Henan, 2015 My father used to tell me that when it rained during the Chinese New Year holidays in Singapore, the streets would turn into rivers of red. He was talking about the 1960s before the time when firecrackers were banned in Singapore. I finally understood what he was saying after so many years later... Continue Reading →
Henan, 2015 Fire crackers are a big part of the Chinese New Year celebrations. In fact if you don't hear fire crackers, you don't really feel like its Chinese New Year time. Sales of fire crackers are a big business during Chinese New Year season. Normally you don't have a dedicated fire cracker shop selling... Continue Reading →
Chinese people will normally stick red good fortune banners and signs during the Chinese New Year, especially on their front doors and windows, regardless if its their home or business. This is also something that I started following in my later years in China and in fact continue to do so even now in Australia.... Continue Reading →
Henan, 2015 Normally it is easy to find more pop-up shops than usual during the Chinese New Year time. This gives last minute shoppers an opportunity to buy what they need to celebrate the Chinese New Year. My Chinese friends told me that its usual for the prices of vegetables and meat to go up,... Continue Reading →
Henan, 2015 While most of the retail outlets were closed or were in the process of closing in this small town in Henan, many shops that were selling Chinese New Year festivity related items remained open. These shops were selling an array of red lanterns, various good fortune banners and signs, the latest fire crackers,... Continue Reading →
After arriving to the small town at the beginning of the Chinese New Year, I stayed in my neighbour's apartment. There was some time to walk around the small town to capture the sights and sounds. Of course you cannot compared this small town with big tier one cities like Shanghai or Beijing or even... Continue Reading →
Beijing, 2016 One thing you have to get used to, if you are ever thinking of working and living in China, is that this is a big country with a lot of people. In terms of land size, China is bigger than USA, Brazil, Australia or India and has 1.41 billion people. You will be... Continue Reading →
Dalian, 2017 Red is an important auspicious colour for the Chinese. Houses, shops and offices are always decked in various red flags and banners with festival greetings during the Chinese New. It is also believed that wearing something red during the Chinese New Year holidays brings you good fortune. This can be a t-shirt, a... Continue Reading →