chinese culture and lifestyle

in my dreams, i'm the keeper of a yangzhou bathhouse

[pawberri]

Lunar new year is coming up so I drew this based on the beautiful fat horse sculpture in nanjing

[zhongguochic]

*Chinese New Year

Lunar New Year is a colonial term.

[chinoiseriene]

GongDeng 宫灯 palace lanterns, also known as court lanterns, are a distinctive type of traditional Chinese lantern and a hallmark of Chinese craftsmanship.

The city of Luoyang in Henan province was especially known for the production of palace and court lanterns. It’s also considered the origin of this craft.

As the name suggests, palace lanterns were initially used in the imperial palace. They are typically made with a delicate wooden frame, adorned with silk gauze or glass, and painted with various decorative patterns. These lanterns are celebrated for their elegance and regal courtly style. Used primarily within the court.

The lanterns in this post are from the Qing Dynasty and are made out of Zitan (red sandalwood)

[hanfugallery]

chinese hanfu by Lii樆

[faeberrywine]

ID credit: 5174033949 on 小红书

(please like, reblog and give proper credit if you use any of my gifs!)

[lanseichina]

BLUE BUTTERFLY ORCHIDS | HANDMADE RONGHUA 绒花 (SILK VELVET FLOWER) HAIR VINE by LANSEI CHINA

[safije]

1920s Embroidered Chinese Shawl

This is something we need to bring back in style!

[faeberrywine]

ID credit: 103520431 on 小红书

(please like, reblog and give proper credit if you use any of my gifs!)

[everythingisdeartome]

YVMIN 2024 Campaign

˖°🌊𓇼⋆🦪₊

Photographer @liyuanboli Creative @yuenliyuen Hair @edajogo Makeup @huowen7734 Model @yiqiannn_sss @mngasian

[033h]

necystudio sky bound wing frame glasses

[fuckyeahchinesegarden]

rivers and mouantins in guizhou province, china

[sinoheritage]

Western Sichuan folk houses 川西民居

A very recognizable type of vernacular architecture found mainly in western Sichuan, including Chengdu Plain, Aba, Ya’an, and Leshan. They have a cozy, humid, relaxed atmosphere that reflects Sichuan’s climate and lifestyle. The Sichuan courtyard house is historically a family-centered rural dwelling, often shared by multiple generations. It reflects hospitality, slow life rhythm, tea culture, close connection with nature.

At the center is an open courtyard used for daily living—drinking tea, drying herbs, or growing small plants—creating a cozy blend of indoor and outdoor space. The buildings are simple, rustic, and practical, often furnished with bamboo chairs, wooden tables, and light decorations like lanterns and ink paintings.

[sinoheritage]

滴水兽 “drip beasts” are a part of the traditional Minnan architecture in southern Fujian and eastern Guangdong provinces. They were originally rain leaks used to replace the rainwater drainage system. The beasts are carved as animals, Chinese mythological creatures, and plants/flowers.

Meanings: goldfish represents surplus every year, qilin represents delivering children, mandarin ducks represent happiness, tigers represent bravery and fearlessness, elephants represent renewal of all things, and various plants and flowers also carry different meanings.

[sinoheritage]

Babu bed 拔步床

A traditional Chinese canopy bed popular in the Ming and Qing dynasties. It’s known for being ornate, enclosed, and almost “room-within-a-room.” The name babu (八步) is usually interpreted as “eight-section,” referring to the bed’s multiple structural parts.

Key features include: Built-in shelves & compartments: Some have small shelves, lattice windows, drawers, or decorative balustrades.

Heavy carving: peach blossoms, dragons, phoenixes, and other auspicious motifs.

Curtains: silk or cotton curtains for privacy.

Cultural role: commonly associated with marriage and was usually a part of the dowry, so sometimes called “wedding bed” (喜床 or 婚床), but not all babu beds are wedding beds. Used as a symbol of status and wealth in wealthy households. Functioned as a private, intimate space for sleeping, resting, dressing, or even socializing.

[sinoheritage]

Shangrao 上饶 in Jiangxi province, East China is a prefecture-level city. Home to some of the best preserved villages in China. One of them is the Wuyuan county 婺源县 which has a landscape dotted with strange caves, deep secluded rocks and numerous historic sites. Its remoteness and inconvenient transportation protecting its villages from too many visitors.

Another spot is the Wangxian Valley, a national AAAA-level tourist attraction integrating Gan folk customs, local culture, cuisine, and agriculture.

[thecleaverquarterly]

Happy Singles' Day

November 11 is a day of sombre reflection and remembrance in many Western countries, but in China it’s a day for tongue-in-cheek celebration of singledom.

Young Chinese people are fond of contriving “festivals” out of a particular date’s visual connotations, and the numbers “11.11” look enough like “bare sticks” (Chinese slang for being single) to justify the anointment of November 11 as a day of celebration of the solo life.

Those youtiao (cruller, or fried dough sticks) and baozi (stuffed, steamed buns) in the photo above are what your elderly relatives or becoupled peers would try to make you eat for breakfast today, naively believing that this will put you on a dough-fueled fast-track to true romance.

To enhance the karma in your favor, The Cleaver Quarterly team has also put some other iconic Chinese foodstuffs (and drinks) to work to wish you a Happy Singles’ Day from Beijing.

[horrorcitos]

Greg Girard

[geminisee]

the american people will never not be unserious

[teddybasket]

I am actually so sick and tired of sinophobia being disguised as “memes and funny bits”

I cba to be eloquent and write a full think piece about this right now but just know that while this is a joke to many of you, there are many americans (and europeans) out there who genuinely believe that the chinese government is comically evil and is spying on them constantly. The punchline here is that “the chinese government is spying on me but idc lol” and it uses overplayed, harmful and frankly just straight up not funny stereotypes that’s been around since the cold war.

Your favorite app getting banned might be the only effect sinophobia has on YOU but it affects the lives of chinese people in the west everyday. It manifests itself in extra harsh security checks during TSA, in racist jokes and ignorant opinions about our country & culture.

I’m literally begging you guys to just think for one second about the implications behind the things you’re going to say before you say them; And maybe reflect on the fact that maybe this shouldn’t be “unserious” and “whimsical” because the US government writing literally legislations into action with the only reason being “we fucking hate the chinese” is not a laughing matter.

I am not trying to be the fun police, it’s been nice seeing the cultural exchange on 小红书. It’s just that after experiencing our hospitality, maybe think about ways you can give back to the community that has welcomed you too.

Please do not let the memes around this make you forget that this is a serious issue.

PLEASE do not let your activism and care for chinese people stop at making jokes on social media