Chinese Culture (General)

No worries, Robert, just hoping to get any info from somebody who is into face reading too. It's hard to find a good resourcesimilar togeomancy.net for other areas. Thanks! Robin

Winding paths may seem illogical to some individuals due to the slightly longer route they create. However, the main intention behind these paths is to encourage a slower walking pace, as well as to align with the Chinese belief that spirits cannot navigate through winding routes.

These set of walking steps: Location Cantonment Drive estate, Singapore

Dear Susan, 1. In Chinese culture, the toad and frog are symbols of the moon. 2. Generally, the Chinese do not distinguish between the toad and the frog, as they are typically regarded as the same. 3. Since the Chinese cultivate rice in wet fields, toads and frogs are commonly found in these areas as they thrive in such environments. 4. Due to their slippery texture, the Chinese refer to frogs as 'Heavenly dew' and consider them to be the heavenly chicken or celestial cock. 5. According to ancient Chinese lore, rulers and scholars found the croaking of frogs and toads to be 'irritating,' and legend has it that if they instructed the frogs or toads to be silen…

In addition to my previous remarks, this message should be easily comprehensible to most Singaporean Chinese, with Hokkien being the predominant Chinese community. Teochews are also likely to grasp this message without difficulty. If you were to send it to a Taiwanese friend, it is generally acceptable, as most Taiwanese are either Hokkiens or have been raised with this language. However, if you send it to a friend from Hong Kong, it may not be as easily understood, since the majority of the Chinese dialect group there is Cantonese. Warmest Regards, Cecil

Dear Anon, 1. Based on my personal observations, this holds particularly true during the 15 days of the Chinese New Year. 2. It is essential to comprehend that according to Chinese beliefs, items should be given in pairs, not singularly. 2.1. For instance, when presenting an 'Ang Pow' or red packet containing money in a red envelope during Chinese New Year or special occasions like an elderly person's birthday, the amount should be in pairs like $2, $4, $6, $10, and so on. 2.2. This practice is rooted in the belief that odd numbers like 1, 3, 5, 7 symbolize "loneliness." 2.3. In Feng Shui, this principle extends to the arrangement of chairs at a d…

Tibetan mastiffs are now selling for a Million Dollars!

When these are displayed in supermarkets, again this is a timely reminder that Chinese New Year is round the corner

Dear Anon, Under the Chinese Astrology website: www.geomancy.net/love/amenu1.htm The above link has a short write-up of a convent in Singapore that `accepts' Chinese girls born in the year of the Tiger. These children were abandoned by their parents. The key essence for the Tiger `girl' child is that they are suppose to bring `bad' luck. Even today, where the son and his wife does not stay with their parents but by themselves, the parents of their son especially in a `traditional' family discourages their son to marry a `tiger' wife. From what I read, it is not so much of tiger eat small creatures but rather the above. However, you are still right to say it since in the…

Pictures taken in November 2007. Old and New. Not so sold and New....

Some Chinese belief that spirits can reside (or built) a home inside a reasonable large tree trunk. Five oranges were offered I suppose to the Five Spirits. A common theme in many "praying rituals" is to respect the Five spirits: North, South, East, West and Central. What is unique here is the entire tree trunk is wrapped in the "worship" YELLOW coloured cloth. Kind of remind me of the winter "clothing" that some trees in cold countries are wrapped in... during my wintervisits to countries such as Korea...

Spring water and China - Laoshan Oldenlandia Water Dear Anon, I took the opportunity to take a picture of what the `green' mineral water looks like. By the way, the correct `English' spelling on the bottle is: Oldenlandia Water. This is the description on the label: OLENLANDIA WATER Make of the abstracted fragrant essense of oldeniadia with Laoshan mineral water rich in mineral elements and it is indeed a refreshing drink for all seasons around the year with a tradition of quality sinces 1962. It is bottled by Qindao Laoshan Oldenlandia Water Co Ltd, China. It is the addition of oldeniadia to Laoshan mineral water that gives it a unique flavour. I …

This is pre-CNY (Chinese New Year) period. Took photos of this very useful guide to the names and photos of plants. Don't know who owns the chart but it seems; Giant always bring out this chart, yearly. So I guess the copyright belongs to them. Source and Credit: Location: Giant Hypermart, Tampines Ave 10; Singapore.

These canes continue to be favored by parents in contemporary society. They differ significantly from the "Singapore cane" employed in prisons for punishing offenders like vandals or troublemakers. Instead, these canes are primarily utilized by parents, particularly mothers, as a means to exert control or as part of a philosophy of tough love.

Dear Anonymous, Yes I do understand what you are trying to say and you are quite right. I was probably just grumpy that day, but yes I do agree that the purpose of such forums is indeed to exchange knowledge and learn. Thank you for replying Robert B.

Dear Anon, There is indeed some validity to this idea. The traditional belief is that the East represents the dragon and the Yang side, while the West symbolizes the tiger and the Yin side - especially in a large macro environment. However, in modern times, this is less relevant concern to smaller spaces such as a home apartment. The impact of sleeping on one side or the other is minimal. What truly matters now is not the position in which one sleeps, but rather how to maintain a successful marriage. Understanding theoretical concepts is futile if it does not contribute to a lasting and fulfilling relationship. Warmest Regards, Cecil

SOURCE & CREDIT: THE STRAITS TIMES, SINGAPORE, SATURDAY, JANUARY 15, 2011 Potted beauties Pots of kumquats, pussy willows and chrysanthemums - Chinese New Year would not be complete without them. 1. Crinum superbum also known as the Fa Cai Suan. Fa cai means getting rich in Mandarin, while suan, meaning count, also refers to how its stems resembles that of a leek, which has the same sounding name. Unlike the leek, this is not edible. 2. Hoya Multifora: Gardeners nickname this nian nian you yu, as its flowers appear like yu or fish in Mandarin. Nian nian you yu is a Chinese idiom, meaning having surpluses every year. 3. Ardisia crenata: An evergreen shrub with dark g…

1. Mandai is already an "established" or has been existence for quite sometime. 2. Usually by now all the major prime sites have been taken up. However, do take into consideration:- 2.1 Afternoon / evening sun If possible, bring along a compass and try to avoid the niche facing or have direct afternoon evening sun shining onto it. Do becareful that the earth axis tilts and for some places, it may be affected by afternoon sun only for the first six months and vice versa. 2.2 Is there any intention to pray or provide offerings often? If so, usually waist height or at eye level is the most important! 2.3 Planning for the "future" 2.4. Some …

Nowadays, offerings on Qing Ming includes:- Source and Credit: REUTERS Paper replicas of first-generation iPads and iPhones sit on a shelf among other electronic gadgets for sale for the Chinese Qingming festival or Ancestors Day at a prayer supplies shop in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. Ethnic Chinese flock to cemetries during Qingming Festival and honour the dead by offering prayers, food, tea, wine, as well as paper replicas of bungalows, flashy cars, technological gadgets and Louis Vuitton bags, for their dead to enjoy in the afterlife. REUTERS

1. When we see "KUM" (minature mandarin orange)trees.. it simply meansChinese New Year is around the corner! 2. It is strongly not recommended to eat the fruits as these trees were "artifically" fertilised to yield a bumper harvest of minature "KUMs". 3. These minature mandarin oranges should only be admired but thus not eaten. Treat them as ornamental plant with fruits.

Dear Anon, The Chinese consider the Owl inauspicious and there are three different reasons for this: 1. The Chinese do not like the sound or hooting that the Owl makes. In Chinese phonetic meaning, it gives the expression for digging of a grave. Here, one of the ancient Chinese belief was that when a person is about to die, one would hear the Owl hoot calling out `dig and dig'. 2. It was believed that when the young of an Owl was about to fly, it is believed to dig out its mother's eyes. Thus the association that the Owl is blind. Of course, this is not true. Owls have excellent eye sight. Para 2, is just a tale! 3. The Mandarin word for Owl is the same word / character …

Sights of CNY 2011, gone past...

Previously, I wrote the following:- "Furthermore, cutting down the bamboo, without removing the roots, cause little cups or catchment for mosquitoes as mosquitoes can breed in the circular tubes or hollowes caused by cutting down the trunk." Attached, please find the photos showing that unlike a single tree; bamboo trees grow sideways. Photos also shows that when we cut some of the bamboo plants; one may cause little cubs that may collect water & perhaps cause mosquito breeding in the wet season. > I read somewhere that chinese people consider it inauspicious to grow bamboo plants in the back or si…

To help better understand the relationship of Korea and China, here is another extract of Korea-China relations. Credit and Source: Britannica.com Yi Dynasty also called CHOSON DYNASTY, the last and longest-lived imperial dynasty (1392-1910) of Korea. Founded by General Yi Song-gye, who established the capital at Hanyang (present-day Seoul), the kingdom was named Choson after the state of the same name that had dominated the Korean peninsula in ancient times. But the regime is also frequently referred to as the Yi dynasty, after its ruling family. General Yi established close relationships with the neighbouring Ming dynasty (1368-1644) of China, which considered Korea a …

Dear Elena, 1. No, the Chinese traditionally do not hang a horsehose. 2. Even today, in my opinion, I have yet to see a typical Chinese family doing it. 3. More commonly, the Chinese hang a piece of red cloth (with auspicious characters) over the main entrance. 4. It is also common to find a pair of lanterns hung on each side of the door. 5. More... The horse has been around in China for a long time and ancient diggings have discovered beautifully carved horse figurines. The horseshoe design is used widely at graves and also the recent development which I mentioned " The Tropica " under the Topic- Photo Tours of Interest with pictures. Warmest Regards, Cecil