Tradition

Chiang Hsun ruminates on a myriad of ingredients, marvelling most at the eight vegetable ‘aquatic immortals’ in Chinese cuisine, which showcase the pure and delicious flavours of the season. Best of all, he enjoyed the heavenly dishes during autumn, in a little Shanghai restaurant that feels like home.

Cultural historian Cheng Pei-kai asserts that it is erroneous and even arrogant to think that the Japanese way is the only true “way of tea”. Those that do forget that the Japanese tea ceremony originated from China and that different historical traditions make up varied but no less authentic paths to the way of tea.

A common practice in rural China is to give monetary gifts during important occasions, be it weddings or funerals. These gifts can drain a sizeable part of a person’s income, and deciding on the amount to give is an art in itself. Economics professor Zhang Rui tells us more about this longstanding tradition.

Hong Kong’s intangible cultural heritage is a mix of Lingnan culture and influences from British colonial rule, says cultural historian Cheng Pei-kai. This is what makes Hong Kong’s cultural treasures unique, and fortunately, the people of today are able to discern what to keep and what to discard.

A mall in Shenzhen came under fire for putting up white lanterns with black text as part of its Chinese New Year decorations, while an “ugly” rabbit-shaped light decoration was removed from another mall in Chongqing. Academic Zhang Tiankan muses on tradition and innovation, and the evolution of traditional decorations.

Following up on his article tracing the origins of Nanyang art and its influence in Southeast Asia, Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre CEO Low Sze Wee explains the characteristics of Nanyang art, highlighting the unique integration of Chinese and Western art in their compositions.

The post-50s Chinese generation of intellectuals who were heavily influenced by Mao had the practice of leaving their children behind as they single-mindedly sought to achieve success abroad. US academic Wu Guo remarks that this generation of people who had been sent down to the rural areas, travelled abroad, and finally gained a foothold and settled down in the US, have always been motivated by a religious zeal for chasing a dream.

Taiwanese art historian Chiang Hsun reminisces about the good old days of simple food and heartfelt folk religious festivals, where regular households threw banquets and opened their doors to friends and strangers. It is in those vignettes of daily life that all of Taiwan’s generosity, harmony, magnanimity and acceptance are on display.

Former journalist Lim Jen Erh reflects on two boxes of old books he chanced upon, containing dance manuals and guqin scores. Before the advent of technology, these old volumes were the only way to pass on such knowledge and instructions, which makes them invaluable today.