Tomb Sweeping Festival? Sounds a bit strange at first. Actually, once you know what it’s all about the festival is pretty cool. I’ve personally had the chance to join my wife’s family twice for a tomb sweeping day in the mountains near Jhushan, in Nantou County, in Central Taiwan. What is Qingming Jie? Tomb Sweeping […]
Festival
Ghost Festival in Taiwan
Understand what the Chinese Ghost Festival (aka: Ghost Month) is all about! If you’ve ever been to China or Taiwan, have browsed through this website, or read about Chinese society, you’ve probably come to realize that Chinese culture abounds with the most unusual and disturbing customs and rituals. From men who hit themselves with axes on […]
Chinese Dragon Boat Festival
About the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival During Dragon Boat Festival, you’ll catch glimpses of pyramid-shaped bamboo leaves, lightly tied with and hanging from rope. These are zongzi, a food that Taiwanese clamor over during the festival, which usually takes place in June (technically it falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar). […]
Chinese Moon Festival in Taiwan
When is the Chinese Moon Festival? In Taiwan, the Chinese Moon Festival means mostly one thing – BBQ-ing with friends and family! All right, not just barbecue… Moon cakes are also popular on that day! The Moon Festival is also referred to as the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, and usually falls somewhere in September or early October (the 15th of […]
Chinese Lantern Festival
About the Chinese Lantern Festival The Chinese Lantern Festival comes at the end of Chinese New Year. It marks the first full moon of the new lunar year, and witnessing it is one of the most essentially Chinese experiences. It can also be one of the most beautiful – there’s nothing quite like watching hundreds of self-made […]
A Very Bizarre Festival and Ancient Chinese Religion in Sanxia, Taiwan
“What do you think about ancient Chinese religion?“ That’s what a young Taiwanese lady asked me as I was trying to shoot a picture of an old man who was painting red Chinese characters on a living fish that was hanging (and wagging) from the lip of a huge, dead sacrificial pig. I turned to answer the […]
Chinese Festivals in Taiwan
I love Chinese festivals! All of them. I love them because they remind me that I am living in a foreign country, far away from my native Canada, among people who have totally different traditions and values. Chinese festivals help me remember that Chinese society is one of the most fascinating and intriguing in the […]