You are here: eTeacher Chinese Blog » Archives for May 2009

Monthly Archives: May 2009

Traditional Chinese Instrument (Part 1)

String instruments Erhu The erhu is a very famous stringed instrument in China. Its history can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907). It was welcomed among the ethnic people of the northeastern part of China. The erhu has long been the instrumental accompaniment in traditional dramas. The erhu’s structure is quite [...]

Posted in Chinese Art, Chinese Culture, History of China | Tagged Banhu, Erhu, instrument, performance, Pipa, string, Zheng | 1 Comment

Xinjiang: Melting Pot of World Religions

As the main passageway and hub for economic and cultural exchanges between the East and West in ancient times, Xinjiang has always been a region where a number of religions have happily coexisted. Before Islam was introduced into Xinjiang, there had already been believers in Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Taoism, Manichaeism and Nestorianism. These had spread to [...]

Posted in Chinese Culture, Chinese tradition, Learn Chinese, Travel China | Tagged buddhism, Catholicism, Islam, Manichaeism, Nesorianism, Protestantism, religion, silk road, Taoism, Xinjiang, Zoroastrianism | 2 Comments

Lucky Numbers

Numbers also get special attention in the eyes of the Chinese. In China, six, eight, and nine are considered lucky number, since their homophones have auspicious meanings. Six, read as Liu in Chinese implies that everything will go smoothly for you. The number eight was firstly considered auspicious by the Cantonese, since in Cantonese, eight [...]