24 Solar Terms

Life in China 2017: A Picture a Day, March 5 – As most people do, I grew up with four seasons separating each year. However, in China, and some other Asian countries, there are 24 solar terms that separate the year! These 24 Solar terms, called Jie Qi节气, originated thousands of years ago as a guide for farmers (maybe like the Western Farmers Almanac?), and are still used today. But, they are so much more than agricultural terms to the Chinese people! They offer insight on the weather, the best foods to eat during each time period, and a general guide to daily living.  For many of the terms, our office even sends out notices telling you what kind of weather to expect or even what foods you should eat for the best health during this period!  

Translations of the terms are: Spring Begins, The Rains, Insects Awaken, Vernal Equinox, Clear and Bright, Grain Rain are all in spring.
Summer Begins, Grain Buds, Grain in Ear, Summer Solstice, Slight Heat, Great Heat, are all in summer.
Autumn Begins, Stopping the Heat, White Dews, Autumn Equinox, Cold Dews, Hoar-Frost Falls are all in autumn.
Winter Begins, Light Snow, Heavy Snow, Winter Solstice, Slight Cold, Great Cold are all in winter.

Today, March 5th, 2017, is the 3rd solar term of the year, called Awakening of Insects (Chinese: Jing Zhe). Tradition says that hibernating animals (not just insects) are awakened by the spring thunder. Supposedly, if thunder happens before this date, you can expect unusual weather for the rest of the year! The picture is of some water striders we actually saw a couple of days ago; there were hundreds of them on the pond!

Here is a short YouTube video about the 24 solar terms: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSfoDp_rglU

Bauhinia Tree

Life in China 2016: A Picture A Day, December 11 – I’ve definitely been enjoying the weather since returning to South China ten days ago, and very glad that I left Ohio before the snowstorm hit! I prefer the flowers over snow! There are some beautiful trees blooming here right now, and one is the Bauhinia Tree. The Bauhinia is also called the Hong Kong Orchid because it is the official emblem of Hong Kong. They even have a large golden bauhinia statue near the harbor and a representation of the bauhinia on their flag. The Bauhinia is also called the Purple Camel’s Foot and the Hawaiian Orchid Tree. They are native to Southeast Asia, but are now also grown in other areas of the world with warm climates. The flowers, in varying shades of pinks and purples and also white, bloom throughout the winter. They eventually get long seed pods, but it’s too early for them now and I can’t find a good picture I’ve previously taken. www.myownchinesebrocade.com

Tattooed Goldfish

Life in China 2016: A Picture A Day, October 24 – China, although thy have a large number of animal lovers and animal rights activists, still has many practices that can be considered as animal cruelty. Tattooing goldfish is one of these. Goldfish themselves are considered to bring good luck to their owners, and people worldwide have gotten tattoos of goldfish for a long time. Then, about 10 years ago, someone got the idea to start tattooing the goldfish to make them even more appealing to people. The idea became popular 5 or 6 years ago, unfortunately, it’s not so lucky for the goldfish. The Chinese characters or patterns that are tattooed on the goldfish are done by either injection or with a laser; either way damages the fish’s scales and it usually dies prematurely. These fish are sold pretty much anywhere you can buy live fish to keep as pets, although I’m sure there are some independent shops who look down on the practice. So, if you live in China, please don’t buy these fish! 

Silk Floss Trees

Life in China 2016: A Picture A Day, October 15 – The most beautiful tree blooming here right now is called the Silk Floss Tree. As with so many other species found here now, it is not native to China, but to South America; It can also be found in southern areas of the USA. The variety found here has various shades of pink flowers, but there is also a white variety. The trees are very tall and covered in blooms from late summer until mid-autumn or later! I actually have pictures from last year where they were still blooming here in December! They often lose their leaves before flowering, which helps the flowers stand out even more! After the flowers die, the seed pods develop; the seeds are encased in a silky white floss, which gives the tree its name. When not blooming, they can be identified by their thorny trunks. These trees are related to the Kapok trees which I shared a picture of back on April 10thhttp://www.myownchinesebrocade.com/picture-a-day-1/2016/4/10/kapok-or-mu-mian-cotton-tree-flowers

I don’t think I have any pictures of the seed pods for this tree, but it looks very similar to the ones of the Kapok trees. 

Passionfruit

Life in China 2016: A Picture A Day, October 12 – Passionfruit isn’t native to China, it is originally from South America, but it is grown here now (mainly Guangxi). I wouldn’t say it’s really common, but we can find it when it is in season (mid-summer to early fall). It has a very interesting taste, quite tart, but yet sweet. You cut the fruit open and scoop out the pulp and seeds to eat; The seeds are crunchy. I usually eat it just as it is, but sometimes I add a little sweetener. The other way I see it used is in fruit teas. There are a lot of varieties, I’m not sure what exactly we get. They grow on vines, and the flowers are beautiful! This is a flower we saw at the Singapore Zoo. 

Banana Flowers

Life in China 2016: A Picture A Day, October 6 – Today, I thought I’d share a picture of bananas growing. I’ve been reading about how bananas grow and did a little further research today. Bananas do not actually grow on trees, they are actually large herb plants! And, the fruit we eat, by botanical definition, should be classified as berries! Banana flowers, the large maroon/purple buds, also called blossoms or hearts, are also eaten; We have seen them in the fresh markets here and in the Philippines. They can be eaten raw or cooked, and are considered a vegetable when eaten. One of the routes that I walk along the lake has some banana trees that I’ve been watching, but today when I went by, one of the blossoms I just photographed a couple of days ago was missing. I guess someone decided it was a free meal. There’s much more about these plants that I won’t attempt to explain here, but, the “petals” of the bud are called bracts, which lift up one by one, uncovering the delicate white flowers beneath, which eventually become the bananas. In my picture, you can see all the wasps enjoying the nectar in these! The flowers eventually dry and fall off and the black “bottom” of the banana is formed. I’m going to watch for a banana flower to buy and cook, I’ll keep you posted! Back on July 31, I posted a picture of the local banana farms. https://linda-walsh-n6tp.squarespace.com/config/pages/568757bdd8af102bf3da0525

Rocks in Chinese Gardens

Life in China 2016: A Picture A Day, September 28 – The neccessary elements of a Chinese garden are: water, architecture, plants, and rocks. Often walls and winding paths are also included. Different types of rocks serve different purposes, but one of the most treasured types of rocks are unique limestone formations. The most famous gardens have rocks from a place called Tai Lake (Taihu), which is near Suzhou, where there are many famous classical gardens. This picture shows a limestone rock formation near the Lotus Pavilion in Songshan Lake. It looks like the Taihu rocks I’ve seen in Suzhou, but I really don’t know, I’m no rock expert! I included Leah in the picture so you could see the size of the rock. Rock formations like these are actually considered to be “sculptures.” There are also many smaller rocks of different kinds around the park, and also, all of the much smaller ones that make up the footpaths I posted a picture of back in May. It seems rocks in Chinese gardens are basically equivalent to flower plantings in Western gardens. We also have a specific Rock Garden near us. Here is a 5 minute video about a replica of a Classical Chinese garden in New York City. It tells a lot about the meaning of rocks in Chinese gardens. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ttb2UtMUbIU

Herons

Life in China 2016: A Picture A Day, September 22 – Today we went for a bike ride and saw these three different types of herons all in one area. In Chinese culture, herons symbolize strength, purity, patience, and longevity. In Chinese, lu (loo), the word for heron, sounds similar to the word lu used for ‘path’ or ‘way’ (same as street). In Chinese art and poetry, herons are often shown or written about together with a lotus flower. This is because the word for lotus is ‘lian’ and it sounds the same as the word for ‘successive.’ So … the phrase, lù lián sheng, is a wish for good fortune, a positive future, or success in what you are doing. In Chinese legend, white herons were responsible for taking the souls of departed people to heaven, so the white heron represented the path to heaven. The pictures, starting with the top left, are the Little Egret (egrets are a type of heron), top right is the Great Egret, lower right is the Chinese Pond Heron (in non-breeding plumage), and the lower left is a painting I saw last year displayed at a small art gallery at Shenzhen University. In the painting, you can see the lotus flowers behind the heron. 

Double Seventh Festival

 

Life in China 2016: A Picture A Day, August 9 – Today is Chinese Valentine’s Day, called 七夕节“Qixijie” or “Double Seventh Festival.” It is always celebrated on the 7th day of the 7th month of the lunar calendar, and has been for about 2000 years! In modern times, it is celebrated much like the Western Valentine’s Day, which is also celebrated in China. Quoted from www.chinahighlights.com , here is the quick version of the legend behind the holiday:

“An oxherd, Niulang, with the help of his ox (the demoted cattle god) married a fairy, Zhinü, who became a weaver girl. Zhinü's mother, a goddess, returned Zhinü to heaven. Niulang pursued using the ox's hide. The goddess separated them by a river of stars (the Milky Way), but magpies were allowed to form a bridge for them to meet once a year (Qixi).”

So, how does the picture tie in? This morning, I saw an elderly lady walking, then she stopped and chose a long piece of bamboo from a pile of scaffolding on the ground and proceeded to carry it across the street. Then she started beating the branches of a tree with it! I HAD to find out what she was doing so walked over to her. I could see something reddish-orange, with black centers in the tree. She came over and showed me, talking the whole time, but all I understood as she pointed at the black centers, was that they were good to eat! So, I sent a picture to our young friend in the nearby town and she didn’t know, but found out from her grandmother what they were. They are “Ping Po” or “Chinese chestnuts! Also called “seven sister’s fruit” because it turns out that they are a traditional food of the qixijie or Chinese Valentine’s Day! When the black husk is broken open, the fruit/nut inside is a yellowish color (see upper right picture where she opened one) and can be eaten raw or cooked. They are different from the chestnuts roasted in winter time though, these ones are “Sterculia monosperma,” a tree native in this area.  Quite a lot of information for one day! www.myownchinesebrocade.com

Banana Farms

Life in China 2016: A Picture A Day, July 31 – The longer we are in Dongguan, and I see more areas, I’m realizing how many banana farms there are in the area! We’ve also been exploring more areas around the lake on our electric scooters recently and have seen farms along the lakeside. This one is between the lake and the road so I was able to get some good pictures today. There were no fences, but there was a “No Trespassing” sign posted with warnings of fines and being turned in to the police for trespassing or stealing bananas. I stayed on the road to take my pictures!

Plumeria Flowers

Life in China 2016: A Picture A Day, July 23 – One of my favorite flowers here in south China are the plumerias or frangipanis. These are well known tropical flowers, not only for their beauty, but also for their very strong fragrance. The white variety, with yellow centers, are known as “jidan hua” or “egg flower”, in Chinese. There is also a bright pink variety, with petals that are more pointed, and ones with pink, white and yellow combined. I personally think the pink ones are prettier, but the white ones seem to be more fragrant; I love them both! They are often laying on the ground, and I rarely pass by without picking one up so I can smell it as I’m walking :-) They are pollinated by sphinx moths at night, so that is when the fragrance is strongest. I just read that giving someone a plumeria in China is a way of saying “You are special” or “I love you.” I’ve also recently learned that although most parts of the plant are toxic, the flowers are edible, and they certainly do smell good enough to eat!    

Lotus Pond

Life in China 2016: A Picture A Day, June 23 – The lotus ponds are in full bloom and look beautiful! We have four main areas that I can walk to within 15 minutes and see them, but these pictures are the closest one which is right within our housing complex. The boardwalk along the lake goes along one end of it, and the road from one of the main entrances winds around the other end. I wrote much more about the lotus a while back, which is under the “Nature” sub menu if anyone is interested. http://www.myownchinesebrocade.com/nature-1/ At that time, the best pictures I had taken were from Macau. Lotus are not only loved for their beauty, but many parts of the plant are eaten/drank in many forms. I have become quite a fan of lotus root as well as the flowers :-)

Bamboo Graffiti

Life in China 2016: A Picture A Day, June 14 – We have quite a lot of bamboo around where we live, in fact, the main street we live off of is even called Xinzhu Lu (pronounced ‘sheen joo loo’). That translates to New Bamboo Road, although here, I have never heard the English used. Just as people carve graffiti in hardwood trees, here, the bamboo has quite a bit of graffiti carved. Another circumstance when I wish I could read what all has been written! 

Cranes

Although China doesn’t have one actual national bird, the red-crowned crane is often one that is recognized for its importance in Chinese culture.  However, there is a joke you hear often in China about the “construction” crane being the national bird of China! I found references to it all the way back to 1993! It seems that wherever you go… other than true rural areas, you find some kind of construction happening! Shenzhen, the nearby city where we lived for 4 years, had a population of 30,000 in 1980. That year, the government decided to make it a “Special economic zone” and by 2014, the city’s population had grown to over 10 million! The population of the entire metropolitan area was over 18 million! Growth is moving outward, and currently they are working on connecting public transportation routes for the entire Pearl River Delta area. I’m sure the next five years are going to bring dramatic changes to the area we are now in. The top picture shows our view across Songshan Lake (taken today after the rain), and the other shows the growth happening south of us along the lake. The real red-crowned crane is from Safari Park, the Shenzhen Zoo :-)

Jackfruit

This is jackfruit, which is a really large, heavy fruit… in fact, I read that it is the largest tree fruit in the world, and one fruit can grow up to 100 pounds! Most aren’t usually that big! But, the size makes it a little more difficult to buy because unless you’re throwing a huge party you’ll need to find a place that has one opened and just buy some of the “bulbs” taken out of the main fruit. It’s one of my favorite fruits here, so I buy it when I can. We usually buy 6-8 bulbs prepackaged. It has a very sweet “mixed fruit” taste – bananas, apples, peaches, mangoes … it’s kind of hard to describe! You can see on the crosscut fruit picture how the “bulbs” are positioned inside the fruit, there were probably 12-15 pieces around the main center “seed”? Then you also see in the other picture that each small segment has a hard seed in the center (which I read can also be cooked and eaten but I haven’t tried it!). I’ve had fresh and dried and you are supposed to be able to cook with it also. The tree pictured is from mid-May last year, in Shenzhen (OCT Loft area). I certainly wouldn’t want to be underneath one of these when it falls! And this tree was just along a city street! You are supposed to harvest them before they fall; by the time they drop, they are overripe.

Kapok or Mu Mian Cotton Tree Flowers

Living in a subtropical climate, we have an abundance of colorful flowers. I especially love all of the flowering trees. One that is blooming right now is the Kapok Tree, called Mu Mian 木棉,  or Cotton Tree, in Chinese. They bloom mainly in March and April, and are quite striking because the large reddish-orange flowers bloom before any leaves appear. The birds love the flowers! You can see how large the flowers are by the one I’m holding and also by the pictures with the birds (These are 7-8 inch birds). When the flowers fall from the trees, many Chinese people hurry to collect them because they dry them and use them to make what is called five flower tea, known as a cooling tea for hot weather. It was a rainy day today, but from the bus, I saw a mother and her two children busily collecting flowers that had fallen in the rain. The flower petals and seeds are both edible. About a month after the flowers bloom, large pods, filled with silky cotton fiber encasing the seeds, open and the “cotton” is carried by the wind to disperse the new seeds. Historically, this “cotton” was used for making clothes, filling pillows and furniture, and as a filling for life jackets. The seed pods pictures are from last year.

White Water Buffalo

Life in China: A Picture A Day, April 6, 2016 - Today we visited the Dongguan Xiangshi Zoo. This is a much smaller zoo than the ones we’ve visited in the surrounding big cities, Shenzhen and Guangzhou. For the most part, we enjoyed it, though we skipped the shows. They had something we’ve never seen before, I thought they were albino Asian water buffalo, but Leah translated the information and they are a specific breed from Guizhou province. There were 4 or 5 adults and a calf. There doesn’t seem to be much information about them in English online, but, there are 135 breeds of water buffalo listed for around the world! and the Guizhou White was one of them! You can see a regular colored one in the background. We have seen the regular colored water buffaloes working on farms outside of the cities. Asian water buffalo are almost extinct in the wild, as most are now domesticated.

Collecting Snails

Life in China: A Picture A Day, April 2, 2016 -Today, Leah and I had lunch with a friend then took the bus to check out a DIY market near our library. We did find it, there were about 10 vendors, plus kids were painting masks and adults were doing some silk screening. There were numerous shipping containers converted into shops and restaurants, but best of all … there is a park that we didn’t know about, called Creative Park, with 3 small lakes. These people along the lake were all collecting snails to eat! There were LOTS of snails and people were just filling their bags or buckets. The one I’m holding was one of the biggest, people were collecting all sizes. We then figured out that there is a path that leads to an adjacent park, which made it easy for us to walk home :-)

Life in China: A Picture A Day, March 31, 2016

 I’ve wondered, and made guesses, for a lot of years now why the lower trunks of trees here are always painted white…. has anyone else wondered this???? Well, I recently saw some ladies, out along the lake, painting the tree trunks and I decided it was time to find an answer. It is actually “whitewashing,” which is either watered down latex paint or a mixture of hydrated lime, salt and water. It is done mainly on fruit trees, ornamental trees, or just young trees. The whitewash dries into a “crusty” surface on the trees mainly to protect them from sunscald during colder weather! Sunscald can cause various problems, either when the tree is dormant and the bark warms up or if the bark heats up during the day and then cools down quickly at night. The whitewash reflects the light which keeps the bark cool and therefore avoids damage. If the bark is damaged, it can split and allow insects and disease to attack the tree. It seems that this is done in many places around the world, I guess just none of the ones where I’ve lived! Is it done where you live????

Life in China: A Picture A Day, March 19, 2016

Each spring in southern China, along with warmer weather, comes what they call huinantian 回南天 which literally translates as “back to the south.” We live in a subtropical monsoon climate, and March and April is when the cold northern air meets the warm moist air from the South China Sea: This is considered an annual meteorological phenomenon. Humidity at this time is basically 90% and above! Everything is dripping wet! Well, I shouldn’t say everything, luckily our apartment isn’t dripping inside, but the halls outside of the apartment are …. the walls and doors are literally dripping, and the floors are wet and very slippery! The ground outside is wet like it has rained even if it hasn’t. So, for the next week, we are supposed to have fog, mist, rain, and thunderstorms. It’s kind of a strange feeling being damp and sticky, yet slightly cool! I can’t walk outside without my glasses and camera fogging up. The mist and fog does give the lake quite a mystical look though. This picture of the lake was partially due to my fogged up lens. The other pictures are the glass doors in our building lobby, and the floor outside of our apartment.