – Lǐ Bái – Poet

The Michael Jordan of classical Chinese poetry.

鲁迅 (魯迅) – Lǔ Xùn – writer

A key figure of modern Chinese literature.

艾未未 – Ài Wèi wèi – contemporary artist

Mainly a sculptor turned activist.

Architecture

贝聿铭 (貝聿銘) – Bèi Yù míng (I. M. Pei) – Architect

World-famous Chinese American architect who designed the pyramid at the Louvre museum in Paris and just died. RIP I.M. Pei.

Business

郭台铭 – Guo Tai Ming – Tawainese tycoon
Founder and chairman of Foxconn.

马云 – Ma Yun (Jack Ma) – Businessman
He has a rather strange looking head. Oh, and a very big group called Ali Baba, where you’ll also find: Aliexpress, Taobao, Alipay… and more!

So, what do you think of the list? Agree, disagree with those who made the list and wish others were on it instead, or also? We should add more women!
Let us know in the comments! Do you want to learn these names in a special event world on Ninchanese? Yes? Then tell us in the comments so we know!

The Nincha Team

Stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Try the best way to learn Chinese today.
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The post The top 30 Chinese celebrities to know! appeared first on Ninchanese.

In China, as you probably know, education matters a lot. It is a very stressful and labor-intensive experience for Chinese students, who are closely monitored by their parents, anxious to see their prized 宝贝 bǎo bèi (meaning baby)be certified with high honors and go on to holding excellent positions in well-off companies. As such, getting your diploma is quite a big deal in China, both for parents and graduates. So much so the period between June and July is called 毕业季 bì yè jì graduation season in China!

Let’s learn some of the key words and expressions related to the Chinese graduation period and the Chinese school system so you can celebrate the best times you spent at high-school or university with your Chinese classmates.

Ninchanese is an incredible app for learning Chinese!

” I actually graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a MA in Chinese.
I’ve used Ninchanese daily, and it has helped me a lot!  “

 – Connor, Ninchanese User

Try Ninchanese, an award-winning method to learn Chinese today:

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The period around Chinese graduations is an occasion to commemorate the best moments spent at the university. But before they can celebrate, students in China must take exams. The GaoKao might be over for high schoolers, but university and college students are most likely still knee-deep in their thesis…

Final ordeal before graduation: the dissertation!

In the Chinese higher education system, to be able to graduate, you need to do a 毕业论文 bì yè lùn wén graduation dissertation. It’s the last step before getting a diploma and being able to put your books away. I’m sure a lot of Chinese students getting ready to be certified are completely focused on their dissertation right now.

At times like these, you often hear people saying:

你的毕业论文写完了吗？ Nǐ de bì yè lùn wén xiě wán le ma? Have you finished your graduation dissertation?

Once they’ve finished their 论文 lùnwén thesis, students have to face the terrible 毕业答辩 bì yè dá biàn graduation dissertation defense. During this defense, you must submit your thesis. After all these tasks, undergraduates and graduates finally get their precious bì yè zhèng diploma.

If you’re around a campus at that time, in China, you’ll hear delighted students exclaim:

我终于拿到我的毕业证啦！ Wǒ zhōng yú ná dào wǒ de bì yè zhèng la! I finally got my diploma!

A pretty cool thing during 毕业季 in China is that students that do a really good job during their entire study year,are awarded an 优秀毕业生 yōu xiù bì yè shēng outstanding graduate title. 优秀 yōuxiù means excellent and 毕业生 bìyè shēng means graduate(s).

After the stressful period of defending a dissertation and obtaining one’s diploma, the degree celebrations in China are the perfect opportunity for the students to let go and celebrate all the hard work they put in. The event is full of special events and activities that grads must take part on, starting with, of course, a ceremony.

How is the Chinese graduation celebrated?

The fun starts with the Chinese graduation ceremony

A Chinese graduation ceremony is the first order of business for many educational institutions, once the exams and dissertations are over. Each university carefully prepares their 毕业典礼 bì yè diǎn lǐ graduation ceremony. It’s a time for congratulatory speeches, to honor the outstanding graduates and to give all the degree holders a chance to shine, as they can put on shows to showcase their talents. 毕业典礼 is also the grads’ chance to thank their teachers and spend one last time with their classmates and professors. It’s a very memorable event for everyone, and you may overhear someone say:

毕业典礼令人十分难忘。 Bì yè diǎn lǐ lìng rén shí fēn nán wàng. The graduation ceremony is very unforgettable.

As unforgettable this event is, everyone wants their little souvenir. What about pictures? Everyone could pin it in their room and remember this graduation ceremony for ages!

Say “cheese”

If there’s one thing every Chinese degree holder can’t wait to do, it’s the 毕业照 bì yè zhào graduation photo. If you check Chinese social networks such as Weibo, Wechat, and QQ right now, you’ll run into all sorts of photos.

Guangzhou University Students Graduate Wearing Qipao

These past few years, the trend for postgraduates in Chinese universities has been to wear 传统服饰 chuáng tǒng fú shì Chinese traditional costumes in their photos, such as 旗袍 Qípáo or 学士服 xué shì fú academic dress.

After the mandatory graduation pictures, graduates and teachers have the opportunity to say goodbye to each other during a delicious farewell meal.

Make sure you have no regrets during the farewell dinner

For some, it’s not only the end of the school year but it’s also the end of their student life and the time to find and embrace a new career. Therefore, before leaving your student life for good, properly celebrating their diplomas is a must! The last thing we want to introduce you to is the famous 散伙饭 sàn huǒ fàn farewell dinner party.

This meal represents the last perk of being a student; it will be their last memory of the school years and marks the end of studies celebrations. The farewell dinner party also the last opportunity for degree holders to exchange email addresses, phone numbers with c before leaving each other. This dinner also represents the last chance to dare to say or to do things before student life ends. If they secretly love someone, don’t you think it’s the right time for them to declare their love before leaving each other?

Icing on the cake: go on a graduation trip!

After all these ceremonies, awards and farewell dinners, some lucky former students go on a well-deserved bì yè lǚ xíng graduation trip before entering the job market. A good way to remember forever your last moments as an undergraduate forever, this trip can also be the occasion for the postgraduates to celebrate all their years of hard work and prepare for a new start! So before going on a trip and leaving the educational institutions forever, don’t forget to say goodbye:

永别了，我的母校！ Yǒngbiéle, wǒ de mǔxiào! Farewell, my college!

Final words:

Whether you’re going to pass your exams or one of your Chinese friends is, you’ve got now all the vocabulary in Chinese you need to talk about the graduation season. After seeing how the students graduate in universities in China, don’t you think it’s really close to the Western way of celebrating the end of the school year?
How do you celebrate it in your country? Let us know below in the comments!

Yanjie, Pauline and 

The Nincha Team

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You may know that the Chinese created lots of inventions that have changed the world during the Chinese dynasties. Paper, gunpowder, and even the printing block are 2 of the 四大发明 sì the 4 great Chinese inventions. But the Chinese didn’t stop at these fantastic inventions! They also created a lot more things without which your life wouldn’t be the same, and you probably don’t even know it! So we put together for you a list of 10 surprising Chinese inventions you didn’t realize were Chinese, ranked from the least to the most surprising.

Ready to see what was invented in China? Prepare to be amazed!

#1 The most fascinating of all the Chinese inventions: the compass

The first item on our list of ancient Chinese inventions is the compass. It’s one of the 四大发明 sì the 4 great Chinese inventions, but people tend to forget about it.

Long before European navigators roamed the seas, the Chinese invented the compass. How was this navigational instrument invented? The Chinese created the compass around the Qin Dynasty era (255 BC – 206 BC), but not for the reasons you’d expect. Long before Navigators used it for navigation, the compass was used by fortune tellers on their boards to make predictions. Interesting use of the compass, don’t you think? The first compasses were made of a spoon-shaped lodestone, a naturally magnetic stone that naturally indicates the South. Later on, the Chinese improved their first compass to create the magnetic needle compass during the 8th century AD, used on water.

The next Chinese invention on our list has changed the world forever and still very much used nowadays. It’s essential to buy new things. Can you guess what it is?

#2 Paper money, the Chinese creation that changed the world

Paper money! The Chinese introduced the first banknotes under the Tang dynasty (618 – 907). The invention of paper money stems from creating the printing block, which made possible the printing of many banknotes. At that time, carrying coins began to be too heavy, and merchants thus decided to create banknotes as a means of currency instead. The banknotes were meant to record how much money the people had in their pockets. Smart, isn’t it?

Nowadays, we use paper money for everything almost everywhere around the world. Even though credit card use now tends to surpass the use of paper money, banknotes are still rocking! Let’s jump to the third Chinese creation that is going to leave you voiceless!

Ninchanese is an incredible app for learning Chinese!

” I actually graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a MA in Chinese.
I’ve used Ninchanese daily, and it has helped me a lot!  “

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#3 The smart Chinese invention: the mechanical clock

What time is it? This question is maybe one of the most frequently asked questions each day! Your wristwatch — or your cellphone — is certainly one of your best friends when it comes to telling time. This wouldn’t be possible without the invention of the first mechanical clock by the Chinese. Under the Song dynasty (916 – 1279), 苏颂 Su Song, a well-known official, built a huge clock tower that could tell the hours of the day, the day of the month, and the moon phase and the position of a few stars and planets. Amazing, don’t you think?! How did he do that? Well, he added a chain-driven mechanism to a water-powered clock, and magic happened!

Let’s explore a little bit further the mechanical skills of the Chinese. The next Chinese invention will most likely make you go “wow,” plus it’s all about dragons.

#4 The earthquake detector: the most brilliant Chinese invention

In China, earthquakes are very frequent. When you’re not prepared for them, they can cause severe damage. Under the Han dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD), some Chinese scientists decided to experiment with ways to predict earthquakes. Under the Han dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD), 張衡 Zhang Heng, a famous Chinese inventor, and scientist, invented the first seismograph to detect an earthquake’s movement. Besides being an ingenious Chinese invention, the earthquake detector is also super cool-looking. It’s a colossal urn adorned with 8 dragons, each holding a copper ball. These 8 dragons represented 8 directions: east, south, west, north, southeast, northeast, southwest, and northwest. These dragons faced 8 frogs on a plate below the urn. Each time a seism was about to happen, the dragon in the direction of the earthquake would spit its copper ball inside the frog’s mouth. Are dragons spitting copper balls? I told you it was a cool invention!

OK, now you know that the Chinese were pretty good at creating mechanical engines. But let’s explore sports in China! Everyone knows China’s popular sport: ping pong, but did you know they invented another popular sport?

#5 The Chinese invention you’d never guessed was Chinese: Football

Were you dying to know why earlier I said soccer was not invented in England, but China? Under the Han dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD), people started to play a game called Cuju. It consisted of two teams kicking a ball around to score goals. The rules forbade using hands. Sounds familiar? The main difference was that the number of players was flexible, and men and women composed teams.

As for England, they did not invent the football game, but they brought a lot to modern soccer. According to FIFA, England organized the new games in 1863.

Technology, sports… Chinese inventions certainly are everywhere! What about in your personal daily life? Do you think ancient Chinese inventions are at play there? The answer is yes. Let me tell you about the most surprising creations the Chinese invented and how these became essential when eating.

#6 The Chinese culinary creation you didn’t suspect: the Restaurant Menu

Once again, the Song dynasty has struck! I’d bet you didn’t know about this one! During the Song era, a premodern economic revolution occurred in China, and there was a significant increase in business and trade with the outside world. Many foreign people in business and travelers came to China during that time, but they did not always speak Chinese. To help them, Chief created the first-ever menus in Chinese restaurants.

Speaking of restaurants, its origins in the world remain shrouded in mystery. Some claim that France created the first restaurants ever in Paris, but, before the Mongol invasion even happened, there were already restaurants in China. The competition is still on, and I suggest you read this fantastic post by Nicholas Kiefer on creating the restaurant to learn more.

Next time you enter a restaurant and someone gives you a restaurant menu to order food, remember that the Chinese invented them!

Ninchanese is an incredible app for learning Chinese!

” I actually graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a MA in Chinese.
I’ve used Ninchanese daily, and it has helped me a lot!  “

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#7 The one you were wrong about: the Fork

I can feel your surprise from here! We all know that the Chinese use chopsticks to eat, but don’t be mistaken; they also invented the forks! The oldest known traces of forks were found in the Qijia ethnic group (2400 BC -1900 BC) and under the Xia dynasty (2100 BC – 1600 BC). Did you know forks were so old? At a later period, the Chinese exported forks to Europe thanks to the Silk Road. As for the Chinese, it is said they chose to replace forks and knives with chopsticks. Isn’t that unexpected?

Forks were invented by the Chinese; I bet you didn’t see that coming, huh?! Let’s move on to another product you can (sometimes) find on your table, which is said to have been created by the Chinese. Cheers!

#8 The Chinese invention that will make you feel dizzy: Alcohol

Yi Di, the wife of a Xia dynasty’s king, 大禹 dà yǔ Yu the Great (around 2000 BC), is said to have created the first-ever alcohol beverage and gave it to her husband. It is said to have tasted like beer. The Shang dynasty (1600 BC – 1066 BC) is also said to have used alcohol during sacrifices.

There are lots of legends around the creation of alcohol, but one thing’s sure, it was made in China! Just like the next Chinese inventions that are going to make you rethink your knowledge of China.

#9 The ancestor of your current toothbrush

Up next on our list of ancient Chinese inventions you didn’t know about, the toothbrush! That’s right, during the Tang dynasty (618 – 907 AD), the Chinese invented the first toothbrush. It was mostly made of pig hairs attached to a handle made of bamboo or bones. Amazing, huh? The modern toothbrush has evolved quite a lot since then, and no one uses pig hairs to brush their teeth anymore, at least I hope not!

The next and last invention coming up is undoubtedly the one that had me saying, “no way, they invented that too?!”. The Chinese didn’t use to kid with hygiene! Ready to find out what the latest invention is?

#10 One of the ancient Chinese inventions you don’t want to live without Toilet paper

Chinese inventions can be astounding sometimes! Have you ever thought about how toilet paper came into existence? It all started around the year 851, during the Tang dynasty when the Chinese invented toilet paper. But during the Ming dynasty (1368 – 1644), the use of toilet paper rose! At the time, toilet paper was made of huge soft fabric sheets, which only the Emperors and their family could use. Then the use of toilet paper spread to the people and Europe via the good old Silk Road!

Final words

Chinese inventions have brought a lot to the modern world as we know it today. Each object has a story, and China had a role to play in many of those stories. Who would have guessed that toilet paper, toothbrushes, football, or mechanical clocks were Chinese inventions? The well-known Chinese dynasties have left a lot to the modern era. If you want to know more about these amazing families, check out our post and timeline about the Chinese dynasties.

Which Chinese invention surprised you the most? Do you know other things the Chinese have invented?

Source Images: english.visitbeijing; dramafever; mfa; farfuturehorizons; pbs; history.cultural-china

The Nincha Team

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The post 10 Ancient Chinese Inventions You Never Thought Were Chinese appeared first on Ninchanese.

In our previous article, Dragon Boat Festival Part 1, you discovered all the customs around the Dragon Boat Festival, from the food typically eaten during that day to the origins of the boat races. In this Part 2, you’ll discover the cities that are the most well-known for their Dragon Boat Festival in the world. Therefore, you won’t miss this amazing event! All you need is a map and choose the city that is the closest to your home!

First things first, let’s start with the cities in China that have the most amazing Dragon Boat Festival!

Where to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival in China

The Dragon Boat Festival is all about boat races. Some races are exceptional! Athletes compete to win the race while Chinese drums are beating. The atmosphere and show are the reasons why you must attend at least one Dragon boat race in your life!
So if you’re currently living or traveling to China, here’s a list of the best places to enjoy the Dragon Boat Festival:

Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival

• The Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival (On the weekend of June 10–12.)

• Guizhou Dragon Canoe Festival of the Miao Ethnic People (June 9th)

• Hangzhou Dragon Boat Festival (June 9th)

• Yueyang International Dragon Boat Festival (Starting on June 9th and lasts 7 days)

These 4 cities have the most amazing boat races in China according to visitors and spectators. But China is not the only country to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival in Asia. Let me show you other countries that are pretty good at it.

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I’ve used Ninchanese daily, and it has helped me a lot!  “

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Attend the boat race all over Asia

The Dragon Boat Festival originates in China and became an official Chinese holiday in 2008. Influenced by China, it is now popular throughout Asia and even across the world. Countries like Canada, Japan, Korea and Singapore also make that day a day of celebration where they each have their own customs.

In Korea

Koreans masquerade during the festival.

In Japan

In Japan, the festival is dedicated to the birth of children and traditionally honored boys. On this day, people will hang up carp flags and models of Japanese Samurai to whisper to their kids a healthy and strong growth.

In Singapore

In Singapore, the Dragon Boat festival is celebrated pretty much like in China: first, they have boat races and they eat 粽子 zòngzi.

Related: Read more about 粽子 Zongzi, the dessert traditionally eaten during the Dragon Boat Festival!

But what about outside Asia? Not to fear, if you’re not in Asia, there are still plenty of places you can go to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival. North America is well-known for its important Asian community. Therefore, you’ll find many Asian celebrations there. But still, I was surprised to find not one or two, but dozens of Dragon Boat Festival celebration both in the USA and in Canada. Let me show you the most popular places to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival outside of Asia.

Go see how this festival is celebrated all over the world

The Dragon Boat Festival has also spread to the Western world and is especially popular in North America, where every opportunity to celebrate this festival is seized. If you live in North America, you’ll be happy to learn that you’re very lucky: there  are plenty of cities across the USA and Canada that celebrate this festival with boat races and music shows! Here are a few good addresses you can head to celebrate the festival.

Nanaimo, Canada

Nanaimo, near Vancouver, is probably the most popular place to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival in Canada according to spectators. Each year, the foundation Save on Foods organizes the 14th annual Nanaimo Dragon Boat Festival, from June 8th to June 10th, and all the funds raised proceed to the Nanaimo Hospital Foundation. Besides the traditional dragon boat race, many activities will take place such as the Shriners pancake breakfast, Nanaimo Farmer’s Market, a candle ceremony and Vancouver Island Brewery beer gardens. So if you live close to Vancouver and want to participate in this generous movement and have the best time of your life, don’t hesitate and head to this festival.

Ottawa, Canada

The Canadians in Ottawa also celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival, but this year celebrations will be taking place from June 23rd to June 25th. The Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival has a special aim. This festival is launched by the Tim Horton company in order to raise funds for the local charities. On the first day of the festival, there is an opening ceremony which gathers all the Asian communities and some of their prominent Chinese members. As this festival features Chinese ancient celebrations, you’ll get to enjoy the Lion Dance troupes, drums and of course, also see the typical dragon boat race! The following days, you can attend the music festival, with singers performing on different stages but also pass by the exhibitors and artisans to buy awesome creations.

Denver, USA

The Dragon Boat Festival in Denver is one of the most popular across the USA. The festival starts on July 30th and ends on July 31st. During this event, people celebrate the Pacific Asian culture, especially China through authentic cuisine, shows like the Lion dance, drums, a marketplace of unique and hard-to-find arts and of course, the dragon boat race.

Boston, USA

On the weekend of June 11-12 2016, Boston will be hosting its 37th annual Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival! It’s the second most popular Dragon Boat Festival in the USA. During the festival, Asian arts and crafts are displayed, Chinese food is served and later the dragon boat race starts.

There are many more places to go to celebrate the Dragon Boart Festival in the US and in Canada, check out which city is the closest to you thanks to this calendar.

Where else is the Dragon Boat Festival celebrated?

You’ll find Dragon Boat Festival celebrations in Spain, Dubai, Ireland, Puerto Rico, Great Britain, Germany, the Philippines and more. Most of these countries don’t celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival in June, but on various dates, that can be in April, May, September or even October. So you’d better check the dates before planning to go there. To know all about the dates, head to this page.

Final words

As you see, you don’t need to live in China to attend the Dragon Boat Festival! There are so many other great places in which you can this famous boat race. Check out the dates and don’t miss out on these festivals. Trust me, you’ll have a great experience. This is a good occasion to dive into the Chinese culture and to learn more about the Chinese customs and beliefs. Plus, this is also a good way to practice your Chinese!

If you want to know more about the customs, the type of food the Chinese eat during the Dragon Boat Festival and more, check out the first part in our series of articles on 端午节: Dragon Boat Festival Part 1.

After talking so much about the Dragon Boat Festival,we’re curious: What are your plans for the Dragon Boat Festival? Taste the 粽子and watch the dragon boat competition? And where will you be celebrating it? In all cases, we wish you guys all a Happy Dragon Festival! 端午节快乐!

Pauline and 

The Nincha Team

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The post Dragon Boat Festival Part 2: The Best Places to See The Boat Race appeared first on Ninchanese.

As you may know, tomorrow is the Chinese Lantern Festival in Philadelphia. Lantern festivals are popular in a lot of places in the world now, but the Chinese Lantern Festival in Philadelphia is particularly well known. It’s a huge event in which Chinese people and western people gather to celebrate the Chinese culture. If you’re lucky enough to go there, then you’ll see various types of Chinese lanterns created by Chinese artisans. You can also bring your own! Don’t have one? Not to worry, you’re going to learn to make a Chinese lantern today! So, you’ll be able to bring that one!

Let’s start with a bit of history to learn where the Chinese lantern comes from and when its origin. This is the very first step to the process of making your own Chinese lantern.

History of the Chinese Lantern

Chinese Lanterns are a big part of the Chinese culture. The famous Chinese lanterns were invented under the Han dynasty (206 B.C-220 A.D) and were used as lights, in the first place. As Emperor Liu Zhuang was Buddhist, monks started to light lanterns to show their respect to Buddha on the fifteenth day of the Chinese lunar calendar.

Notice the Chinese lanterns hanging?

After this day, Liu Zhuang and the following Emperors of the Han dynasty forced their citizens to light lanterns too and to hang them on their doors during the fifteenth day of the year. At first, they were forced to do so, but people quickly started to think that lanterns brought their owners a peaceful and prosperous life because of the heat they produced.

Under the Song dynasty (960-1279), lantern owners started to hide riddles in the Chinese lanterns to play little games together. Families hung very colorful lanterns on their doorstep and hid riddles inside of them. The riddles came from poems, well-known expressions, the Chinese language or from Chinese culture and legends. People passing by could guess the riddles. If someone had the right answer then they could win a prize.

When is the Chinese lantern festival?

Since the Hans, every fifteenth day of the lunar calendar, the Chinese have celebrated the Chinese Lantern Festival by hanging up lanterns with hidden riddles. The Chinese Lantern Festival is one of the most anticipated events by the Chinese each year as it’s a great time for families to gather, prepare and do many typical lantern festival activities together.

The background is set, you now know everything about the Chinese lantern invention and the Chinese lantern festival history.

Types of Chinese lanterns

It’s time to spot the different kinds of lanterns, so you can choose the shape and color you prefer when you’ll make yours.

If you go to Philadelphia or to China during the Chinese lantern Festival, you’ll see plenty of lanterns hung up. You’ll quickly see that modern Chinese lanterns now come in plenty of different shapes. However, the most traditional type of lantern is definitely a red Chinese lantern. Why red? The red color symbolizes prosperity for Chinese people, so red lanterns were and still are seen as a kind of lucky charms.

The traditional Palace lantern

A Palace lantern’s original shape is oval. The frame of the lantern is made of thin wood and then covered with the smoothest silk or even glass sometimes. Candles are placed inside the structure. Golden dragons and phoenixes are often depicted on the silk. Nowadays, these majestic lanterns are made by expert craftsmen and can be found in Chinese Palaces.

The gauze lantern

Gauze lanterns are less expensive as they are made with cheaper materials such as bamboo for the structure and gauze that covers the whole structure. Contrary to the traditional Palace lanterns, the gauze lanterns are colorful and come in many different shapes. Red is, of course, the most common color for these lanterns.

The shadow paper lanterns

The shadow paper lantern is one of the oldest types of paper lanterns created by the Chinese. A shadow paper lantern looks like the red palace lanterns but it’s covered by two layers, instead of just one. Pictures are drawn on the first layer, and the second layer is left blank. When the lantern is lit, the heat makes a paper wheel inside the lantern rotate and the picture appears on the second layer. Magic!

Modern Chinese lanterns

Today, a few lanterns are still handmade by craftsmen but most of the lanterns you’ll come across are printed on, thanks to modern technology. The advantage is that you can now find lanterns in all the shapes you want. A famous war hero, the Chinese zodiac animals, or even a lantern with Nincha’s shape would be doable!

Guess the Chinese lantern riddles

After learning about the various types of lanterns, let’s move to the second step of what makes a good homemade lantern, the riddles you hide in them!

Ever since the Song, Chinese people love lantern riddles. The Lantern Festival may be the main time for lantern riddles but it’s still a ways away, so let me share some riddles with you now to put in your lantern to trick your friends!
These following riddles are character riddles. You’ll need to guess the Chinese character the riddle is talking about. Post your answers in the comments below!

1.

一人一张口，口下长只手 yīrén yī zhāngkǒu, kǒu xià zhǎng zhī shǒu One person has one mouth, under which there is a hand.

What Chinese character is the riddle about?

2.

摘掉穷帽子，摘掉穷根子 zhāi diào qióng màozi, zhāi diào qióng gēnzi Take off the torn hat, get rid of the root of poverty.

Which Chinese character corresponds to this description?

3.

春节第一日 chūnjié dì yī rì The first day of the Spring Festival

This one is an easy Chinese character, can you guess?

How to make a Chinese lantern

The first Chinese lantern tutorial is by Lia Griffith

Not feeling confident with the glue gun? Not to worry, we have another tutorial to make a Chinese paper lantern for you! This tutorial is also easier to make with children. All you need is sheets of A4 paper and scissors.

Final words

Chinese lanterns have become very popular and representative of China all over the world. We hope this post about the history of the Chinese lanterns helped you see more clearly where Chinese lanterns come from, what meaning Chinese lanterns hold and why they’re so popular across the world.

Be sure to share your lantern pictures with us! We can’t wait to see the beautiful Chinese lanterns you’ve made!

Answers to the lantern riddles: 1. 拿 ná to catch 2. bā eight 3. 夫 fū husband

Source images: modernkiddo; photoshelter; teachercn; yixubuy

Pauline and

The Nincha Team

Stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

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The post How to Make Your Chinese Lantern appeared first on Ninchanese.

Ready to investigate the twelve Chinese zodiac signs? Let’s explore the twelve zodiac signs, their meanings, their stories and their link with the five elements and see if that helps us discover why cats weren’t invited to join the party.

Ninchanese is an incredible app for learning Chinese!

” I actually graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a MA in Chinese.
I’ve used Ninchanese daily, and it has helped me a lot!  “

 – Connor, Ninchanese User

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The Five Chinese Elements

The Chinese often like to talk about Chinese Zodiac compatibility, perhaps placing a larger emphasis on the importance of proper compatibility than we do in the West. And it’s not all about the sign! In Western Astrology, you don’t define someone by its astrological sign solely and in China it’s no different, people are characterized by both their zodiac sign but also by their Chinese element.

The twelve Chinese zodiac signs have a great impact on people’s personality. Inside a same zodiac sign, there can be different people with different characteristics as they are may be not from the same element. Let’s take the rat for example, you can find fire rats but also water or wood rats that will have different behaviors.

If you want to know which element you are, this page about the Chinese Zodiac animals and elements will help.

• Water is said to represent wisdom –now you know why lots of dragons love to live in the sea since they’re wise creatures.
• Wood is for benevolence and nobleness.
• Fire represents power, bravery and intensity.
• As for metal, it stands for righteousness.
• Last but not least, the earth element is very representative of honesty.

The five elements are very important in the Chinese zodiac. Now that you know how the Chinese use it, it’s time for you to explore the twelve Chinese zodiac signs. Let’s start with this chart of Chinese zodiac years so you can determine what zodiac sign you are. If you don’t know your sign yet, all you need is your birth year.

Chinese zodiac is everywhere, as If someone asks you in Chinese

你属什么

nǐ shǔ shénme

What is your zodiac sign?

be careful, this might be a disguised question to know your age. The best answer you can give is to tell your zodiac sign without saying the year!

Now that you know which sign you are, let’s explore the different zodiac animals in the official order to tell you more about their characteristics, and what your zodiac sign can tell you about yourself. Let’s start with the first animal in the Chinese zodiac cycle: the smart rat.

#1 Chinese zodiac sign: the Rat 鼠 shǔ

The rat is the first animal of the Chinese zodiac. People born during the year of the rat are said to be clever, smart and can easily adapt in new environments. According to the Chinese zodiac, rats are very intuitive and have a good judgement so they make perfect leaders. For the Chinese, the rat is a symbol of wealth and success. What are their flaws? Rats can’t keep secrets, as they are supposed to love gossip. They also are said to be extremely greedy when it comes to money.

The Rat’s Qualities:

• Clever
• Smart
• Adaptive

The Rat’s Flaws:

• Loves gossips
• Greedy with money

#2 Chinese zodiac sign: the Ox 牛 niú

Oxes are hard-workers, deeply devoted to their work. Oxen people are very serious and make good leaders.  As long as you take care of yourself. See, if you’re born under the Ox sign then you may face stress problems. Tension can lead you to depression. So be careful and take care of yourself, ok?

Your qualities as an Ox:

• Hard workers
• Serious
• Good leaders

Your flaws:

• Stress problems
• Tension, mood swings, leading to depression

#3 Chinese zodiac sign: the Tiger 虎 hǔ

Cousins of the cats, people born under the year of the Tiger are said to be charming, ambitious and very confident. They also make awesome leaders. Good news, if you’re a tiger ,you also make a good life companion. Indeed, Chinese people think that tigers are great protectors for households. Last but not least, tigers are playful beings that love challenges! Any Tiger up for a ninchallenge? Tigers versus cats, the game is on.

Be prepared for a potentially drawn out challenge, tigers are very stubborn. They also have enormous egos that need to be fed. As a tiger, you better watch out for these characteristics, to avoid fights with people.

Tigers’ qualities:

• Charming
• Ambitious
• Confident
• Good leaders and good life companion
• Love challenges

Tigers’ flaws:

• Stubborn
• Enormous egos

#4 Chinese zodiac sign: the Rabbit 兔 tù

So you’re a rabbit, huh? What a lovely companion you make. Rabbits are said to be very comprehensive, polite, compassionate and sincere. Everyone would love to be your friend.

With such qualities, no wonder you also have flaws to watch out for. By being very conservative and not sharing your thoughts with others, you might feel a little lonely and it could happen that you miss out on good opportunities.
Rabbits’ qualities:

• Comprehensive
• Polite
• Compassionate
• Sincere

Your flaws to watch:

• Very conservative
• Miss good opportunities

#5 Chinese zodiac sign: the Dragon 龙 lóng

The dragon is the most prestigious Chinese zodiac sign. Chinese parents love to have a child, a boy particularly, born under the dragon sign, as it is said that these boys will be very lucky and successful in life.

As a dragon, you have a lot of energy! Dragons are very intelligent, confident and strong. They don’t fear challenges and risks. The downside to your qualities is that some dragons may be seen as aggressive, arrogant and irritating. So watch yourself.

Your qualities:

• Lots of energy
• Intelligent
• Smart
• Confident
• Love challenges

Your flaws:

• Aggressive
• Arrogant
• Irritating

#6 Chinese zodiac sign: the Snake 蛇 shé

Snakes are said to be very intelligent and wise. Chinese people think that snakes make great thinkers. They ponder and brood a lot but don’t say much. Snakes are viewed as philosophers of sorts:). Also, according to Chinese beliefs, snakes can born again just by shedding their skin, fascinating, huh?! As they are great thinkers, snakes are believed to be always plotting in the dark. Betrayal is one of the snakes’ main characteristics.

Snakes qualities:

• Intelligent
• Wise
• Great thinkers (Philosophers)

Your snake flaws:

• Plotting in the dark
• Betray the others

#7 Chinese zodiac signs: the Horse 马 mǎ

If you’re born under the sign of a horse, then you must be a real star! Horses are said to be extremely energetic and like shining on stage. Horses want to be noticed. They have also a great sense of humour and are very athletic. However, horses tend to be very self-centered and immature. These characteristics might keep you from achieving your goals.
Your qualities:

• Extremely energetic
• Like to shine on stage
• Great sense of humor
• Athletic

Your flaws:

• Self-centered
• Immature

#8 Chinese zodiac sign: the Sheep 羊 yáng

Just so you know, the sheep zodiac sign might also be called the goat sign or the ram

The sheep is a very creative and delicate person. People born under the sheep sign are said to have an excellent defensive instinct, they can evaluate danger and avoid it. They are very quiet but prefer to stay in groups than being alone. Sheeps are also known to be very docile and naive. So if you’re a sheep, you must watch out not to be too naive. Another characteristic you need to pay attention to is the way sheep like to spend their money into fashion items. So save your money and don’t trust everyone, this is how you’ll be safe.

The sheep qualities:

• Creative
• Delicate
• Excellent defensive instinct, can evaluate danger
• Quiet

The sheep flaws:

• Docile
• Naive
• Like to spend money into fashion items.

#9 Chinese zodiac sign: the Monkey 猴 hóu

2016 is the year of the fire monkey! If you’re born under this sign, stay focused and don’t go monkeying around while I introduce your main characteristics.

Monkeys are said to be geniuses! They are clever, witty and curious about everything. As you are born under the monkey sign, you surely have many interests and hobbies. Monkeys are fast-learners and have many crafty skills.  Monkeys have a very eccentric personality that makes them very special. But the most important flaw of monkeys is that they’re said to be naughty because of their cleverness. They love to prank people but sometimes it hurts them. But most of the time, they’re truly only funny, I swear!

Your qualities:

• Genius
• Clever, witty
• Curious
• Many interests and hobbies
• Crafty skills

Your flaws:

• Eccentric
• Like to prank people and sometimes hurt their feelings

But most of the time, they’re truly only funny, I swear!

#10 Chinese zodiac sign: the Rooster 鸡 jī

A surprising quality for roosters is that they are great storytellers. Indeed the Chinese believe roosters  have good writing and public speaking skills. That’s a really important and useful quality to have in life. Roosters are also said to be loyal, honest and very popular among people! Roosters also have flaws. They like to stay under the spotlight and to show off. Don’t go and burn your wings by getting to close to the light, little roosters!

The roosters’ qualities:

• Great storytellers
• Good writing and public speaking skills
• Honest
• Loyal
• Popular among people

Rooster flaws:

• Like to show off

Don’t go and burn your wings by getting to close to the light little roosters.

#11 Chinese zodiac sign: the Dog 狗 gǒu

Dogs are said to be born with a good nature — and I’m not saying that because I was born under the dog sign– they try to avoid bad things and are interested in having a happy, quiet and peaceful life. Dogs are not selfish, they like to help others, at their expense sometimes.

Dog signs tend to lack communication skills and happen to be very stubborn. They also worry a lot and tend to be pessimistic by thinking the world is bad. So dogs reading this, remember to smile and think positive! Rendez-vous each Saturday to bring motivation and positivity back with our positive quotes on our Facebook page.

Your qualities as dogs:

• Born with good nature — and I’m not saying that because I was born under the dog sign–
• Interested in having a happy and quiet life
• Not selfish, they like to help others

Your flaws:

• Lack of communication skills
• Stubborn
• Pessimistic
• Worry too much

So dogs reading this, remember to smile and think positive! And I know you like positive things, so rendez-vous each Saturday to bring motivation back with our quotes on Ninchanese Facebook page.

#12 last Chinese zodiac sign: the Boar 猪 zhū

Sometimes you’ll come across the “pig” zodiac sign, but this last Zodiac sign is officially called the Boar. People use both boar and pig, so it depends on which you prefer!

The pigs’ greatest quality is that they’re peacemakers. They try everything they can to avoid conflicts between people. Boars are also very loyal, which makes them very good friends.

Because of their peacemaking quality, pigs are said to be weak and to be easily fooled by others. They are naturally innocent. Another flaw is gluttony, pigs are very excessive when it comes to eating, drinking and smoking. Keep your body healthy and avoid all these temptations.

Your qualities:

• Peacemakers
• Avoid conflicts
• Loyal
• Good friends

Pig flaws:

• Weak
• Easily fooled by others
• Innocent
• Gluttonous
• Excessive

Keep your body healthy and avoid all these temptations.

Final words: So what about cats?

As you know, there are twelve months in the lunar calendar, so there are only twelve animals allowed in the Chinese zodiac. During our investigation, we found out that cats originally came from Egypt and only Chinese Emperors owned cats. Cats appeared in China after the creation of the Chinese calendar (with the twelve Chinese zodiac signs), invented under the Yellow Emperor. Remember the Yellow Emperor Huángdì? He is at the origin of the Xia dynasty. Since then, the Chinese calendar has evolved.

There is also a legend that explains how cats got tricked by rats in the Chinese zodiac, which you can read in the link.

Too bad for the cats, anyway, if you’re a cat lover just like the Nincha Team, you can come and play with them here in Ninchanese and learn Chinese!

Cats can still be useful in the Chinese zodiac. Remember the Chinese expression?

你属什么? nǐ shǔ shénme? What is your zodiac sign?

Well, if you don’t want to say what’s your age or sign, try answering: What a coy way of getting out of the “how old are you” question, huh?

我属猫 wǒ shǔ māo My sign is cat

What a coy way of getting out of the “how old are you” question, huh?

Now it’s your turn! Tell us what your Chinese zodiac sign is and your elements are, we’re very curious! Do you think your personality corresponds to what the Chinese believe about your zodiac sign?
Source images: behance

Pauline and

The Nincha Team

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Check out this timeline that suggests a real insight of dynasties of China. All your questions questions about which dynasty has invented this or that will be answered if you take a look at our Chinese dynasties list.

The most legendary of the Chinese dynasties: The Xia 夏朝 xià cháo

The Xia dynasty is the first Chinese Dynasty in the History of China. They ruled from 2100 BC to 1600 BC and laid the foundations for the next 5000 years of China’s evolution. The Xia dynasty is said to descend from the Yellow Emperor, Huángdì, a ancient tribe leader who won many battles. Huángdì was said to be the son of a dragon who has inherited from its powers. The Xia rulers founded by Yu the Great, descendant of Huángdì who was born in 2059, said they had special powers too. Their powers consisted in stopping floods.

Their accomplishments: The Xia dynasty produced cast bronze and had strong armies. But their number one accomplishment was to be the first dynasty ever in ancient China: they created the dynasty succession policy.

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The most creative of the Chinese Dynasties: The Shang 商朝 shāng cháo

The Shang dynasty ruled during the Bronze Age from 1600 B.C to 1066 B.C. The Shangs were the first dynasty to unite a large part of the current China under one Emperor. This dynasty succeeded in domesticating horses, to help them on a everyday basis. Genius!

Their accomplishments: The Shang’s greatest accomplishment is undoubtedly creating the first Chinese writing system. The writing system they developed was composed of over 2000 symbols written on silk, bamboo sticks, stones bronze items and bones. Researchers also found also writings on “Oracle bones” — Feeling perplexed right now by the term? Oracle bones were ox bones and tortoise shells on which symbols were written for divination. Considering the Chinese characters we are now learning and are used throughout China come from these ancient symbols; the Shang undoubtedly deserve to be awarded the “most creative” title of all the Chinese dynasties.

The most philosophical of the Chinese Dynasties: The Zhou 周朝 zhōu cháo

The Zhou followed The Shang dynasty and also ruled during the Bronze Age, from 1066 B.C to 256 B.C. They’re not very well-known in the Western world, contrary to other more famous dynasties, but they deserve to be more known. It was during the Zhou dynasty that a popular Chinese philosophical movement was created.

Their accomplishment: Chinese philosophies that are still very popular nowadays, such as Confucianism, Taoism and Legalism were developed under the Zhou dynasty. See, the Zhou era was full of conflicts, and many Chinese philosophers therefore emerged during the Zhou era with the aim to restore order and peace to society.

At the origin Confucianism, in its beginning, was all about being committed to one’s family and being filial to one’s family remains a core teaching of the Confucianism movement. Taoism was also about achieving peace, by following the Tao principles.
Legalism, on the other hand, considered people to be born naturally evil and claimed they needed to be punished to restore order and bring piece.
It’s therefore essential to remember the Zhou were fine philosophers in their day. Their teachings are still an essential part of the Chinese way of thinking nowadays.

The builders that unified China: The Qin dynasty 秦朝 qín cháo

The Qin dynasty brought a lot to China. They may have ruled only for a short period, from 255 B.C to 206 B.C, but they still found time to develop and invent many things as well as unify the whole country that was scattered into kingdoms till then. Did you know they built new roads and irrigation systems? These irrigation systems were big improvements, as the Zhengguo Canal and the Lingqu Canal brought lots of water to farms and fields. The Qin dynasty also built an amazing archaeological site you’ve most likely heard of in Xi’an: the famous terracotta army. You can still visit this place nowadays and we strongly recommend it!

Their great accomplishment: The Qin have done a lot for China, but their greatest accomplishment has to be unifying China! After lots of conquests, they finally managed to unify the whole country. How huge and groundbreaking is that!?

The artists: The Han dynasty 汉朝 hàn cháo

Emperor Han Gaozu (256 or 247 – 1 June 195 BC)

The Han dynasty ruled from 206 B.C to 220 A.D. They are one of the best known Chinese dynasties and today yet, the Han Ethnic Group is still the biggest ethnic group in China (92%). Do you want to know why they were most famous for?

Their most amazing accomplishment: You certainly wonder which dynasty has invented paper. Well, it’s the Han dynasty. Don’t be mistaken, this was not the white, thin paper you know today but it was definitely the paper we all use today’ ancestor. At the time, paper was thicker and not particularly white.It was made from pounded and disintegrated hemp fibers. Around 105 A.D, a new kind of paper made of rags, fishnets, wheat stalks and other thick materials was enforced. As it was of a poor quality, it was way cheaper than the first one. The invention of paper made writing a lot easier than have to carve your text on hard surfaces, and led The Han to also invent ink and to write poems. What artists, those Hans!

The most chaotic of the Chinese dynasties: the Jin 晉朝 jìn cháo

Ruling from 265 to 420, many of The Jin rulers were incompetent and plunged the empire in civil wars. The Empire was divided between the members of the family and the civil war between the 9 Princes started. Regicides and abdications marked the decline of this dynasty.

Their accomplishment: There is not much to remember about this dynasty except years and years of chaos and conflicts. Let’s call that, their greatest accomplishment.

The Chinese Gutenbergs: The Sui dynasty 隋朝 suí cháo

The Sui dynasty ruled from 581 to 618 AD. They were known for their love for the arts, poetry and music. Researchers found porcelain pieces dating from the Sui dynasty, so we can easily say they invented porcelain made with jade at that time. The Sui Dynasty wasn’t all about love, poetry and the arts, however. This dynasty also was hugely unpopular because of the taxes they imposed and had to face many discontents and rebellions.

Their greatest accomplishment: The Sui dynasty invented block printing. How smart! The Block printing they invented was used as a mean of typesetting and helped reduce the number of workers. The Sui can easily be dubbed the Chinese Gutenbergs. As you can guess, they used this invention mainly… to print lots of poetry.

The golden Chinese dynasty: The Tang 唐朝 táng cháo

Ruling from 618 to 907, the Tang dynasty is well known for expanding the reach of the Chinese economy through the development of trades routes, especially along the silk road, which was at its peak at that time. They also helped Chinese medicine evolve slowly.

Their two main accomplishments: The Tang dynasty brought a lot to Chinese arts.For example, the first opera troupe appeared under their era. So if you’re a Beijing Opera fan, you have the Tang to thank for.
Another of the Tang’s great accomplishments is the creation of the first Chinese criminal code in 624 AD. The code was was divided into 500 articles dealing with different crimes and penalties such as penal servitude, execution, exile and other punishments. This criminal code served as a basis for later dynastic codes in China but also in all parts of Asia.

The Song dynasty 宋朝 sòng cháo: a dynasty of bankers

The Song dynasty ruled from 960 to 1279. This era was full of conflicts and the Song had to face them all. Two others dynasties were challenging them at that time, but we’ll talk about those later.

Their greatest accomplishment: The Song were the first government in the world to invent and use banknotes. Before banknotes were introduced, the Chinese used a currency made of copper but it lacked practicality. They decided, then, to produce banknotes, which is why they were awarded “the banker” title.

The farmers: The Liao dynasty 辽朝 liáo cháo

The Liao dynasty ruled from 916 to 1125. Yes, that was partly at the same time as the Song. How was that possible? Well, they fought a lot with the Song dynasty and conquered a few lands in the North: once again the country was divided and the Qin’s great achievements a thousand years before were undone. The Liao kingdom was established by the Khitan tribe, a tribe well-known for their farming capacities.

Their accomplishment: Aside from contributing to divide the country, the Liao was a great farming dynasty and contributed a lot to agricultural methods in China. When they started ruling, the Liao established a new way of living, by expanding crops and growing new types of food such as watermelon and chickpea. They also developed animal farms with sheeps and horses.

The unknown Chinese dynasty: The Jin 金朝 jīn cháo

Jin Dynasty was also founded by an ethnic minority, known as the Nuzhen. The Nuzhen came from the Changpai Mountain area. This dynasty ruled from 1115 to 1234 AD and also overlapped with the Song. As you can guess, they also fought with the Song dynasty for lands. Due to Song’s civil wars, the Jin were victorious.

Their accomplishment: There are no particular accomplishments to note during the Jin dynasty. Perhaps, the Chinese people remain thankful to them for winning over the Song and their bad rulers.

The Mongol Chinese Dynasty: The Yuan 元朝 yuán cháo

Who said all the Chinese dynasties were Chinese? Ruling from 1271 to 1368, the Yuan dynasty is mostly known because of its Mongol origins. The Great Mongol ruler, Genghis Khan and his sons founded the Yuan dynasty in China and introduced Mongol customs and traditions into China.

Their biggest accomplishment: Gunpowder bombs were created under the Yuan dynasty, after China failed in invading Japan. At first, Large barrels of gunpowder would be lit with fire, which led to explosions. They then cleverly reduced the shape of the barrels and bam! Gunpowder bombs were created.

The most famous Chinese dynasty: The Ming 明朝 míng cháo

Emperor Xizong Zhu Youxiao (1605-1627) Ming Dynasty

The Ming is probably the most famous Chinese Dynasty that ruled from 1368 to 1644. Have you ever heard of Ming porcelain vases? Of course you have. Then you’ve heard of the Ming. The Ming dynasty invented the famous white and blue porcelain you see in every Chinese shop. These vases were Ming’s signature but not their only notable accomplishments. The Ming era is marked by its many achievements in machinery, inventing in particular cotton and silk looms.

Their greatest achievement: Guess which dynasty built the Grand Canal? The Ming’s greatest achievement has to be the restorations of the Great Wall and the Grand Canal, both major architectural feats that were repaired by the Ming dynasty. If you go to the Great Wall nowadays, what you’ll see was rebuilt by the Ming dynasty and mostly left untouched since that Ming dynasty.

The last and longest Chinese dynasty: The Qing 清朝 qīng cháo

Often called the last dynasty of China, the Qing, who ruled from 1644 to 1912, were also known as great warriors.

Their biggest accomplishments: The Qing greatly improved soldiers’ equipments, and notably found solutions to military problems they had, such as how to make the armor lighter to move faster, and increasing the use of gunpowder. They also used swords with longer blades to stab enemies easily. They also created the first machine gun that could hold up to 28 bullets. Trust men you did not want to be these guys enemies! Their decline was due to many rebellions.

Final words: 14 great Chinese dynasties

As you can see, the 14 major dynasties of China were all pretty great! They all made contributions to build the China we all know today! Considering the first dynasty started in 2100 B.C, that’s pretty fantastic, don’t you think?

Make sure to keep this timeline close to you when going to China. Now you know everything about the Chinese dynasties and how they brought knowledge, science et technology to China. All the dynasties made a contribution to build the China we all know today! Fantastic!
The Nincha team hopes this guide will help you understand Chinese culture and its traditions better. Bookmark the timeline and the guide so you become a Chinese dynasty expert. And, in case you’re afraid you can’t remember all the dynasties of China, you can use this Chinese dynasties song to remember the order of the greatest Chinese dynasties.

Do you have a fave dynasty? Or one you find particularly cool? Let us know in the comments! And if you have any question or remark about the dynasties and the Chinese timeline, we’re happy to read them below in the comments.

The Nincha Team

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Watching Chinese TV shows is a great way to improve your listening comprehension skills in Chinese. You can listen to the natives speaking (at a native speed) while having fun watching them doing crazy or awesome things. Whether you’re a sport show fan, an entertainment aficionado, or love hearing regular people sing their heart out in TV singing competitions, you’ll find something to your liking in this list of popular Chinese TV shows. What do you say ready for a Netflix and Chill in Chinese?

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#1 Chinese TV Shows on Entertainment

快乐大本营 kuài yuè dàběnyíng Happy Camp

This TV Show, Happy Camp, must be the most popular amusement program in mainland China. It started in 1997 and is still running now. It doesn’t matter how old you are, in China, everyone loves this show!

This Chinese TV show stars 5 famous hosts such as 何炅Hé Jiǒng and 谢娜 Xiè Nà who play games with guests. It’s a very funny show that will have you laughing all along. Each week, the most popular and famous people of the moment are invited to play new challenges such as “catch the pig tail”. Chinese people love to watch this TV show together as they know they’re in for a good time laughing and gossiping together.

Why you should watch it: Gossip, famous Chinese celebrities, games, and jokes, what more could you ask for? This show is a perfect conversation starter with your Chinese friends to boot.

If you’re a big fan of EXO (K-pop band with a Chinese member) you can watch this episode of Happy Camp online, featuring the whole band, with English subtitles.

#2 Chinese TV Shows About Outdoor Sports

奔跑吧兄弟 bēnpǎo ba xiōngdì Running Man

Inspired by the Korean TV show “Running man”, this Chinese recent version is named 奔跑吧兄弟, literally “Hurry up brother”. It’s a show all about real outdoor sports made by 浙江卫视 zhèjiāng wèishì Zhejiang TV channel in collaboration with Korea SBS station. If you want to explore different local Chinese customs and traditions and see all kind of spots, this TV show is a good choice to watch. Each episode of the program is set in a different city and different guests are invited to join the team so they can help out the members of their team with their different sport missions.

Why you should watch it: If you’re looking for fun, sports, famous persons and funny quests then you’ve just found the Chinese TV show you need.

You can watch this Chinese TV show with Chinese subtitles for free and online on the Zhejiang TV channel on youtube or start with the first episode of Running Man, featuring the Negociator, with English subtitles.

极限挑战 jíxiàn tiǎozhàn Go fighting!

This is also an outdoor sport show but made specially for the Misters! In this show, a six-men team faces different types of outdoor extreme activities.

These six gentlemen have one objective: overcome the extreme games they are tasked to do. This TV show follows a fascinating story line and will make you laugh hard, especially since the six members of the team are Chinese famous actors.

Why you should watch it: Because you want to see how they can overcome the obstacles and win together. Team-building is powerful, right?

You can watch the first season of this awesome Chinese TV show online with English subtitles or on Shanghai TV official channel.

#3 Chinese Music TV Shows

Afraid that watching these outdoor sports shows will make you sweat? Let’s cool down with two Chinese music TV shows that will surely give you goosebumps.

我是歌手 wǒ shì gēshǒu I am a Singer

I Am a Singer is another Korean inspired TV show and revolves around a singing competition. Seven singers perform in front of an audience that decides to eliminate one singer per episode. But what is tricky in I am a Singer is that a new singer joins the show every week. The set of this Chinese TV show looks like a wrestling ring in which singers are competing to be the one that gets the most votes.

Why you should watch it: If you’re a Chinese music lover who wants to see their favorite popstars on TV, then definitely check this TV show out! .

To watch this TV show, head to the Hunan TV Official Channel (with Chinese subtitles).

中国好声音 zhōngguó hǎo shēngyīn The Voice of China

You certainly already know the American and British versions (The Voice US and The Voice UK) of this Chinese TV show.

Music lovers will definitely love this show in which unknown singers compete to reach the last round and be crowned The Voice of China.

The Voice of China is made of three rounds: a blind audition, a battle phase where candidates must sing the best they can to be saved by the audience, and live performance shows. Four musician judges only hear (and can’t see) the candidates for the first time and decide whether or not to take them in their team. The judges then each coach their teams to win the battle phase and live performance shows. Each season of the TV show goes on until the last one man standing wins the show and becomes a superstar.

Singers that come on the Voice of China differ from 我是歌手 wǒ shì gēshǒu I am a Singer singers because they are totally unknown to the audience; they’re just random people like you and me, which makes you love the (good) singers even more.

Why you should watch it: This Chinese TV show is a perfect choice for you if you want to be the first one to discover the new future popstars of China.

To access all the episodes and seasons, head to TVOCHINA official youtube channel (it’s only in Chinese).

#4 Chinese TV Shows：Love Games

More into romantic TV shows? Then check out these love games in Chinese!

为她而战 wèi tā ér zhàn Fight For Her

Are there ladies out there? We haven’t forgotten about you. Here’s a special romantic show about spreading your love.

为她而战 Fight For Her is a TV show about men fighting for their wives. This is an original Chinese mainland TV show with well-known Chinese people. The show focuses on 12 famous couples that make their entrance hand in hand and compete together through games to score points and win.
It’s really funny because you can see the husbands desperately fighting for their wives by taking risks in games which really show their true love for their women!

Why you should watch it: Gain insights into your favorite Chinese couples’ dynamics and get to know them more.

Head here to watch the show for free (with Chinese subtitles)

Single ladies, put your hands up! If Fight For Her is a little too couple for you, this Chinese TV show should please you more.

非诚勿扰 fēichéngwùrǎo You Are the One

You Are the One is all about finding true love. In each episode, men introduce themselves through short video clips. Women decide whether or not they want to get to know the men more by turning on or off the light above the gentlemen’s heads.
Love can be cruel sometimes.
Once the woman has chosen “her man”, she invites him on stage to have a talk. Then it’s the man’s turn, he can ask questions as well to get acquainted with the girl and also finally decide if the woman is or isn’t his “heartbeat girl”. If she is, then, it’s a happy ending.

Why you should watch it: Because you want people to love each other and it’s really cute how people get to know each other.

To watch some of the episodes with English subtitles you can head to this fan channel.

#5 Chinese TV Shows with Parent-child Programs

If love shows are not your cup of tea, you can definitely spend some quality family time watching parent-child Chinese TV shows. Then the whole family can have fun watching a Chinese TV show while practicing their Chinese. Good idea, right?

爸爸去哪儿 bàba qù nǎ'er Dad, Where Are We Going?

This Chinese TV show is based on the original South Korean reality show “Dad! Where Are We Going?” in which you follow the adventure of fathers taking their children on a tour in rural China. This TV show was so successful in China, that the TV show’s producers, Hunan Television adapted it into two movies, “Where Are We Going, Dad?” released in 2014 and “Where Are We Going, Dad? 2” in 2015.

Why you should watch it: Because you’ll love to see how father can bond with their children. You’ll also get a tour in China’s countryside.

You can the season 3 of “Dad! Where Are We Going?” (the only one easily available with English subtitles). You can also go and check on the Hunan TV official channel for more videos of 爸爸去哪儿 Dad! Where Are We Going?” (in Chinese with Chinese subtitles) .

爸爸回来了 bàba huílái le Dad is coming back

Dad is coming back is a TV show about famous dads that are left to care for their offspring alone for 48 hours. Their wives leaves home and the dads don’t receive any help from anyone. It’s really nice to watch those cute babies interact in games with their fathers and see how dads on their own raise their children.

Why you should watch it: Because you’ve always been wondering how famous parents raise their children. You’ll love to see them do their best to survive these 48 hours

Click here to watch the show online (in Chinese only).

Both of these programs are popular Chinese mainland TV shows. By watching this, you can take a look at how stars get along with their kids in real life.

#5 Popular Chinese TV shows on Travel

Is traveling your thing? Then we have something for you, wanderlusters. This last Chinese TV show is going to take you on a fun journey!

花儿与少年 huā er yǔ shàonián Divas hit the road season

Have you already heard the expression 穷游 qióngyóu poor tour? This expression has become a catchword in China as more and more people prefer to travel by getting lifts and staying in hostels to save money rather than splurging.

For ordinary people, taking a “poor tour” might not be a big deal but what about celebrities? In this show, you can see how Chinese famous people deal with all kinds of problems that arise from going on a “poor tour”, such as not having enough money to eat, not having an assistant surrounding them or dealing without a phone abroad. Seems interesting and funny, don’t you think?

Why you should watch it: If you want to have great fun and laugh at famous people struggling with everyday tasks, then you need to watch this show.

You’ll find these funny videos by clicking on the link (some have English subtitles).

And this concludes our selection of popular Chinese TV shows to explore! The Nincha team has provided you with a broad range of Chinese TV show types so you can find your favorites. So relax, turn on the TV (well, only if you have Chinese TV channels – go to the links we suggest otherwise)… and have a great time watching and learning with Chinese TV shows. Happy watching! You’ll love seeing how much you can improve your Chinese while watching Chinese TV online.

You can also take part in this Quora topic to know more about Chinese TV shows.

Once you watch these shows, be sure to come back and tell us which is your favorite Chinese TV show! one after you watch them? Mine’s undoubtedly is “Hurry up brother”. 🙂

Do you have a favorite TV show that we didn’t mention? Share them with us in the comments belows!

Yanjie, Pauline and 

The Nincha Team

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Have you noticed that Chinese people always have a western name? They believe it’ll help them fit in better overseas, and it’s a great idea to do the same as them when you move to China. Chinese names are the key to being accepted and truly immersed in China.It’s also very fun to create one’s name. Follow this guide, step by step, so you don’t make any faux-pas and share with us the Chinese names you pick!

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I’ve used Ninchanese daily, and it has helped me a lot!  “

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Why finding the right Chinese names matter

When it comes to choosing Chinese names, foreigners must be careful to not pick the wrong name. When Chinese parents choose a name for their child, they make sure to pick the right one as it impacts the child’s future. The same applies to you, choosing your Chinese name will also have an impact on your future and your relations.
A good Chinese name will show you took the time to reflect on what Chinese names entail, were respectful of Chinese traditions, and didn’t just use a random Chinese names generator. So, read on and learn the keys to finding and creating the right new Chinese name for you.

Step 1 for good Chinese names: Pick a Chinese name that fits your gender

Chinese parents want to give their children names that are full of the characteristics they hope their children will have when growing older. Based on their child’s gender, their choice will be different, just like in the Western World.

Boys are given Chinese names with “boy” characteristics, and girls have girl-sounding names. For instance, traditional Chinese boy names are related to strength and prosperity. Girls are traditionally given names that are evocative of beauty, grace and flowers. You’ll never run into a Chinese boy named 茉莉 mòlì Jasmine, for example. Can you imagine? His life would be ruined, he’d probably feel ashamed and people would probably laugh at him.

The same goes for you: when choosing your Chinese name, don’t pick a name that doesn’t fit your gender. Or do so at your own risk and be warned that Chinese people may stare at you and think your name is strange.

Now that we have the gender-issue out of the way, let’s move on to the different options you have to build your Chinese name. The three main ways of picking a name in Chinese are :choosing a meaningful one, a good-looking one or a name that sounds like yours. Let’s start with picking a name for its meaning.

Step 2 for good Chinese names: Choose a Chinese name that has a meaning

One way of finding yourself a Chinese name is to pick a name that sounds nothing like your name but has a strong meaning. It’s a common way to pick a name. Based on your character and your personality, you can easily find Chinese words and Chinese characters that will suit you and your unique traits.

For example, if you are a gentle, nice and sweet-mannered girl, I suggest something like 淑婉 shū wǎn. It could fit you perfectly as it means: tender, graceful and virtuous.

You’re a smart and exceptional boy? In that case, 明杰 could be a cool name for you. míng means intelligent, reasonable and clear-sighted and 杰 jié means outstanding. This name should definitely make a good impression.

Meaningful names are always a good idea if you want to show off in front of Chinese people. Hehe~

Step 3 to good Chinese names: Select a name that look beautiful on paper and will make a wow impression

Some people prefer having a beautiful-looking name when written on the paper to choosing meaningful characters. So this can be another good way to choose your Chinese name. If you like this approach, then you have a broad range of good-looking characters waiting for you to pick them. “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” as they say, so we’re leaving the choice up to you.

Want to stand out? You can also pick characters from traditional Chinese that are more complex. They’ll add some eccentricity to your Chinese names.

The name 陶淵明 Táoyuānmíng is a good example of a beautiful-in-writing name. It’s written in traditional Chinese and that makes it special. Besides, 陶淵明 was an amazing poet during the Jin Dynasty era.

Step 4 to good Chinese names: Pick a Chinese name that sound just like yours

Like your birth name and want a Chinese name that sounds the same, but in Chinese? That’s also an option. You can translate your name into Chinese. This method is quite popular method among foreigners but it’s also risky. You have to remember to make it sound like a real Chinese name as well, so it’s not weird-sounding to the Chinese natives around you.

Let’s take the name Robert to show you how “Chinesifying” your name works.
Robert becomes 罗佩 Luó pèi. Say it out loud and the magic happens. It sounds about the same, right? There’s no particular meaning added to the translation of Robert, here. But sometimes you can do both: choose a meaningful name while staying faithful to your original name.

Let’s have a little fun: These are the name of the Ninchanese Team aka. “Nincha Team”: Sarah:莎娜, Jean-Rémi: 尚海明, and Pauline: 玻琳. Mathieu didn’t have a Chinese name yet, so we picked this one for him ^^: 马修 and 斯婧’s western name is Hermione.

Step 5: Chinese names dos and don’ts

DO: pick a “short’ name
Chinese names are made of 3 characters maximum, the average is two characters.

Sometimes foreigners shorten their names and combine their first and last name so it looks and sounds better. Let’s take Melanie Hamilton from Gone with the Wind, in Chinese, her name became 韩媚兰 Hánmèilán. Hán is for her last name and mèilán is for Melanie. It was shortened so it’s easier to read and it sounds more Chinese.

DON’T go overboard: So don’t come up with a name like 伟烈伶勇武 + a last name. It would be too obvious that you made up a name by yourself.

DO: When translating your name, pay attention to the meaning of your Chinese name.
陸克文 Lù kèwén Kevin Rudd is a good example, it’s recognizable and it’s not weird for a Chinese because it doesn’t mean anything in particular.

DON’T: Ignore the meaning of your name, even if you’re going for something phonetically close to your birth name. Or you’ll end up on a list of super weird names foreigners picked, like these two:
To all the Roses out there, please, please, don’t choose 肉丝 as your Chinese name: 肉丝 Ròu sī means Slices of pork.
Boys named Daniel, we’ve also found something for you to avoid: 大牛 Dà niú big cow, yup, you heard it. Super ugly, right? Even if it’s funny, we really don’t recommend picking a name like that for everyday use.

DON’T: Something else you should avoid when picking a Chinese name for yourself is choosing a cliché Chinese name. Stereotyped names are the worst and they’ll sound very funny to Chinese people: 美花 měi huā beautiful flower is a terrible choice.

Names like 李刚 Lǐgāng, 王小明 wángxiǎomíng and 张梅 zhāng méi are already very popular Chinese names so try not to pick these and find something less used and authentic!

DO: Take your Chinese name out for a test drive before you make it official.
Another important thing to do before making your new Chinese name official, is to try it out on your Chinese friends. See if they don’t burst out laughing when you tell them, and let them check if it sounds OK in Chinese to them. A native ear is the best way to tell if you’ve given yourself a stellar or less than stellar name.

To sum up

1. Pick different characters for your name based on whether you’re a girl or a boy
2. Decide on how you’re going to create your Chinese name: Do you want it to be meaning based?
3. Do you want it to look pretty?
4. Do you want it to sound like your birth name?
5. Check the do and don’t list to make sure you didn’t forget anything…

And you’ll be good to go! By following all these steps, you’ll be able to choose a Chinese name that fits perfectly. If you respect the rules, you’ll be in total immersion in China. Now it’s your turn to create your Chinese names! You can also check the most used Chinese names. Let us know below what you pick! And tell us, why did you choose those?

The Nincha Team

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The post Chinese Names: The 5-Step Guide to Create Yours appeared first on Ninchanese.