China is 60 years old! Happy birthday to you, China. Despite the fact that China has literally thousands of years of history, it seems to have only managed to squeeze out 60 birthdays. Oh well, thousands of candles would probably just make the cake melt anyway.
The people of China take the birth of their country (i.e. the birth of their “new government” and “free society” since the major changes that Mao started) very seriously. This year, being a ripe round 60, was particularly special, especially since it was coupled with “中秋节” (zhong qiu jie), which is one of China’s most important holidays.
Zhong qiu jie, or “Mid-Autumn Festival” is basically a Chinese Sukkot in which the whole family gets together under the full harvest moon and eats “mooncakes”, which range from less than one kuai to hundreds of kuai and include nearly all flavors and textures.
In the United States, most of our holidays revolve around either a person/people or a religious celebration, but in China most of the holidays are related to the seasons. They also all involve going home and spending time with the family. When about a billion people all decide they want to go home on the same day, this can cause a bit of traffic. The train station was packed to the point of disbelief…which is why I took a picture so you would believe me.
I finally arrived in 龙游 (Long You), the home of my roommate, Yu Yang. After an awkward wave hello to the family, I set my things down and watched the parade in Beijing on TV. It was only at this moment that I began to understand China. For example, after seeing this parade I realized that even though the spectacular opening ceremony at the Beijing Olympics shocked and awed the rest of the globe, it probably wasn’t anything too overdone for China. This country has such a group mentality that it affects everything they do. The Chinese are not only constantly being judged by other Chinese, but they’re also enchained by the need to live up to people’s expectations and honor, well, whomever they can. However, this massive societal pressure sure does wonders for the cohesion of a group dance, a soldier’s march, or a synched performance! I also realized that most of the country was watching this performance. I did, however, question whether it was more patriotism or the fact that the government still controls much of television, and therefore nearly every station had something to do with the holiday.
Yu Yang’s mother made a wonderful meal for us all, including chicken with walnuts, pickled green beans, meat and Lima beans, and a few other dishes. Obviously this was all to be eaten over rice. I did notice that she wasn’t eating dinner. In fact, not only was she not sitting at the table, but also, if I remember correctly, there wasn’t even a chair for her. I asked Yu Yang and she just casually replied that it was a habit of her mom’s to not eat with everyone when there were guests. She busied herself in the kitchen, serving food, and tending to Yu Yang’s sister’s two-year-old son. When we were all done eating, Yu Yang’s mom piled some food over her rice and found a comfy spot of floor in between the kitchen area and the family room area to watch TV with us as she ate. This is pretty much how it was the whole weekend. And I do emphasize the sameness of this scene, because the food was the same, too. At every meal appeared a new, hot dish, and every old one that we hadn’t finished. I’m no stranger to leftovers. I think heating up a good dish is often more convenient and as good tasting as a new dish, so this did not bother me at all. However, a few meals into my stay at the house I realized that the kitchen was lacking one very large and, in my opinion, important appliance: a refrigerator. Just to make sure I wasn’t being quick to judge or ill observant I asked Yu Yang. Again, very casually, she said that they had a refrigerator at their other house (as in the farm house that her parents live in—we were staying in her sister’s house), but that they hadn’t moved it over to the apartment. Call me “modern”, call me picky, but if I’m eating leftovers, particularly when they involve meat, I’d rather they settle into the fridge between meals and, um, overnight too please. Upon this realization, I picked around the meat. I don’t want to draw any conclusions prematurely, but I have a good feeling this was in some way connected to my getting sick on Sunday.
Well, there was more to the weekend than just eating. We took a stroll around the river both nights and enjoyed the lights of Long You. Every possible light and fountain was in action for the holidays, making the stroll quite beautiful. Having strayed off the course at one point, we found ourselves among a crowd of people milling around the large fountains in a large, open square. It was busy, active, and happy, just like a comfortable autumn night should be during the holidays.
We followed the lights in the sky to one popular vendor selling lanterns. You take the tissue-papered lantern and, after writing your wish on it, light a flame at the open bottom and wait for the hot air to lift it far and away.
The next day we took a trip over to Yu Yang’s parent’s farm house to pick oranges. Their house was simple, but their yard was extravagant. Blooming flowers attracted butterflies fluttering by, gourds ripened in the hot sun, and vines swirled up the wooden posts. I’d also say it’s a pretty good deal to have a whole grove of healthy orange trees right in your back yard, offering up their green-peeled oranges to let you squish out the tangy orange juice of summer. The fruits of our labor filled up two baskets, one of which Yu Yang and I transported back to Hangzhou.
The day we were to leave we decided to get out rather than waste the morning inside. Yu Yang took me to a place not too far away where we toured around some sizable Chinese houses. These houses, all migrated in from various places, are a way to see the wood carvings and architecture, paintings and calligraphy, status and wealth of some of the owners of these Chinese mansions. The walk was hot but pleasant. The mansions were nothing breathtaking, but intriguing enough to pass an enjoyable afternoon weaving in and out of old doorsteps and fertile gardens.
I had a great weekend experiencing a new town, meeting new people, celebrating the holidays, and getting away from Hangzhou. Going to Yu Yang’s house in Long You was definitely worth the crowded bus station on the way over and the cramped, spit-covered, uncomfortable train on the way back, but I felt like when I returned to Hangzhou I was going home.
The people of China take the birth of their country (i.e. the birth of their “new government” and “free society” since the major changes that Mao started) very seriously. This year, being a ripe round 60, was particularly special, especially since it was coupled with “中秋节” (zhong qiu jie), which is one of China’s most important holidays.
Zhong qiu jie, or “Mid-Autumn Festival” is basically a Chinese Sukkot in which the whole family gets together under the full harvest moon and eats “mooncakes”, which range from less than one kuai to hundreds of kuai and include nearly all flavors and textures.
In the United States, most of our holidays revolve around either a person/people or a religious celebration, but in China most of the holidays are related to the seasons. They also all involve going home and spending time with the family. When about a billion people all decide they want to go home on the same day, this can cause a bit of traffic. The train station was packed to the point of disbelief…which is why I took a picture so you would believe me.
I finally arrived in 龙游 (Long You), the home of my roommate, Yu Yang. After an awkward wave hello to the family, I set my things down and watched the parade in Beijing on TV. It was only at this moment that I began to understand China. For example, after seeing this parade I realized that even though the spectacular opening ceremony at the Beijing Olympics shocked and awed the rest of the globe, it probably wasn’t anything too overdone for China. This country has such a group mentality that it affects everything they do. The Chinese are not only constantly being judged by other Chinese, but they’re also enchained by the need to live up to people’s expectations and honor, well, whomever they can. However, this massive societal pressure sure does wonders for the cohesion of a group dance, a soldier’s march, or a synched performance! I also realized that most of the country was watching this performance. I did, however, question whether it was more patriotism or the fact that the government still controls much of television, and therefore nearly every station had something to do with the holiday.
Yu Yang’s mother made a wonderful meal for us all, including chicken with walnuts, pickled green beans, meat and Lima beans, and a few other dishes. Obviously this was all to be eaten over rice. I did notice that she wasn’t eating dinner. In fact, not only was she not sitting at the table, but also, if I remember correctly, there wasn’t even a chair for her. I asked Yu Yang and she just casually replied that it was a habit of her mom’s to not eat with everyone when there were guests. She busied herself in the kitchen, serving food, and tending to Yu Yang’s sister’s two-year-old son. When we were all done eating, Yu Yang’s mom piled some food over her rice and found a comfy spot of floor in between the kitchen area and the family room area to watch TV with us as she ate. This is pretty much how it was the whole weekend. And I do emphasize the sameness of this scene, because the food was the same, too. At every meal appeared a new, hot dish, and every old one that we hadn’t finished. I’m no stranger to leftovers. I think heating up a good dish is often more convenient and as good tasting as a new dish, so this did not bother me at all. However, a few meals into my stay at the house I realized that the kitchen was lacking one very large and, in my opinion, important appliance: a refrigerator. Just to make sure I wasn’t being quick to judge or ill observant I asked Yu Yang. Again, very casually, she said that they had a refrigerator at their other house (as in the farm house that her parents live in—we were staying in her sister’s house), but that they hadn’t moved it over to the apartment. Call me “modern”, call me picky, but if I’m eating leftovers, particularly when they involve meat, I’d rather they settle into the fridge between meals and, um, overnight too please. Upon this realization, I picked around the meat. I don’t want to draw any conclusions prematurely, but I have a good feeling this was in some way connected to my getting sick on Sunday.
Well, there was more to the weekend than just eating. We took a stroll around the river both nights and enjoyed the lights of Long You. Every possible light and fountain was in action for the holidays, making the stroll quite beautiful. Having strayed off the course at one point, we found ourselves among a crowd of people milling around the large fountains in a large, open square. It was busy, active, and happy, just like a comfortable autumn night should be during the holidays.
We followed the lights in the sky to one popular vendor selling lanterns. You take the tissue-papered lantern and, after writing your wish on it, light a flame at the open bottom and wait for the hot air to lift it far and away.
The next day we took a trip over to Yu Yang’s parent’s farm house to pick oranges. Their house was simple, but their yard was extravagant. Blooming flowers attracted butterflies fluttering by, gourds ripened in the hot sun, and vines swirled up the wooden posts. I’d also say it’s a pretty good deal to have a whole grove of healthy orange trees right in your back yard, offering up their green-peeled oranges to let you squish out the tangy orange juice of summer. The fruits of our labor filled up two baskets, one of which Yu Yang and I transported back to Hangzhou.
The day we were to leave we decided to get out rather than waste the morning inside. Yu Yang took me to a place not too far away where we toured around some sizable Chinese houses. These houses, all migrated in from various places, are a way to see the wood carvings and architecture, paintings and calligraphy, status and wealth of some of the owners of these Chinese mansions. The walk was hot but pleasant. The mansions were nothing breathtaking, but intriguing enough to pass an enjoyable afternoon weaving in and out of old doorsteps and fertile gardens.
I had a great weekend experiencing a new town, meeting new people, celebrating the holidays, and getting away from Hangzhou. Going to Yu Yang’s house in Long You was definitely worth the crowded bus station on the way over and the cramped, spit-covered, uncomfortable train on the way back, but I felt like when I returned to Hangzhou I was going home.