ChinaVine

ChinaVine’s mission is to educate English-speaking / reading children, youth, and adults about China’s cultural heritage. This mission is achieved through this interactive website along with a variety of social media platforms. We combined “Vine” with China because of the fluid, ever changing and winding ways of culture. You are invited to join with us in contributing to our mission, interacting with us through the website, and following our interpretation of China’s cultural heritage.

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February 9th marks the first day of Losar, the Tibetan New Year. Follow the link to learn more about the history and tradition of the celebration of Losar. http://bit.ly/1JDSgZ9

Photo: Tibetan prayer flags spotted during ChinaVine's Kham trip last May.

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Happy Lunar New Year from ChinaVine!

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Pasting the #Chinese character #fortune written on red paper on your door in reverse means "fortune arrives" #newyear

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Did you know: During the Chinese New Year celebration, dumplings are eaten at midnight on the last day of the old lunar year. It is a tradition that represents the old year and the new year intersecting at that moment.

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Happy Chinese New Year of the Goat from ChinaVine!

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ChinaVine's Inner Mongolian Obo Festival set

Sacrificing for obo is an ancient Mongolian ritual. “Obo” is a heap of stones or wood piled up on top of mountain or in highlands.

For more info:http://chinavine.org/2013/05/07/introduction17839/

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Surna is a Ph.D advisor in the Folklore Program at Minzu University of China. Her research focuses on folklore studies of Chinese minority groups.

For more information: http://chinavine.org/2014/06/29/introduction158656/

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ChinaVine's Inner Mongolian Camel Herder 

Animals and livestock are an essential component of traditional and contemporary Mongolian culture. The following set of photos exemplifies a homestead near East Ujimqin that still continues these practices.  

For more info: http://chinavine.org/2014/06/22/introduction158643/

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Inner Mongolia: A Day in the Life

Traditionally the Mongols of Inner Mongolia lived, and some continue to live, a nomadic life. Mongols respect nature and practice Animism and Shamanism. They revere the sky as Holy Father and the grassland as Holy Mother. The God of Heaven is Tengri. When Mongols gather in celebration, cattle or sheep may be sacrificed to honor Tengri in the hope that Tengri will grant good weather for abundant grasslands and healthy livestock.

For more info: http://chinavine.org/2014/06/14/introduction158633/

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On July 4th, 2014, the ChinaVine team visited Chao Luo Meng (Colmon) at his office in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, in the People’s Republic of China. Colmon is the Mongolian spelling of his name. The purpose of our visit was to document a demonstration of an ancient practice: writing calligraphy. Take a look! - See more at:http://chinavine.org/artist/mongolian-calligraphy-chao-luo-meng-colmon/

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On July 3rd, 2013, the ChinaVine team visited Saran’s tailoring shop in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia. With expert knowledge of her craft, Saran works with her clients to ensure their custom-made clothing is appropriate for not only their purpose, but also their specific Inner Mongolian tribe.  For more information and pictures: http://chinavine.org/2014/06/01/introduction158595/

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Every culture has important customs. Watch the Chinavine team as they learn about the toasting customs of Inner Mongolia.

http://chinavine.org/subject/food-and-drink-of-inner-mongolia/

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Here is your first taste of Inner Mongolia. Don't miss out and take a look!

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Inner Mongolia

So last summer the Chinavine team went on a visit to Inner Mongolia. Throughout this last year, the team has worked hard to compile photos and videos from that journey. Starting this week, we will be rolling out all of this amazing material for your viewing pleasure. Stay tuned and here is what you can expect: May 19- Overview May 25- Food and Drink June 1- Tailor June 8- Calligraphy June 15- Day in the Life (Herdsman) June 22- Camel Herder July 30- Interview with Surna July 6- Obo Festival Enjoy!!

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Where we live and what we live in says a lot about who we are. Mongolians from Inner Mongolia live in yurts, as shown below. Follow the link to see more varying types of housing around the world! Fascinating stuff! http://www.hgpho.to/wfest/house/house-e.html

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Family Portraits of all 56 ethnic groups in China | ChinaHush

This is a “Family Portrait” of China’s 56 ethnic groups. Chen Haiwen, a photographer, recently lead a team of 14 photographers to create a book entitled, “Harmonious China: A Sketch of China’s 56 Ethnicities.” The team spent one year travelling all over China to complete the project. They ended up taking over 5.7 million photographs. Thanks Mike, Helena, and Diana!    

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Has technology changed our relationships? Inner Mongolia might be an example of how a change in environment can change how we interact with each other and the traditions we carry on with us.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-25979564