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As the home of more than a billion people, China has a culture that is known throughout the globe. The creativity of the early and modern Chinese helps them to constantly redefine and improve their ways of life. One of the most interesting aspects of their culture is art, which is best shown in the intricacy of Chinese tea sets.

The history of Chinese tea sets dates back to the rule of the Han Dynasty, about 220 - 206 B.C. During this time, tea ware primarily consisted of two styles: white porcelain from the north and blue porcelain from the south.

In a document written about the third century A.D., tea leaves were crushed and mixed with a variety of spices including orange, onions and flower petals. In this period, it was known that tea was mainly used for medicinal purposes and not a drink for pleasure’s sake.

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Want to know what animal you are? Find out the legendary origins of the Chinese New Year animals.

The event of Chinese New Year is without a doubt considered to be the most important event in the Chinese lunar calendar. The traditional celebrations have been going on for years and the festive spirit is pretty much alive even today. The unique characteristic of the Chinese New Year is however the twelve year cycle that associates the coming of the year with an animal symbol.

The Chinese New Year animal repeatsevery twelve years. According to their current standing the next year should be the year of the Ox. The ancient philosophers of China studied the behavior of the animals in the calendar and drew a similitude with their personality traits and human nature.

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The most unique thing about Chinese script is that they are in fact thoughts expressed through the symbols or characters rather than letters forming words with phonetics. The writing script which is known as Hans uses a huge number of 47,035 characters which are actually symbols and are put together in Chinese dictionary called Kangxi. In reality most of these character symbols have become obsolete.

Peace symbol in china which is expressed by these characters holds a very important place in Chinese script. Everybody is looking for peace. But this peace as symbolized by these characters is more of inner peace which we achieve in our hearts rather than escaping from the war like situations.

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Tea and China tea sets have been around in China for over 5,000 years. And ancient Chinese tea customs are still often followed.

One such custom is called “finger tapping” and it is a common sign of respect. Many people who are not familiar with this custom may find it strange or odd.

Here’s how it works. Whenever you are served a cup of tea, it’s considered respectful to tap three fingers on the table in front of you. This means “thank you” in a nonverbal way. By doing this every time you are served tea, the people around you know you are a respectful person.

There’s no otherworldly or unreasonable explanation for this custom. It actually comes from a real occurance between an emperor and his subjects in the last dynasty.

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The Miao is an ethnic group living in southwest China. Their handcrafted Silver jewels like silver earrings and silver rings are second to none across the world. In big holidays Miao women will dress themselves with unique and heavy silver jewels from head to feet to proudly display their exquisite beauty. Holidays are also a good time for people to enjoy a delicious meal together with friends and relatives. Food on their table is different from that in any other areas of China.

Roasted chicken giblets in bamboo

Find a piece of old bamboo, and stuff it with chicken giblets, garlic, mushroom, the kernel of a walnut, salt, and corn mint. Use some banana leaves to seal the bamboo. Then roast it with charcoal fire. The food will be ready in a few minutes. It tastes unbelievably delicious!

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Many people don’t know it, but Beijing’s Lao She Tea House just may be the best place in the world to admire some truly great china tea sets and drink some amazing Chinese tea.

There’s no shortage of famous people who have been to the Lao She Tea House, including some of the wealthiest and most powerful people in the world. But you can visit it too!

It, indeed, has much to offer.

From the moment you walk in, you can feel the atmosphere. The waiters are all dressed in ancient outfits, and greet you in a old-style way. In fact, the tea house site right in an ancient Qing dynasty compound! It’s literally a blast from the past.

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There is a small appliance that is growing in popularity in America. This small appliance is the rice cooker. This little appliance can do much more than just cook rice. It is at home both in the kitchen and in the dormitory room.

Of course rice cookers make perfect rice, but they can also be used for cooking hot cereals, deserts, stews and soups. They can also steam vegetables to perfection, even while cooking rice.

The best rice cookers are made in Japan. There are other models that may be less expensive from other countries, but you will enjoy using the Japanese rice cookers the most.

You will find rice cookers range in size from a three cups to ten cups. Buy the size that is closest to the amount of rice you normally cook. While larger cookers will cook smaller amounts, they work best at full capacity, but not over filled.

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With a history of over 1,000 years, thangkas are one of the most well-known Tibetan art forms. The influence of Nepalese art is obvious in their early development, and later the ornate style of traditional Chinese paintings became very influential. Used by traveling monks and ordinary people as a tool for communicating with the gods, it is highly admired not only for its practical function but also its unique beauty and craftsmanship. Shoppers in Beijing have a unique opportunity to check out some exquisite thangkas the amazing shops in the city. So get on board with a Beijing China tour!

Much like a scroll painting, thangkas can be easily rolled up for storage and unrolled for display. Travelers and monks like to carry a thangka when they travel to other places because it is very lightweight. Home-dwelling Tibetans also like to use thangkas in their homes because they are beautiful and can be easily be put on a wall.

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A trip to Australia needs careful planning as it is a long way from any other continent. Travel times are usually very long (22 hours from Europe and 14 hours from the US.) A great option is to include a stop off on the way or way back from Australia. Alternatively you could stay longer and visit another country in the southern hemisphere.

Unless you are coming here for more than 3 weeks, I’d limit your onward travel and not try to do too much. Australia is huge and you need at least 3 weeks to do it justice. In fact, you’ll only be able to see a small part of this amazing country with 3 weeks.

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It is the New year in Malaysia and one of the most shocking events that you will see in your life takes place at this time. Thaipusam, a Hindu Festival celebrating the Lord Murugan is a must see event if you find yourself in Kuala Lumpur at the end of January.

Thaipusam takes place at the Batu Caves. An ancient and sacred setting that is the perfect location for such an event. Millions of people take part in the festivities. Some simply watch or help a loved one with their ordeal, while others go to extremes. Devotees range from carrying pots of milk on their heads to the caves, while others drive spikes through their cheeks or insert hooks into their backs. They pull chariots or carry heavy cages as the walk the long walk to their destination.

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