The Capital of China Beijing ready to welcome visa-free visitors

The capital of China announced on Wednesday that, from Jan 1, visitors from 45 countries will be allowed a three-day stay without a visa.   The countries include the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Australia, Japan and Singapore, according to the committee.   No decision has been made on including more countries and the program will have to ...

Winter Warmers -Hot Soup

As the blustery wind blows, nothing thaws a frozen body fresh in from the elements quicker than a steaming bowl of hot soup. Pauline D. Loh suggests some winter warmers. The most primeval form of cooking in China was roasting over an open fire. It was not too long before the first ancient cooks discovered the combination of fire and water. By placing water in a skin hung over an open fire, the...

The Best Times to Apply for Teaching Jobs in China

If you're looking for a teaching job in China you're probably asking yourself: What's the best job I can get? How much salary can I negotiate for? How can I get a position in the city I want? Certainly your schooling and teaching experience will have the biggest impact on your possibilities, but how early or late you choose to apply has a significant effect on your employment and salary option...

5 Tips for Succeeding in China’s Changing Job Market

With many Western nations experiencing stagnant economies and high unemployment rates (7.9% in the US, 11.2% in the EU), more foreigners than ever are moving to Mainland China to reside and work, as they perceive its economy outlook and job market to be comparatively rosy. However, China's economy is also changing—transitioning from a producing nation to a consuming one that has millions of incr...

Tips for Foreigners in Chinese Supermarket

At first glance, Chinese supermarkets appear to offer a much-needed oasis of familiarity and order to newly-arrived expats struggling to make sense of their unfamiliar surroundings. The well-lit and neatly arranged displays seem like direct transplants from life back home, and the store itself may even be a Western chain such as Carrefour or Tesco. But after a few minutes wandering the aisles, i...

Aweful Sentence is Used When a Woman is Mad

　　1. You are not wearing THAT, are you 　　Even if it looks like a question, this phrase is actually asuggestion or a despotic order, depending by the woman’s mood. It’squite a dangerous phrase, because if you, men, don’t know how toreact appropriately, it is every time followed by a looongdiscussion. The meaning of“You are not wearing THAT, are you” couldbe either a) she does not like it or b) i...

My 3-day Travel in Shanghai

  Shanghai Travel Map Day 1 Arrive in Shanghai, Jade Buddha Temple, Yu Garden Arrive in Shanghai and accommodate at your hotel. After one hour's rest in your hotel, visit Jade Buddha Temple. The Jade Buddha Temple is a famous Buddhist temple in downtown Shanghai. Then we will move on to visit Yu Garden -one of the best Suzhou-style gardens in southern China. Day 2  Orienta...

Some Strange Chinese Greetings You Have to Know

"Have you eaten?" is a common greeting among older Chinese. It harks back to the days food scarcity in China. As an informal greeting, Chinese people like to use "chī le ma?" -- which means "have you eaten yet?" -- when it is the time for a meal. Foreigners who don’t understand this kind of custom might regard this as an invitation to have a meal together. However, this is just a simple greet...

‘Gangnam style’ in Winter China

People dance ‘Gangnam style’ in front of a snowman that looks like “Psy” in Changchun on Nov.14 2012. The snow brought a lot of fun for residents in Changchun. People dance ‘Gangnam style’ in front of a snowman that looks like “Psy” in Changchun on Nov.14 2012. The snow brought a lot of fun for residents in Changchun. People make a snowman that looks like “Psy” in Changchun on Nov. 14 20...

learning chinese

"Learn to Speak Chinese" is a 15-minute program on CCTV-News. Starting from the early 90's, many series of "Learn to Speak Chines" have been made, including "Hello, Beijing", "International Business Chinese", "Chinese 400", "Kindergarden Chinese", "After School Chinese", "Communicate in Chinese", "Travel in Chinese" and "Growing Up with Chinese". This program not only aroused great interest ...