Travel To China

bidillers asked:


I am mainly looking for a shoe factory but if you know a factory that does anything in china, real or fake, please let me know. Thanks.

Wayne

Sam Johnston asked:


It may shock you to learn that sunglasses weren’t always used to protect people’s eyes from the sun. The history of sunglasses dates back to ancient China and Rome. It has been reported that the Roman emperor Nero enjoyed watching gladiator fights through polished gems. In China, sunglasses were used in the twelfth century or even earlier. Sunglasses were first made out of lenses that were flat panes of smoky quartz. These types of sunglasses could not correct vision, or protect from harmful UV rays, but did reduce glare. Chinese judges used the smoky quartz glasses to hide their facial expressions when they interrogated witnesses.

Sunglasses did not undergo further changes until about the eighteenth century because of the work of James Ayscough. He experimented with tinted lenses in spectacles. Ayscough was steadfast in the belief that glasses tinted with a blue or green color could potentially correct specific vision problems. Ayscough was not concerned with protecting the eyes from the suns rays.

Sunglasses underwent the change into the popular item they are today when Sam Foster introduced them to America in 1929. These sunglasses were designed to protect people’s eyes from the sun. Foster sold his sunglasses on the beaches of Atlantic City, New Jersey. Foster’s sunglasses were sold at Woolworth on the boardwalk.

In 1936, sunglasses became polarized when Edwin H. Land began using his patented Polaroid filter when making sunglasses. Around this time, even more Americans started buying sunglasses. Famous movie stars and musicians also began to wear sunglasses. They started to become not only a way to protect against sun glare, but also a way to be “cool.” Sunglasses became a cultural phenomenon, and some people wore them even when it wasn’t sunny, or when they were indoors.

Today, sunglasses continue to have advances. UV protection has almost become an industry standard, and there are sunglasses available for a variety of sports. There are numerous tints available for sunglasses, and sunglasses have changed styles over the years. Prescription glasses have also been given tints that only appear when the sun’s rays hit the glasses. In 2004, Oakley developed a brand of sunglasses that had a built-in digital audio player. Many blind people now wear sunglasses, and many recognizable celebrities can be found wearing sunglasses. Even fictional characters can be seen wearing them. Sunglasses have come a long way from their early Roman and Chinese history!



Corey

Alan Benson asked:


A frequently recounted Chinese story says that Hsi and Ho, the court astronomers, got drunk and neglected their duties so that they failed to predict an eclipse of the Sun. For this, the emperor had them executed. So much for negligent astronomers.

If this story were an account of an actual event, the dynasty mentioned would place the eclipse somewhere between 2159 and 1948 B.C., making it by far the oldest solar eclipse recorded in history. But all serious attempts to identify one particular eclipse as the source of this story have been abandoned as scholars have recognized that the episode is mythological.

In ancient Chinese literature, Hsi-Ho is not two persons but a single mythological being who is sometimes the mother of the Sun and at other times the chariot driver for the Sun. Later, in the Shu Ching (Historical Classic), parts of which may date from as early as the seventh or sixth century B.C., this single character is split, not into two, but into six.

In the Shu Ching story, the legendary Chinese emperor Yao commissions the eldest of the Hsi and Ho brothers “to calculate and delineate the sun, moon, the stars, and the zodiacal markers; and so to deliver respectfully the seasons to the people.” In further orders, he sends a younger Hsi brother to the east and another to the south; he orders a younger Ho brother to the west and another to the north. Each is responsible for a portion of the rhythms of the days and seasons, to turn the Sun back at the solstices and to keep it moving at the equinoxes.

These mythological magicians are always charged with the prevention of eclipsesohence the story that appears later in the Shu Ching about the emperor’s anger with his servants for failing to prevent an eclipse, not just predict or respond ceremonially to it. The story appears in a chapter that is an exhortation by the Prince of Yin, commander of the armies, to government officials to fulfill their duties to the administration, thereby making the emperor “entirely intelligent. “If anyone neglects this requirement, “the country has regular punishments for you.”

Now here are Hsi and Ho. They have entirely subverted their virtue, and are sunk and lost in wine. They have violated the duties of their office, and left their posts. They have been the first to allow the regulations of heaven to get into disorder, putting far from them their proper business. On the first day of the last month of autumn, the sun and moon did not meet harmoniously in Fang.

The blind musicians beat their drums; the inferior officers and common people bustled and ran about. Hsi and Ho, however, as if they were mere personators of the dead in their offices, heard nothing and knew nothing;oso stupidly went they astray from their duty in the matter of the heavenly appearances, and rendering themselves liable to the death appointed by the former kings. The statutes of government say, “When they anticipate the time, let them be put to death without mercy; when they are behind the time, let them be put to death without mercy.

We never hear whether Hsi and Ho were ever tracked down and executed.

The story of Hsi and Ho as drunken astronomers was a myth. But the myth did come true in a sense about 33 centuries later. Chinese history records that in A.D. 1202, for the second time in four years, the chief court astronomer made an eclipse forecast that was not as accurate as predictions from people with no official scientific credentials or status.



Zachary

Ray Ritchey asked:


Native Speakers for Teaching Chinese

On method for those households that don’t have a native speaker is hiring of a nanny who speaks Chinese. The NY Times had an article noting the increase in au pairs from China. It is also possible to arrange play dates with other children who are learning Chinese as well as finding a Chinese speaking babysitter. Local universities will often have spouses of Chinese working on Masters and PhD’s who are looking for extra income. Another option is finding a local nanny, and there are a number around. If you are in public service, please remember Zoe Baird on the requirements for legally hiring a nanny. Truth to be told, there is a large population of people in the US from China who don’t have papers who work as nannies, so be careful. Nannies are also taking care of your children, so picking the right person is extremely important, especially if they live with you. Friends of ours have gone through multiple nannies and it was not a good experience.

Online Programs for Teaching Chinese

There are also programs to expose Children to Chinese at a young age. I am not aware of any that are online for English speakers at this time. There are online programs for adults learning Chinese as well as native speakers.

Private Chinese Schools

Traditionally non-public Chinese Schools in the US start teaching children when they are old to sit still and copy characters. Most schools are still using traditional teaching rote teaching methods still used in Taiwan and China. For the most part with children in the US, it does not work due to culture classes. There is a huge amount of independence in children in the US and using boring teaching methods that do not capture the interest of the child so they want to go to school without a lot of parental pushing will end up in failure. With the child being forced to go to school and often treating it as just babysitting, and not learning Chinese.

An alternative is finding a school that uses more of a Montessori Method or what is used in ESL where there is a lot of conversation. I was pleasantly surprised by my daughter’s public school language teacher who spoke of using this method in the classroom, instead of the traditional focus on grammar in learning many foreign languages. At a young age, I would suggest programs that teach using a lot of singing and other fun activities.

Summer Camps

Going to a summer camp in a full immersion environment is a great way to learn Chinese! Each year ChildBook publishes the largest list I have found of Summer Chinese Programs. These range from weekend programs in the US to programs that include a boarding school to programs in China and Taiwan. I favor the full immersion process as a great way to Learn Chinese.

Chinese Learning Products

CD’s for Learning Chinese

CD’s come in two different types. One is products that are 100% Chinese of Chinese Children Songs or stories only in Chinese. Some products include a book of lyrics in Chinese, and other’s don’t. Other products are designed to teach Chinese and have a booklet with lyrics in English, Pinyin, and Chinese Characters. The teaching Chinese products are both from from the US (the majority) and a series from Singapore. The products for Teaching Chinese are bilingual, so the songs are sung in both Chinese and English. What I like about the CD’s is they give a parent a chance to be part of the process where they can Sing Happy Birthday in the Teach Me Chinese CD and Book in both English and Chinese (this series focuses on popular songs in Chinese and English). The other series have specially written songs for Teaching Chinese. The Teach Me Chinese Series has Teacher Guides available. The Sing & Learn Chinese CD & Book includes a track of the songs without words (like Karoke). Let’s Sing Chinese is a 3 product series from Singapore that has both familiar songs and new ones. 3 is the most I have seen of any series of Cd’s for Teaching Chinese to Children.

Video’s for Learning Chinese

Video’s such as from Mei Mei use more of a hands on approach teaching basic Chinese vocabulary and she currently has five video’s in her series. From the first one that teaches counting and parts of the body with songs through an approach that children love to later ones that progress such as her Play and Learn Chinese with Mei Mei where an actual Chinese Kindergarten is visited. What is great about this video is it gives your Child the chance to compare their experience and see the differences between their school and the one in the video. From lunch to PE to naps. To select the right video for your child, I recommend reading the reviews (both good and bad).

Books for Learning Chinese

A great book for those just beginning to Learn Chinese is I Won’t Bite. It’s a touch and feel book that has Pinyin, Chinese Characters, and English. The challenge of using a book is often you need to know how to read Chinese, in order to teach from it. A fun book for exposing Children to Chinese Characters is Long Is A Dragon by Peggy Goldstein A selection of books for Learning Chinese Character

Software for Learning Chinese

Any day some Software should arrive that has been highly recommended by customers.



Luis

Andri Irawan asked:


If learning the Chinese language is on your list of things to do, then consider using the first tool at your fingertips…your computer. Today, the internet is chocked full of a multitude of a variety of instructions for learning Chinese. Each site offers something unique and beneficial to that site, however, there are of course, some maintained with a more serious hand in learning and others, well, just plain frumpy. Before you begin, be prepared to do a lot of surfing from your favorite search engines and bookmarking the ones appropriate for your own level of learning. You will have to separate the good sites from the not so good sites. Know what it is exactly you wish to learn. Do you wish to learn to write the beautiful characters? Do you just need to know simple communication phrases? Develop some kind of plan of purpose, to save time and struggle meandering through sites.

For starts consider answering these questions:

Do you wish for only an introduction to Chinese ? Then you would type the search as only that, considering using wikipedia for background information. Also, check out traditional Chinese sites and blogs for native input and understanding.

Do you want to find a class? You can search locally in community or universities for a class offline and in real life classrooms. Or you can search for classes offered online, some allowing you to work on your own time and at your own pace. If you wish to add a tutor or only use a tutor, a lot of these sites have tutors available. Many instruction programs come with one on one guidance as a enhancement to teaching.

Do you already know Chinese and just wish to improve your skills? What is superior about learning Chinese on the internet is the abundance of free online courses dedicated to familiarizing you with the language, as well as providing plenty tools to brush up on what you already know. Some sites use games, animation, virtual flash cards, interactive exercises, and links to other Chinese language sites. Blogs are also available where you can communicate in Chinese. These blogs are a valuable asset in learning, as sometimes the blogger has inside information to other places teaching Chinese.

Do you want to learn the art of Chinese characters? There is no better place in which to learn this transcending ancient art form than the internet. With the demand for this art form increasing, more sites exist to meet that demand. With little effort, you can access from your search engine, dozens of legitimate sites for learning the characters properly. There are also free and inexpensive downloads available to learn and practice.

No matter your curiosity, or ability, there are ways to successfully master skill in the Chinese language online. In fact, it probably is your best bridge to learning. Because there are so many, remember to bookmark your favorite sites, so you can return to them later. It is thru the internet, we find knowledge.

Article Source : Simple and General Blog



Francisco

Juliet Cohen asked:


Herbal Remedies are an important part of Traditional Chinese Medicine. (TCM). Chinese Medicine has been used as front line medicine by the majority of the worlds population since before recorded history, and is still the most widely utilised medical system in the world today. Chinese Herbal Medicine (CHM) is an ancient system of health care that has undergone continual development over the centuries as the causes of illness that afflict mankind have evolved. Chinese Medicine is a complete medical system that is capable of treating disease in all its forms. Although your practitioner will treat whatever complaint you have come for.

The traditional view places great importance on preventing disease before it occurs. Chinese medicine is successfully used for a very wide range of conditions. Chinese herbal medicine is not based on conventional Western concepts of medical diagnosis and treatment. Chinese herbal medicine uses a variety of herbs, in different combinations, to restore balance to the body (see Astragalus, Ginkgo, Ginseng, Green Tea, and Siberian Ginseng). Herbal preparations are said to prevent and treat hormone disturbances, infections, breathing disorders, and a vast number of other ailments and diseases.

Some practitioners claim herbs have the power to prevent and treat a variety of cancers. In China, there are over 3,200 herbs, 300 mineral and animal extracts, and over 400 formulas used. Herbal formulations may accord of 4 to 12 different ingredients, to be taken in the form of teas, powders, pills, tinctures, or syrups. Chinese herbal remedies are made up of one or two herbs that are said to have the greatest effect on major aspects of the problem being treated. The other herbs in the formula treat minor aspects of the problem, direct the formula to specific parts of the body, and help the other herbs work more efficiently.

Nourishing and harmonising herbal remedies serve as excellent tonics, strengthening those weakened by stress, overwork, serious illness, childbirth, menopause or poor diet and irregular eating. They also advance the smooth flow of energy, fluids and blood and thus reduce pain and congestion. Herbs with a cooling action can counteract fevers, night sweating, hot flushes and other signs of overheating. Many Chinese herbs are sold individually and in formulas. In the United States, Chinese herbs and herbal formulas may be purchased in health food stores, some pharmacies, and from herbal medicine practitioners.



Mike

The Names Mud asked:


No doubt the Chinese back them. It’s the same crap they’ve pulled with Tibet.

Now it really sucks that the US as sold out to China, huh?

Wyatt

Kavita asked:


Chinese food holds a popular place among the entire population of the world. You can find a Chinese restaurant in every major city and in many smaller areas of the world as well. Why is Chinese food so popular? Is Chinese food healthy? What is the history of Chinese food?

The History of Chinese Food

The history of Chinese food1 is an interesting one. Unlike many cultures the Chinese believe that the preparation of food is an art and not simply a craft. The art of cooking Chinese food can include dishes and food preparation techniques which are difficult to develop and may require the expertise of a chef with lots of experience. One such technique is noodle pulling (scroll down to the bottom of the page to learn more about this technique). Noodle pulling requires skill and lots of practice and results in a delicious noodle dish. This article will refer to noodle pulling later on, but for now, let’s go back to the history of Chinese food.

Chinese food and the way it is prepared is very much influenced by the two major philosophies, which influence the entire Chinese culture. These dominant philosophies are Confucianism and Taoism. Both have these philosophies have influenced the way that the Chinese people cook and the way that they enjoy their food.

Confucianism and Chinese Cuisine

Confucius was the man behind the Confucianism beliefs. Among many other standards Confucius established standards for proper table etiquette and for the appearance and taste of Chinese food. One of the standards set by Confucius (you might have noticed this at an authentic Chinese restaurant) is that food must be cut into small bite size pieces before serving the dish. This is a custom that is definitely unique to the Chinese culture.

Knives at the dinner table are also considered to be a sign of very poor taste by those who embrace Confucianism beliefs. The standards of quality and taste that Confucius recommended required the perfect blend of ingredients, herbs and condiments–a blend which would result in the perfect combination of flavor. Confucius also emphasized the importance of the texture and color of a dish, and taught that food must be prepared and eaten with harmony. Interestingly enough, Confucius was also of the opinion that an excellent cook must first make an excellent matchmaker.

Taoism and Chinese Cuisine

Those who follow the Taoism beliefs focus on the health benefits of particular foods vs. the presentation of the same. Taoists search for foods that will increase their health and longevity. They search for foods that have healing powers. Many times these benefits were often referred to as ‘life giving powers’. For instance, the Chinese found that ginger, which can be considered to be a garnish or a condiment was found to be a remedy for upset stomachs or a remedy for colds.

Is Chinese Food Healthy?

Chinese food, when authentic is probably the healthiest food in the world. Some restaurants, which are not authentic, prepare their menu with highly saturated fats or with meats that contain unhealthy amounts of animal fat. These Chinese restaurants are not recommended and they are both neither authentic nor healthy.

Good Chinese food however, is prepared and cooked with poly-unsaturated oils. Authentic Chinese food does not require the use of milk-fat ingredients such as cream, butter or cheese. Meat is used, but not in abundance, which makes it easy for those who love authentic Chinese food to avoid high levels of animal fat. Many believe that authentic Chinese food is really the ideal diet.

Chinese Restaurants in Every Part of the Nation

Whether it is in a Tennessee Chinese Restaurant to a New York Chinese restaurant you are going to find culinary dishes that are both healthy and delicious. Savor the flavor with Chinese food!



Chloe