History, Arts & Traditions
Why put a dragon on a fan?
A seventeenth-century fan at the Met joins a practical object to festival imagery.
Read the storyFestivals
History, Arts & Traditions
Why does New Year move on our calendar?
A festival can have a regular date in one calendar and a moving date in another.
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History, Arts & Traditions
Why call it Spring Festival in winter?
The name points to a calendar and a season of renewal, not a guarantee of warm weather.
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Everyday China
Who makes Lunar New Year in Britain?
A big public parade is only one way communities celebrate.
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History, Arts & Traditions
Is your zodiac sign a calendar?
The twelve animals mark a repeating cycle of time. Personality quizzes are only one way people use them.
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Chinese food
A rice parcel with a leaf wrapper
Zongzi look like little leaf parcels. Inside, a cook might put pork, egg yolk or something sweet.
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History, Arts & Traditions
Why does a dragon boat need a team?
A dragon-boat race is easy to understand from the bank: one boat reaches the finish first. What happens around the race is much more varied.
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History, Arts & Traditions
The second side of a paper-cut
A paper-cut is made from the parts left behind and the spaces cut away. That simple trick can turn a window into a picture.
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Chinese food
Are festival rice balls always sweet?
A round rice ball might hide sesame, red bean or even meat. Its shape tells you about the festival, but not exactly what you are about to taste.
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History, Arts & Traditions
The lantern that asks a question
At Lantern Festival, the lights are only half the game. Some lanterns have questions attached, and the answer might win you a prize.
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Everyday China
Is a red envelope just pocket money?
The money matters, obviously. But the envelope says something the amount cannot.
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