The Ghost Festival here in China is something of a long lost relative of the Western Worlds Halloween. What is shared is the idea that on certain days the human world and the spiritual world overlap, a belief which has deep roots in Chinese cultural history. Four holidays in the traditional calendar are known as 鬼节(gui3 jie2) or Ghost Festivals. Ghosts are “hungry” in Chinese culture so they will be offered food, alcohol or cigarettes as appeasement. During one festival in particular, Qingming Festival, Chinese take advantage of their proximity to the spirit world to send swag to their ancestors in the afterlife by burning paper offerings in the likeness of BMW’s, townhouses, iPads and of course fake hundred dollar bills.
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livinginchina
Let me tell you something about bus crowding in China…. it’s absolutely ridiculous. Now, I’ll start off by saying that Haishu, Ningbo is a lot smaller than larger metropolitan areas like Beijing, Shanghai, or Guangzhou. And we do not have a subway station. So the bus is the way to go. Usually, I…
Tip #2 for living in China: forget everything that you know about personal space on the bus. This current AYC'er thoroughly explains the crowded bus epidemic during rush hour time. Ladies and Gentleman, this is an example of what the bus is like everyday during Rush Hour. Heed her words, and know sometimes you may have to nudge an old lady to get out.
Photo of the Day: Savory Sides in China
A busy vendor stacks side dishes for hungry customers at an outdoor street market in Shanghai, China on December 1, 2013. (Tahiat Mahboob/Flickr)
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Tip #1 for living in China: get used to street food. It will be some of the best food that you have while in China. Don’t let your American halal horror story, inhibit your Chinese street dining!