Foodie Cities in China

Chengdu As the capital of Sichuan Province, you would be well acquainted with the name, Sichuan where spiciness is synonymous with its signature dishes. A very popular Chinese culinary style, Sichuan food is not for the weak-hearted as the level of hotness might potentially numb your tongue and swell up your lips. Classic dishes are the Sichuan hotpot, kungpao chicken and mapo tofu. Be prepared with liters of water at your side if you don't usually consume spicy food.

Xi'an Located in the Shaanxi province, food here is a fascinating mixture of Chinese and Muslim. It has exotic meat platters that consist of camel and donkey. With one of the most bustling night markets in China, Lanzhou provides foodies with hand-pulled beef noodles that are soft and chewy. Vegetarians must try the Jiangshui noodles, a cabbage filled soup that has to be fermented for three days which eventually produce its tangy taste. The mutton and bread soup is also a specialty of Xi'an, a simple but delectable meal.

Turpan Another place that holds Muslim and Chinese cuisine together, Turpan is located in Xinjiang, northwestern part of the Silk Route. This town has the best Uyghur food and they have numerous halal restaurants. With slight similarities to Indian food, they serve lamb kawop and crispy rounded nang breads - large flatbreads -that can be dipped with banshi, a local dish. Banshi is basically mutton wontons served in light tomato broth with black-eyed beans and cilantro. Don't let the exotic names scare you; they might sound foreign but you will not regret trying out their local delicacies.

Qing'dao Located in Eastern China, Qing'dao is famous for its Tsingtao beer and crowded beaches. This city also serves one of the best seafood dishes in China. Accompanied by the local brew, local shrimps, clams, sea cucumbers, crabs and crayfish make up the seafood platter in this sunny place. The catch of the day can be chosen from tanks and customers can request for any method of cooking they prefer. One of its famed delicacy would be the steamed Hongdao oysters from Hongdao island. Steamed with ginger and vinegar, the freshness of the oysters can be tasted through the bland style of cooking – which essentially is the signature cooking style of the seafood dishes here.

China's First Trans-provincial Subway Opens

China has been expanding since the turn of the century. With newfound zest and economic policies, this emerging superpower has been solidifying its economy and urban development to compete with global markets. The latest development of China would be the opening of its very first trans-provincial subway line. This line links the country's financial center of Shanghai with Kunshan City in neighboring Jiangsu Province.

At six-kilometer, this subway line is an extension of Shanghai Metro Line 11 and cost 1.85 billion yuan (approximately 294 million US$) to build. The extension features three elevated stations – Zhaofeng Road Station, Guangming Road Station and Huaqiao Station in Kunshan. The Huaqiao Station in Kunshan is a popular stop as most commuters transit daily from Kunshan to Shanghai for work. The new extension will cost commuters 7 yuan for a one hour journey, effectively saving around 20 yuan off their traveling cost. With this extension, Shanghai's Metro Line 11 is now the longest subway line at 72 kilometers.

Situated 50km away from Shanghai, Kunshan is a satellite city in the Suzhou region. Its immigrant population is larger than its local population while boasting a solid economy. It has been presented with the prestigious award from United Nations for its innovative approach to granting migrants the rights to essential services in the city. Its export-oriented economies has propelled the city to become one of China's most economically successful city while attracting more and more businessmen especially from Taiwan. The newly opened subway from Kunshan to Shanghai will definitely aid in business relationships between the two cities; allowing lower cost in travelling and easier commuting for businessmen and entrepreneurs.

China Increases Effort to Protect Her Heritage

China has announced that steps would be taken to increase the preservation of ancient villages as they face a crisis of decline, decay and even utter desolation. A historical country, it is home to at least 12,000 traditional villages. Most of them have existed since before the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and a quarter of them were created before the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) according to the Director of the Rural Township Construction Department under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Rural Development.

A country-wide census has been conducted in 2012 and the survey returned with the results of more than 2,000 key cultural sites and over 3,000 provincial-level heritage sites which need preservation. China has been undergoing rapid urbanization and modernization in the past thirty years and this has inevitably challenged the ‘old' culture. Without proper care, China is at risk of losing its past heritage and cultural identity with villages vanishing due to migrational patterns into cities for better job prospects.

Plans to protect and redevelop these traditional villages have began with significant emphasis on settlements in Southwest China's Yunnan province, Guizhou province and in Eastern China's Zhejiand and Fujian provinces. Authorities will continue to catalogue and designate plans for villages in dire need of preservation especially those with significant cultural value to the Chinese cultural identity. This long-term preservation plan will receive a substantial financial support from the government. President Xi Jinping has commented that ancient communities must be safeguarded. He condemned widespread demolition and new construction as inharmonious and an incorrect ideal to building up this beautiful country. Therefore, securing these traditional locations are of vital priority as the lightning-pace expansion of China threatens to demolish the ancient identity of this country.

A Brief Glimpse into Traditional Chinese Instruments

Traditional Chinese instruments are alluring and exotic in the musical world. Consisting mainly of stringed variations, they provide an interesting contrast to Western musical instruments from the way they are built to the sounds they produce.

In 2001, a 12 Girls Band were formed in China after auditions were conducted from a selection of 4,000 contestants. 12 girls were picked to complement the Chinese mythology of 12 hairpins which represent womanhood. Inspired by the art of Yue Fang, ensembles who played in Tang Dynasty courts, these classically trained musicians performed both classical and contemporary compositions. Their debut album which was released in 2004 covered versions of Coldplay's Clocks and Enya's Only Time.

Exposing Chinese traditional instruments to the world, these 12 girls performed using guzheng (zither), yangqin (hammered dulcimer), dizi (flute) and xiao (vertical flute). Duxiangqin (single-stringed zither) and hulusi (three-piped gourd flute) sometimes make appearances. With their innovative variations to modern songs using classical instruments, the world is able to get acquainted with these Chinese instruments which were once played in teahouses and public gatherings during classical China. Only noble families and families with stature could afford to pay for these musicians.

These instruments are categorized into silk, bamboo, wood, stone, metal, clay, gourd and hide. Each category has similar instruments with same features. For example, silk instruments are mostly string instruments that are plucked, bowed or struck. Silk was initially used for the strings; hence the category silk but today, metal and nylon strings are more frequently used. Bamboo refers to woodwind instruments, stone contains various forms of stone chimes while gourd imitates the sound of a phoenix by being a mouth piece that is made out of hollowed-out plants. Clay is the ocarina with six holes for the finger tips while metal includes bells, cymbals and gongs.

It is interesting to study the varieties of Chinese musical instruments and the ideology behind them. Closely connected to nature, the materials used to make them are organic and even the composition of classical songs are well acquainted with the Chinese beliefs in mother nature.