Today is Duanwu - The Dragon Boat Festival

The dragon boat festival is here! Everyone is talking about Zongzi. My neighbours are asking each other via IM: "Did you eat Zongzi? What Zongzi did you eat? Does it taste good?". People are sending short messages to friends. Search query for the Dragon Boat Festival short messages (端午短信 duān wǔ duǎn xìn ) is ranked No1 in Chinese search eninge Baidu. Other traditional celebrations like wearing fragnant bag (香囊 xiāng náng ) and dragon boat racing （赛龙舟 sài lóng zhōu）are not usually for people nowadays. Many people even don't know Qu Yuan （屈原 qū yuán）, who is the person the festival was for.

Pictures of a group of young people are celebrating the festival in traditional way.

Money to Spent in Nether Regions

I took this phpto in the Qingming festival. Chinese people believe that their relatives who passed away live in another world, the Nether Regions. In order to let them have a wealthy life there, the Chinese burn Mingchao, money in the Nether Regions. In the old times, special paper in the background was used. Nowadays, paper notes quite like real money are used. Notice the US notes in the middle.

冥钞 mínɡ chāo The Nether Regions money
纸币 zhǐ bì note

Playing Majiang/Mahjong

My neighbours paying Majiang/Mahjong in the couryard. Many young people play Majiang/Mahjong to gamble. The senior people usually gamble with a very small wager however.

麻将 má jiānɡ Mahjong

Pants for Chinese Kids

Notice the kid's pants! He is wearing Open-crotch pants, called Kaidangku in China. It's very convenient for kids to pee or poop. You don't need to train them!

开档裤 kāi dàng kù Chinese pants for kids with an opening in the crotch.

Chinese Sewing Machine

Old sewing machine which might have been existing in China for thousands of years. Now can only be found in rural villages. Only some old grannies know how to use it.

织布机 zhī bù jī sewing machine

Chinese Wedding Pictures

Friends making fun of the newly wedded.

闹洞房 nào dòng fáng making fun of the bridegroom and the bride.

Chinese Wedding Pictures

Open-air treat for the guests.

Chinese Wedding Pictures

Neighbours and relatives helps to prepare food for the wedding.

邻居 lín jū neighbours
作饭 zuò fàn cooking

Chinese Wedding Pictures

Burn incense and candles to before the family ancester's shrine to let them know the great news.

祖先 zǔ xiān ancesters
牌位 pái wèi shrine

Chinese Wedding Pictures

Firecracks explode and welcome the bridegroom and his bride. Door is decorated with red paper lucky patterns.

鞭炮 biān pào Firecracks

Chinese Wedding Pictures

My friend's wedding picure. The bridegroom picks up the bride and is ready to leave for home.

结婚 jié hūn Get married
婚礼 hūn lǐ wedding
新郎 xīn láng bridegroom
新娘 xīn niáng bride