Wondering what to do for 除夕 New Year’s Eve to help welcome in the Year of the Tiger? Sure, there’s useful stuff, like cleaning to start the new year fresh. Luckily, there are plenty of fun things you can also easily do from home to put yourself in the Lunar New Year spirit! Check out this selection of the best Douyin Activities to celebrate 虎年 (hǔ nián)! (That’s the year of the tiger in Mandarin Chinese).

新年快乐! Happy Chinese New Year from the Nincha Team

Special Year of the Tiger Activities

2022 is going to be the year of the Tiger. More specifically, the water tiger.  To celebrate, there’s a special themed course on Ninchanese!

Learn all about the Year of the Tiger in a special themed course on Ninchanese

The Year of the Tiger will hold no mystery for you once you’ve completed this mini-course!

The Chinese New Year course is full of essential words and sentences to learn in Chinese. You’ll also find meowsome dialogues to teach you the fun customs around Chinese New Year celebrations. Purrfect to learn all about the Year of the Tiger in Chinese! From a Tiger Zodiac Sign’s personality, to what it means to be a Tiger in 2022, you’ll be learning a lot and enjoying yourself at the same time!

Plus: Enjoy 30% all Ninchanese Premium plans with the code TIGERCNY! 
Just enter it at checkout and this meowsome offer is yours!

These special treats are only here for the next two weeks until the Lunar New Year ends, so don’t miss out!

Since we’re ushering in the year of the Tiger 2022, making tiger decorations is also a must! Besides, tigers are soo cute, so why fight it?

Make little tigers out of clementines

These little tigers made out of clementines are just purrfect and cheap to make:

Put together bouncy tigers

Out of clementines at home? Try making these bouncy tigers instead!

Make paper cutouts

Chinese paper cutting is a delicate art. In Chinese, paper cutouts are called 剪纸 (jiǎn zhǐ). You’ll also run into them called 窗花 (chuāng huā)
It’s very traditional for Chinese New Year for families to make paper cutouts together. With these fairly simple Douyin videos you can make your own too!

Make a purrfect tiger cut-out (虎年窗花)

This is what the Nincha Team made following this tutorial. It really is pretty easy to follow!

 

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Not directly related to the Tiger zodiac sign, it’s always a good idea to give your household double happiness with this Douyin tutorial.

More Chinese New Year 2022 activities

In addition to these super cute manual activities to welcome in the Year of the Tiger and make the Tiger Zodiac Sign right at home, there’s a lot more meowsome stuff you can do! The goal? To make the coming Year of the Tiger auspicious and a prosperous year.

Put together 红包 – red envelopes

Elders traditionally give 红包 to the younger members of the family. Inside, you’ll usually find money, but as you can see in these videos, candy is an excellent little treat too!

Don’t want traditional-looking 红包? How about candy-shaped ones, then?

If you prefer presenting your treats that way, here’s an excellent Douyin tutorial to make some yourself!

Make dumplings

First, follow our guide for a successful dumpling party! Then, watch these videos for easy folding techniques.

Or do they make it look easy? We’ll be trying these techniques tonight so fingers crossed!

Make coin shaped dumplings for prosperity

Or fold them the traditional 饺子 way!

Sing the New Year song

新年好
新年好呀…

Fair warning: Set to a tune you’ll no doubt recognize (Oh My Darling Clementine), the Chinese New Year song is a song that can easily stay stuck in your head.
Learn the lyrics here and then learn how to sing it with this cute Douyin tutorial.

Dress up

Another good way to prepare yourself for the Year of the Tiger is to put on new clothes, red items of clothing particularly, and dress up nicely. That activity is always lovely to do! So don new clothes and even meowsome hairpieces, like this one below:

Throw fireworks

Fireworks are a big must to celebrate the Chinese New Year. If you’re out of fireworks or noisy things are banned in your area, try this dish featured a lot of 抖音 instead.

Draw lots of Chinese New Year-related decorations

Lanterns, coins, coin-shaped things (for luck), golden elements (for more chance), fish … there are plenty of auspicious shapes to choose from!

Here’s a 抖音 hack to easily draw Chinese New Year themed knickknacks:

Who knew numbers could be so helpful?

It’s meant for kids, but we won’t tell if you don’t!

Hang up a lot of 福 upside down

You can place them on cards…

You can place them on your windows, on your walls…

Well, maybe not literally on your walls.

Just make sure you have a lot of upside-down 福 (fú) to bring yourself good luck in the coming year.

This concludes our round-up of 抖音 videos and Tiktok tutorials to celebrate the Year of the Tiger 2022! Have fun with these arts and crafts and have a prosperous year of the Tiger!

Speaking of fun stuff, here’s another cool thing for you: a Lunar New Year themed course!

A unique Chinese New Year world on Ninchanese

Come do the Chinese New Year course! It’s a free themed mini-world that’s only available during one special period of the year, and that’s during the Chinese Spring Festival!

A hot new course specially for the Chinese New Year

36 Stages full of essential words and sentences to learn in Chinese. To go with it, meowsome dialogues to teach you all about the pawwsitively fun customs that go hand in hand with the Chinese New Year celebrations. Purrfect to learn all about the Spring Festival and the Year of the Tiger in Chinese. From what to do on New Year’s eve to the Lantern Festival, you’ll be learning a lot and will love doing that!

This special world is only here for the next two weeks until the Lunar New Year ends, so don’t miss out!

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, for Chinese learning in your pocket and on the go, download the Ninchanese app from the Google Play Store.

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!

Sign up now

P.S: Do you have the Chinese New Year song stuck in your head now too? Purrfect to put you in the Year of The Tiger spirit!

The post Best Douyin Activities to Celebrate the Year of the Tiger appeared first on Ninchanese.

Image source: CGTN

What is Xiaonian?

Xiaonian is often called the prologue of the Spring Festival because it kicks off preparations for the upcoming Chinese New Year. It’s also a special day for the Kitchen God, ZaoShen (Chinese: 灶君; pinyin: Zào Jun; literally “stove master).
That’s because today, on 小年 xiǎo nián, the Kitchen God is going to return to “Heaven”. (That’s if you’re in the North of China. For the South of China, that’ll happen tomorrow).

The Kitchen God, Zao Shen. Source: Project Gutenberg

There, he’ll make his report to the other gods that stayed in Heaven, and especially to the Jade Emperor – he’s considered the King of the Taoists deities (Chinese: 玉皇; pinyin: Yù Huáng. Also called 玉帝 Yù Dì).

With the Chinese New Year special course on Ninchanese, start preparing for the Spring Festival too! 

What is The Kitchen God reporting?

The Kitchen God has one specific mission: to report on what happened in each household over the past year. He’ll particularly weigh how good or bad the family was. That way, the Jade Emperor can decide accordingly to reward or punish each household. So if you were good, good fortunes await you in the coming new year of the Tiger, and if you were terrible… well, you won’t be so lucky.

The Sweetest event: Nian Gao cakes and more

Good thing, though: the Kitchen God can easily be bribed… or at least tempted because he’s very partial to sweets. Just rub something sweet on his lips, like a bit of sugar, honey, or the traditional 年糕 (nián gāo) cake. The goal? To make sure he sweet-talks the Jade Emperor! He should also be grateful because he’ll be getting a great homemade scrub at the same time.

Curious to know what a 年糕 is? Watch this!

In addition to sweets, the Kitchen God is often also offered food, in case he gets hungry on the way up. Usually, his heaven-ascending horse is also given water and grass to make the journey. So be considerate and treat them. You want them to put in a good word for you!

The other good news? You get to eat candy too on Xiaonian! Especially the chewy, sticky, sesame kind. Like this maybe. 

The second item of good news: As the Kitchen God is a family’s moral compass, once he’s gone, you’re free of any moral surveillance. Technically. So why not? Go party, drink, and enjoy yourself. Act quick, the kitchen God will be back soon.
Just make sure to stuff your face with candy too, because if your mouth is full of candy, you won’t be able to bad-mouth others! Think of it as the Kitchen God’s parting gift!

And that’s how 小年 is a lesson on the importance of sweets!

Clean your house for the Lunar New Year

The bot so good news? Once the Kitchen God is sent off (usually by burning a paper version of him), cleaning season is officially in full swing.

Spring Cleaning, Spring Festival style. Source: CGTN

The goal is to get your house squeaky clean and to turn Obsessive-Compulsive when it comes to dust, as there can’t be any left at all when the Chinese New Year swings around! This year, there’s a particular focus on making your house fully anti-virus too.

Otherwise, you risk starting the new lunar year on the wrong paw. This is soon, since, on February 1st, we’ll all be ringing in the Year of the Tiger! That’s a little over a week from now.

So, are you planning on bribing the Kitchen God and on cleaning your house to prepare for the New Year? Or are you planning on skipping all this and Just celebrating the fun stuff?? Let us know!

Speaking of fun stuff, here’s something cool for you: a Lunar New Year themed course!

A unique Chinese New Year world on Ninchanese!

Discover the Chinese New Year course. It’s a themed mini-world that’s only available during one special period of the year, and that’s during the Chinese Spring Festival!

36 Stages full of essential words and sentences to learn in Chinese, and meowsome dialogues to teach you all about the pawwsitively fun customs that go hand in hand with the Chinese New Year celebrations. Purrfect to learn all about the Spring Festival and the Year of the Tiger in Chinese. From what to do on New Year’s eve to the Lantern Festival, you’ll be learning a lot and will love doing that!

This special world is only here for the next two weeks until the Lunar New Year ends, so don’t miss out!

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! From HSK-based courses to a Chinese Business course, you have your pick of Chinese to learn!

Start using Ninchanese on the web, with your computer or tablet, or, for Chinese learning in your pocket and on the go, download the Ninchanese app from the Google Play Store.

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!

Sign up now

The post Xiaonian: Kick-off Chinese New Year with sweets 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

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Sign up now

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.

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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

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But what do you really know about the Chinese dragon? Aside from that, it’s a pretty cool Chinese Zodiac Sign and a popular choice for a tattoo? Do you know what a Chinese dragon means and symbolizes? No? Then you’ve come to the right place. I’m going to tell you the essential things to know about the Chinese dragon. You’ll learn what they look like, what link they have with human beings, cool Chinese dragon facts, their role in Chinese society, and more! Ready to learn everything you’ve ever wanted to know about the Chinese dragon, the coolest creature to not-roam the earth?

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What’s a Chinese dragon?

You may have heard that Chinese people are fond of dragons, but you may wonder what a Chinese dragon looks like. Since they are quite different from the Western dragon, let’s start by giving you a description of this legendary creature.

Physical aspect

In stories, a Chinese dragon can be composed of many different animal parts. Still, it’s more commonly depicted as having: the tail of a fish, the scales of a carp, the neck of a snake, the belly of a clam, the head of a camel, the claws of an eagle, the paws of a tiger, the ears of a cow, the eyes of a demon, the beard of a goat and the horns of a stag. Quite the beast, huh?

Chinese dragons can be of many colors; they can be blue, yellow, black, white, or red. Depending on the dynasty that was ruling, the “official” Chinese dragon color varied.

Dragons under the Han and Qin Dynasty

Under the Han dynasty (206 B.C.–220 A.D.), for instance, the Chinese dragon symbolizing the Emperor, who was viewed as a god at that time, was turquoise. This turquoise Chinese dragon also symbolized the fifth element in the Chinese five elements, the sun, the East, and the West.
Han dynasty aside, it was mostly the yellow Chinese dragon chosen by the Emperors as their symbol. This was particularly the case during the Qing dynasty (from 1644 to 1912 AD). The Qing’s Emperor Yan, in fact, was said to be the offspring of his mother’s telepathic communications with a mystical Chinese dragon (not unlike the first Emperor of China, as you’ll see later), and claimed that the most powerful Chinese dragon was yellow.

Behavior

Chinese dragons are given many powers in Chinese folklore. They are said to control thunder, floods, and rain. Unlike the western dragon, rumored to be evil and dangerous, the Chinese dragon is said to be kind and noble. He symbolizes divinity, goodness, excellence, power, and energy. Dragons are also very smart. They are not to be afraid of but are mainly considered as protectors that keep people from harm. Chinese dragons typically live in heaven or worshiped places.

The Nine Chinese dragons

In addition to dragons of various colors, the Chinese believe in many different types of dragons. Some of the most well known Chinese dragons are the nine dragons.
According to a very popular legend in China, the Chinese dragon King has nine sons. These nine dragon sons all look different and hold various powers.

– 贔屭 Bì xì is the eldest dragon son. 贔屭 is usually depicted as a hybrid between a dragon and a tortoise. Its shell is so strong and large that it can carry heavy objects such as stones. You’ll often find him portrayed in old temples and on tombstones.

The second son of the Dragon King is 狴犴 Bì àn. 狴犴 looks more like a tiger than a dragon. You’ll find him keeping guard in front of jail gates, but also in courts of justice. Its main characteristic is steadiness. You can definitely trust him when it comes to security and justice!

The third dragon son is 螭吻 Chī wěn. 螭吻 looks like a big lizard because it’s a hybrid between a fish and a dragon. 螭吻 likes to swallow evil spirits to keep them away from humans. As such, people used to make 螭吻 statues and place them on their roofs ridgepole to feel protected (mostly on palaces since ordering custom-made statues was an expensive hobby). You may run into 螭吻 if you go by the sea as this dragon is said to live in the ocean.

Then, 蒲牢 Púláo is the fourth son. Nobody really knows what he looks like; some say he’s a dog combined with a dragon. His power is to scream to warn people if a disaster is coming. His loud cries are so noisy that people often represent him on bells’ handles.

As for 囚牛 Qiú niú who is the fifth son of the Dragon King, there is no clear clue on his physical aspect. But still, according to his name 牛 niú cow, he is said to be a hybrid between a cow and a dragon. Others even claim he is a yellow dragon. One thing everyone agrees on is that 囚牛 loves music and plays it very well. So, you’ll often find him depicted on musical instruments.

The sixth son is 饕餮 Tāotiè. He is a hybrid between a wolf and a dragon and is said to be the guardian of wealth and well-being. We also found that he loves food and is very greedy and gluttonous. There’s not much information about him except that you can find him depicted on ritual bronze vessels. Nowadays, 饕餮 is used to describe people who are fond of good food.

The seventh son of the Chinese dragon King is 狻猊 Suānní. Often depicted as a hybrid between a lion and a dragon, his body is covered with flames. He is viewed as the Chinese dragon of wisdom and knowledge. 狻猊 likes to sit cross-legged and spends his days smelling incense calmly. You’ll find him in Buddhist Temples, depicted on incense burners or on the seats.

The eighth son, 睚眦 Yázì, has a leopard head and the body of a dragon. 睚眦 likes to get into fights all the time and enjoys killing. Unsurprisingly, 睚眦 is viewed as the Chinese dragon god of battles and wars. You’ll find him on sword ornaments.

And finally, 蚣蝮 Gōngfù sometimes called 霸下 Bà xià is the dragon god of the water and the Dragon King’s ninth son. He’s half-snake, half-dragon. 蚣蝮 is said to be an excellent swimmer and to live near bridges.

The 9 Dragon often used in Architecture in China

The 9 Chinese dragons are a symbol you’ll often run into in China, and it’s often used in architecture. For instance, you can check the Nine-dragon Wall in Beijing here.

So that you know, not all sources agree on which were the 9 legendary dragons. Sometimes, you’ll find others listed, and you may run into at least 14 different dragons in stories. And depending on the regions of China, different dragons can be depicted in the local folklore.

Now you know what a Chinese dragon looks like, it’s time for you to understand its origins. In ancient China, the beliefs started with the rise of the great dynasties.

The relationship between Chinese people and Chinese dragons

Dragons have always been related to people since Chinese beliefs are firm. Let’s see how they created this magical relationship and why the dragon is such an important cultural symbol in China.

Descendants of Chinese dragons

According to legends and stories, Chinese people used to believe they descend from dragons. Say what? How is it possible? Don’t worry; we’re going to explain.

To understand why the Chinese hold this belief, you need to look at where dragon lore comes from.

Where does the Chinese dragon come from?

Stories state that a long time ago, around ~2500 BC, tribes fought each other to gain more lands in ancient China. The so-called Yellow Emperor Huang Di allied with another tribe leader named Yan Di to gain an edge in the battle. Yan Di was said to be born thanks to his mother’s telepathic communications with a powerful dragon. Ah, the story goes, that powerful dragon helped him through his quests, and thanks to the dragon’s help, both Huang Di and Yang Di defeated their common enemy the 九黎 Jiǔ lí people led by Chiyou during 涿鹿之戰 Zhuō lù zhī zhàn the Battle of Zhuolu. As Huang Di’s and Yan Di’s tribes united, they picked a dragon as the symbol for their newly-formed tribe’s banner.

Since those prehistoric times, many Chinese people have considered themselves Huang Di and Yan Di’s descendants, and therefore, the descendants of dragons. In Chinese, people say 炎黄子孙 yán huáng zǐsūn the descendants of Huang Di and Yan Di. There is also a well-known song in China that deals with 龙的传人 lóng de chuánrén the descendants of the Chinese dragon.

From Tribes to Emperors

As you see, the Chinese dragon symbol can be traced back to Ancient China. As civilization evolved and tribes gave way to dynasties in China, the dragon’s importance grew even more. Starting in the Han Dynasty, emperors started considering themselves as dragons. It all started with Liu Bang, who later on became the First Emperor of the Han Dynasty.

One day, as his mother was dreaming of meeting a divine spirit, the sky darkened, and when Liu’s father came in, he found a dragon lying next to his wife. Following this divine meeting, she became pregnant and gave birth to Liu Bang. Some people said he had a high nose, whiskers, and a strange beard that made them think of a dragon’s head. Liu Bang went on to become the first Emperor of the Han Dynasty.

The following Emperors did everything they could to keep this divine bond with dragons strong. As heirs of Liu Bang, they claimed they were Chinese dragons’ sons too, and that dragon blood was running through their veins.

The Chinese emperor Suite

From then on, everything in the Emperor’s suite was embossed with Chinese dragons: from clothes to furniture. For example, Only the Emperor was allowed to wear a dragon symbol on his clothes. Dragon claws symbolized ranks in society, and the higher-ranked, the more claws you had. Generals and leaders, therefore, could have up to 4 claws. Only the Emperor could wear a dragon with 5 claws, symbolizing the Emperor‘s actual hands. If someone else wore 5 claws and were not the Emperor, they would be killed.

As explained in Part 1, emperors also chose their Dragon’s color to show their power. The color they choose for their dragon became the most important color in society. No one else was allowed to wear that color, or they were punished.

What about nowadays?

Dragons are still a big part of Chinese culture, even if they are now more used as a mascot than a divine prodigy. The dragon has clearly become a symbol of China, recognizable all over the world.

Chinese people respect the dragon culture, and some still believe in its mystical powers. Nowadays, for instance, you’ll find dragon symbols in every Chinese celebration. The Chinese New Year is the best example to give, with parades, households, and public places are all decorated with dragons.

The Chinese dragon Dance is also very appreciated in every celebration since it wishes good luck and brings prosperity to its viewers. Here’s an example of a Chinese dragon dance, complete with a luminous dragon. It’s spectacular!

As you may know, a special festival is also dedicated to the Chinese dragon in China: the Dragon Boat Festival! You can head here to know more about this awesome festival and see how it is celebrated in China.

Zodiac signs

The Chinese dragon is also part of Chinese astrology. The dragon sign is the fifth sign in the Chinese zodiac signs. In China, people love to have a boy born during the dragon year as they say he will be lucky in life.

Persons born during dragon years are said to be ambitious, decisive, and inspiring but if you’re born under the Chinese dragon zodiac sign – just like Bruce Lee – be also careful not to be too confident and arrogant, as dragon signs are also rumored to have those character traits. Take no offense if you’re a dragon; that’s what your zodiac sign is saying, not me! 🙂

The love for dragons anyway

Chinese dragon’s origins are unclear — the dragon being a mythological creature and all — and we have to rely on stories and legends to understand how dragons appeared in Chinese folklore. But those stories definitely help us see how the dragon became an essential symbol in Chinese society and why Chinese people are still really close to the dragon symbol. Who can blame them? Dragons are fascinating, don’t you think?

If you were thinking of getting a Chinese dragon tattoo, we have an even better suggestion for you: become a dragon yourself! How? By joining Ninchanese, a Chinese learning application where you get to level up your dragon as you learn Chinese. And for those who are already learning Chinese on Ninchanese, you’re ready to beat every single boss in Ninchanese by using the Chinese dragon’s powers! You’ll improve so much now you know everything about Lupishu’s origins 🙂

Did you know any of these facts? What surprised you the most? Let us know what you thought about it!

For more dragon pictures, head to Ninchanese Pinterest Collection; you can also add your favorite ones.

Pauline and

The Nincha Team

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The post Chinese Dragon: How It Became Legendary in China appeared first on Ninchanese.

Observing the Chinese traditions and customs around you and adapting is the key to fully enjoying your journey in China. In this article, you’re going to learn unexpected Chinese customs you must know about, to avoid making any major cultural faux-pas. We also share the proper behaviour to have in a slew of situations, so that once you have read this guide, Chinese customs won’t throw you off.  Without further ado, let’s get started.

#1 Everyday Chinese Customs to Save Face

The first surprising customs you’ll run into in China are most likely everyday beliefs and taboos you need to know about. A lot of them have to do with saving face. The concept of saving face is uniquely important in China, and elsewhere in Asia and it shouldn’t be ignored. Knowing what helps save face is therefore essential: it’s key to making those around you feel comfortable and showing them you know and respect their superstitions and traditions.

Let’s start with a topic you shouldn’t mention and two seemingly inconspicuous activities you’re better off not attempting in China.

Death

A huge taboo in China is 死 sǐ death. Trust me, you don’t want to talk about death in public in China.

As you learn about cultural taboos and traditional customs in China, you’ll find that many traditional taboos in the Chinese culture come from ancient times and stem from Taoism. Not talking openly about death is no different. In ancient China, taoist scholars would prohibit any mention of this topic. This was a way to keep death and ghosts away from their life since immortality was their ultimate goal.

An old taoist saying explains: 敬鬼神而远之 jìng guǐ shén ér yuǎn zhī Respect the ghosts and keep away from it. In short, we won’t talk about you and you won’t come bother us.

As such, even now, Chinese citizens are afraid to use the word “death” because they fear that saying it will make it real, and their family members will die.

However, this doesn’t mean that death is entirely off the table. The Chinese believe that everything forms the two sides of a same coin: for example, death and birth are linked.

Confucius said: 未知生 焉知死 wèi zhīshēngyān zhī sǐ How can you know what death is before knowing what life is?.

If to talk about death, Chinese people usually replace the word 死 by one of the following expressions: 老了 lǎo le, 走了 zǒu le they left, 不在了 bú zài le they aren't there or 过世 guò shì  to say that someone passed away in a less direct manner.

We hope you won’t have to talk about such a sad subject in any case, but if you do, now at least you know what NOT to say to avoid making matters worse.

Speaking of making matters worse, here’s a color you really really shouldn’t wear on your head. Green.

Forget about green hats

Wondering why green hats are a taboo in China? Well, 戴绿帽子 dàilǜmào zi wearing a green hat, which originally innocently meant wearing a green hat,  also means: to cuckold. So now, it is believed that when people wear a green hat, it means that they cheated on their partner.

According to stories, the Emperor 朱元璋 zhū yuánzhāng, who founded the Ming dynasty and ruled China from 1368 to 1398, claimed that prostituted men had to wear green hats to be recognizable among others.

Another story says that a woman forced her husband to wear a green hat when he left home. While he was out, the wife could secretly meet her lover. The green hat could be seen from afar so she had time to warn her lover so he could leave the house without being caught. Behind cheated on is a huge taboo in China, no one likes to talk about it openly, and we can easily understand they just want to save face.

I bet you’d never guess wearing a green hat could mean such a thing. So you’d better not wear one. Who likes green hats anyway? St Patrick’s Day is the only time you would have considered wearing one, right? Well, now you know it might be better to pass on that tradition in China altogether.

Kissing someone you don’t know

I see you, young boy! Don’t try to kiss a girl you don’t know, even on the cheeks and even it’s just to greet her! No. Never. Not in China. By doing that, all you’ll accomplish is getting her upset and embarrassed. Kissing someone you don’t know is  viewed as disrespectful, and you should pray her boyfriend/husband didn’t see you. For western people, especially Latins, it can seem more than normal to hug or to give someone a kiss on the cheek to say hello; but if you’re meeting someone for the first time, don’t even try to say hi that way in China. A formal handshake is your best option.

As you walk around in China, you may notice that Chinese girls are very close to each other, they might kiss to greet or even hug and hold hands. That’s all good when you’re friends, but don’t be surprised or angry to see they are distant with you at first. This is the case in most countries when you’re meeting someone you don’t yet, anyways, right?

Now that you know about everyday don’ts, time to move on to another big unexpected taboo in China: numbers. Let’s talk about why the Chinese fear some numbers so much they don’t even say them out loud. Wait. Really?

#2 Surprising Chinese Customs about Numbers

Chinese people are very careful when it comes to numbers. They avoid using some of them because they represents bad luck. There’s a popular saying about numbers that sums up well how the Chinese view numbers:

They like to say 好事成双 hǎo shì chéng shuāng all good things come in pairs.
In order to prevent unlucky things from happening, Chinese people would rather choose even numbers to plan the date of a big event such as a wedding, when giving gifts ( two is better than one – sign me up for that custom!) and when getting a new phone number.

Lucky number: 8 and 6

For instance, Chinese people generally like the numbers 8 and 6, because 八 bā number 8 sounds like 发 fā rich in Chinese.

As for 六 liù number 6, it’s homophonic with 流 liú flow which represents good fortune.

Avoid the number 4

People are very wary of the number 4. In Chinese 四 sì 4 sounds like 死 sǐ death death . What an awful homophonic! That explains why, according to superstitions, 4 represents bad luck.

If you go to China, you’ll see something really surprising: there are no fourth floors in buildings. Say what? You heard me! When in an elevator, you’ll go from the 3rd floor to the 5th one.  Hehe ~~

No more seven heaven

There’s another unlucky number for Chinese people:

Well, some like 七 because it is an homophonic of 起 qǐ start, rise which means good things for them. Maybe a new start? A new success?
It also sounds like 气 qì vital energy.

But, on the contrary, for some Chinese people, 七 is an unlucky number and that’s because of another homophonic: 欺 qī to cheat. Many couples avoid getting married on the 7th because of the 欺 homophonic.

Bonus : 250 二百五 Èrbǎiwǔ Idiot

250 is actually a very funny but strong number in Chinese and you must be careful when using it.
Calling your close friends 250 二百五 Èrbǎiwǔ Idiot can be ok but NEVER try to use it to be funny with someone you don’t know. Or get yourself ready for a fight and to leave people will a bad opinion concerning you. Make sure you remember this well if you don’t want to curse someone unintentionally!

Food is another topic that must be taken seriously in China. There are many rules when it comes to food, just like in every country: use only your right hand in India, no elbows on the table in France, tea ceremony in Japan. Read below about the Chinese manners you must have.

#3 Yummy Chinese Customs about Food

When having a meal, there are many prohibited and customary acts one must follow: at a banquet, for example, the place of honor is reserved for the host, or the most senior person in the room.

Mind the Rice Bowl

At the end of a meal, if you’re full, do not stick your chopsticks straight up in your rice bowl. Don’t, really, ever, do that! It’s said to bring you bad luck as it looks like the incense Chinese put on tombs to mourn someone that has passed away. It is all part of Chinese customs.

Another thing you must avoid when done eating is to place your rice bowl, upside down on the table. This is believed to definitely not be a good omen for you and you friends.

When it comes to food and friends, there are more pearfect ways to bring bad luck to your and your homie.

Pearfect way to be unlucky

In China, sharing a pear with friends or relatives is impossible and not something we suggest attempting. People believe that sharing a pear will bring negativity, pessimism and overall be a bad omen for your friendship or family. You’re wondering why, aren’t you? Well, in Chinese the word 分梨 fēnlí to share a pear  sounds the same as 分离 fēnlí to separate. As such, the Chinese strongly believe that sharing a pear will lead to friendships splitting and even divorce.

This fear of the pear is a traditional belief we suggest you adopt in China. Don’t share a pear unless you want to end up all alone living with cats. The cat part isn’t too bad, the Nincha Team actually enjoys it. Meow. But the ending up alone isn’t the best. Everyone knows a lot of things are much fun with friends, including learning Chinese.

Now that you know to question your fruit sharing instincts, here are a few more beliefs and taboos to know about when it comes to Chinese food.

Bonus taboos:

Toothpick: When some food sticks your teeth, you are allowed to use a toothpick (and you’ll be generally offered one in a restaurant). But! You must hide your toothpicking activities by covering your mouth with your hand. It’s much nicer for those around you anyway.

Burp: To burp out loud while eating is also considered as impolite, you’d better wait to leave the restaurant for that!

Toilets: Don’t even think about taking a bathroom break during your meal. If you leave the table to go to the toilets, people will stare at you and think you’re very rude. So try to hold on and resist the urge to rush into the bathrooms, will you? Or if you really can’t, just assume your “bad” 老外 behavior for once and relieve your bladder.

#4 Merry Chinese Customs about Celebrations

Wedding customs

Weddings must be taken seriously in China. There are many taboos about love and traditionally Chinese people do not show their love publicly. This is changing as the newer generations throw caution to the wind, but some customs and traditions remain steadfast in the Chinese society.

Break a leg…not the tail

Wedding guests will offer many special gifts to the newly weds. If you happen to be giving a roast pig to the bride’s family (perhaps not your first choice, but a good choice nonetheless), make sure the tail and ears aren’t broken. If they are, it means the bride is not a virgin and that would insult her family. Bet you didn’t see that one coming?

Postponed weddings

Another superstition regarding weddings is when one of the lovers’ parents passes away, then they should at least wait 100 days before getting married or it would be extremely disrespectful.

Restrictions for the newlyweds

There are many restrictions newlyweds must observe. To keep bad luck away, for instance, they must not go to funerals, other weddings and to visit someone’s newborn in the 3 months following their wedding day.

Birthday beliefs

You’re invited to someone’s birthday! How nice! But many Chinese people are invited and you fear you’ll be playing the 老外 lǎowài foreigner playing the role of the bull in the china shop. Avoid these mistakes and you’ll show you respect the Chinese customs and beliefs about birthdays.

Gifts that are not gifts:

Whatever you do, never offer your friends a clock. To protect your friendship with someone, 钟 zhōnɡ clock is prohibited as a present. 钟 sounds just like 终 zhōnɡ the end, by offering a 钟, it would mean that you want to break your friendship.

Besides, let’s add some drama, the sentence 送钟 sònɡ zhōnɡ to offer a clock has also the same sound as in 送终 sònɡ zhōnɡ to say farewell to someone dying.

And you surely don’t want to 送钟 / 送终 your best friend. Giving them a clock would curse them.

Offering a 伞 sǎn umbrella is also a very bad idea as it’s believed to be a bad omen for you and your friend. 伞 has the same pronunciation as 散 sàn to seperate ways. In short, stay away from the umbrella and the clock shops and you’ll be fine present-wise!

Longevity noodles

In Chinese customs, birthdays are always celebrated with a bowl of 长寿面 Chángshòu miànqī longevity noodles.
长寿面 s are really long and continuous to symbolizes long life and good health. Because their shape represents longevity, make sure you don’t cut or bite into them when eating them or it might shorten your life. When it comes to longevity noodles, slurping is better!

Chinese New Year

A lot of traditions, superstitions, beliefs, customs and taboos surround the Chinese New Year. Each year, predictions are made, so make sure you have 2016 off to the right start by checking out our predictions for your 2016 Monkey year if you haven’t yet.

Don’t use your words like a weapon

During the most expected event of the year, you must be cautious when it comes to using some words. Don’t mention the words poor, die, cut, break and gone. That should help keep away the bad luck according to Chinese customs.
An important thing you must remember is that doing something on New Year’s Eve will have an impact on the year to come. What I mean here is that if you cry on New Year’s Eve, it is believed you’ll cry all year long. If you break a dish, the new year will be full of broken things for you. So do yourself a favor, will you? Do happy, positive things on New Year’s Eve. Have fun and enjoy your life!

Hairway to bad luck

People think that the first lunar month is terribly unlucky so according to this Chinese custom, they don’t cut their hair during the 1st lunar month because they fear it will bring them bad luck. Cutting hair is losing hair and losing hair during an unlucky month can lead to lose something even more important this year. So if you want to stay lucky for the year to come, keep that in mind and grow out your hair.

Final words

Keeping your hair long concludes this series of Chinese customs and beliefs to watch out for.  The Nincha Team hopes you know have all you need to know to avoid mistakes and cultural faux-pas in China. We trust you are now ready to be a real chameleon that can adapt in every situation. Right? At least you now know that this afternoon, you’ll be sharing an apple with your friend instead of a pear You’re welcome.

Do you know other Chinese customs or taboos? Have you ever felt like you’ve lost face or caused someone to lose face in a situation in China due to an unexpected custom or belief? Let us know in the comments below!

Source: traditions.cultural-china, mtfuji-hotels, zazzle, numerology-report

Pauline and 

The Nincha Team

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Each year, new predictions are set according to traditional Chinese astrology. This Lunar Year is dedicated to the Monkey, the Ninth Zodiac Sign, so predictions can give you an indication of what may happen to you this Fire Monkey year and which signs will be lucky or unlucky. Wondering what this Year will be like? Let’s see what’s in store for you, this year.

Why the Fire Monkey?

As you perhaps are aware, there are 12 signs in the Chinese Zodiac. Each birth year corresponds to one of these signs. According to the year you were born in and your Zodiac animal, your fate is supposed to be different. Five natural elements also define your personality and fate: fire represents moral decency, wood is associated with benevolence, water with wisdom, earth with honesty and metal represents righteousness. Each year is also associated with one of the Five elements: for example, 2013, 2014, 2015 were are all in the fire cycle and so is 2016. This is why this year is a Fire Monkey year: a combination of the Monkey sign, and the Fire Element.

To find what your element is, head here. And for those who don’t know what their zodiac sign is, try here.

Will the Fire Monkey year be a Good Year for You?

According to the forecasts, this new Lunar Year will be an amazing year for Rats, Dragons and Monkeys. It will bring you charm and confidence. It’ll be, however, an unstable year. Tigers, Snakes, Boars and Dogs, you’ll have to hold on a bit, the Monkey Year will be a little complex to navigate for you. You’ll do better next year! 2017 will be the Rooster year and 2018 the Dog year, hopefully more auspicious years for those signs. In the meantime, stay highly focused and do your best to remain objective; it should help; Goats, Rabbits, Oxs, Roosters, Horses, the Monkey sign shouldn’t have any special effect on you.

A year of personal changes!

What shouldn’t happen this year: In spite of the current news, political and economic revolutions were not foreseen. Wouldn’t that be nice if it were true? It won’t be a time for collective efforts either but on the individual level, efforts and ambition will be rewarded. In comparison, the last time Chinese people celebrated a Fire Monkey year was in 1956, and a lot of things happened ithat year; so we’ll see!

What this year will be:

This year is said to be all about innovation and creation. The Monkey allows us to be wiser and to take risks so more adventurous experiences await you. Let’s get rebellious! :)The Year of the Fire Monkey is also a great time to be brave and experiment new things. Time to act on that bucket list you’ve been making for yours?

Predictions also announce the Lunar Year of the Monkey is and will be a great period to make business. Risk-takers and ambition will be rewarded. So be creative, embrace riskiness and don’t look back on the past! This is the way to succeed in this unstable year full of opportunities.

Whatever you choose to do in the Year of the Monkey, the Nincha Team wishes you all the best for the year to come! As for me, Pauline, the Nincha Team’s newest Intern Nincha, as I am born under the Dog sign, I’ll try my best this year and wait eagerly for better previsions next year!

Source for illustration: You Zhang

The Nincha Team

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The post What’s your prediction for the Fire Monkey year? appeared first on Ninchanese.

Chinese New Year 2015 – Happy Year of the Goat!

Can’t see the video above? Click here to watch it

The post Chinese New Year 2015: Happy Spring Festival! 春节快乐! appeared first on Ninchanese.

Ninchanese 祝 大家 新年快乐, 羊年吉祥 !

Ninchanese zhù dàjiā xīnnián kuàilè, yáng nián jíxiáng!

Ninchanese wishes everyone a happy and auspicious year of the sheep!

Got your sheep costume ready for February the 19th, to start celebrating the Spring Festival , i.e the Chinese New Year?

The post 羊年快乐! Happy Year of the Goat and Sheep! appeared first on Ninchanese.

Happy Horned ruminating mammal year!

羊 in Chinese has a fairly broad meaning, and is a generic term for “various horned ruminating mammals”. Helpful, huh? As 羊 covers the whole “goat, sheep, ram” category and both male and female species, there’s no perfect translation in English for the new Lunar year we’re entering, 羊年.

In fact, different nationalities use different terms: the Chinese are rumored to use mostly sheep, and sometimes ram, the Koreans say “Year of the ram” and the Vietnamese mostly use “The Year of the Goat”. That being said, even within a nationality, there’s no real consensus on what to use.

It’s a matter of personal choice

So here’s what we suggest:
Year of the ram, year of the goat, year of the sheep, year of the “羊”… Just pick the one you like best and have a wonderful lunar year celebration!

P.S: If you’re wondering what a ram is, like I was, it’s a un-castrated male sheep.
So, it’s usually more associated with males. But then, again, it’s all a matter of personal choice!

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The post Year of the goat or year of the sheep? appeared first on Ninchanese.