The Chinese have long had an appreciation for nature and flower arranging has been considered an art form for centuries. Mom and I had the pleasure of attending a course in this ancient practice during her visit to Shanghai. The day’s lesson focused on the construction of a “bird’s nest” base for an arrangement of […]
City Guide
Things to Do in Chengdu, China
Our hotel was located in Chengdu’s old town, right down the street from Wenshu Temple. Originally built during the Tang Dynasty (618-690 AD), it is the largest and best-preserved Buddhist temple in the city. Among its most precious relics are a Burmese jade Buddha and the skull of a Tang Dynasty monk. The temple also […]
A Tough Knot to Crack: The Art of Chinese Knotting
Today I attended a class where I learned how to make jewelry utilizing the ancient Chinese art of knotting. There are different types of knots and many are named after what the shape resembles, such as butterfly and flower. Today’s lesson focused on a double snake knot where two coils are intertwined. Our instructor, who […]
Affordable Art on Shanghai’s Painter Street
We brought a few pieces of art with us to Shanghai in need of framing because I figured we could have it done here for a lot less than it would cost in the States. The trouble was that we didn’t know where in Shanghai to go. Then I heard about this place called Painter […]
Learning to Make Dumplings in Shanghai
I recently attended a cooking class at Shanghai’s Chinese Cooking Workshop, which has been teaching expats to cook since 2003. The nondescript entrance, on Dongping Lu, would be easy to miss without knowing what to look for. Our class was held in a glass-enclosed room in the courtyard, hidden behind the thick stone walls. The […]