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Chinese New Year's Couplet (春联)
Learn Chinese - History and Culture

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Chun lian is a special type of Duilian, or couplet. It is used only during the Chinese New Year as part of its celebration. While duilian is permanent, chunlian is a temporary decoration to be placed on the entrance of the house, somewhat akin to Halloween and Christmas decorations.

Duilian comprises of a couplet written on vertical strips of red paper in the best calligraphic style one can muster. In addition, a third horizontal piece may be posted across and on top the door.

Chun lian is written on red paper with ink. Red is a very lucky color for the Chinese, it frightens off the Chinese New Year monster 'Nian' who arrives at this time of year and destroys crops and homes. "Nian" has three weaknesses: it was frightened by noise, sunshine, and the color red. So villagers built fires, set off firecrackers, and painted the doors to their houses red and placed red couplets beside the doors. Red to the Chinese also represents good fortune, fame and riches.

These couplets can be hung outside beside the main door and also inside in important rooms like the kitchen, bedroom and lounge. They are also hung either side of the cooker or hob. They are normally hung for two months after the Chinese New Year although many people leave them all year round for continued good luck.

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Spring Festival's Eve ( 除夕)
Learn Chinese - History and Culture

As the Chinese saying goes "xin nian tou, jiu nian wei" (beginning of new year, end of the old year), chu xi is one of the most important occasion in Chinese culture. Chu Xi 除夕 marks the end of the Lunar Year and the start of a bright new year. The Chinese word "chu" takes to mean to discard (qǜ 去). The term chu xi, in essence, means to discard the old and herald the new. It is celebrated as a family affair, a time of reunion and thanksgiving.
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Spring Festival (春节)
Learn Chinese - History and Culture

Chinese New Year or Spring Festival is one of the most important traditional Chinese holidays. It is sometimes called the Lunar New Year, especially by people outside China. The festival traditionally begins on the first day of the first lunar month (Chinese: 正月; pinyin: zhēng yuè) in the Chinese calendar and ends on the 15th; this day is called Lantern Festival. Chinese New Year's Eve is known as Chúxī. It literally means "Year-pass Eve"

 

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八字衙门朝南开,有理无钱莫进来
Learn Chinese - Chinese Proverbs

         Chinese Proverbs    

men
cháo
nán
kāi,
yǒu
qián
jìn
lái
 门
 朝
 南
 开,
 无
 钱
 莫

The yamen gate is wide open, yet with only right on your side but no money, do not go inside.

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井底之蛙 (jǐng dǐ zhī wā)
Learn Chinese - Chinese Idiom

 

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Have you not heard of the frog that lived in a shallow well? It said to a turtle that lived in the East Sea, "I am so happy! When I go out, I jump about on the railing beside the mouth of the well. When I come home, I rest in the holes on the broken wall of the well. If I jump into the water, it comes up to my armpits and holds up my cheeks.

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胸有成竹(xiōng yǒu chéng zhú)
Learn Chinese - Chinese Idiom

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In the Song Dynasty (sòng cháo 宋朝), an artist called Wen Tong (wén tóng 文同) was especially fond of drawing bamboos. He planted a lot of bamboos in his garden so that he could observe the process of their growth and appearance in different seasons. He knew bamboos so well that whenever he took up the paintbrush he already had a picture in his mind, and thus he could always paint bamboos in a vivid and lively way.

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