Orientation package

BIK HEFEI 2018

Location - Where is Hefei?

Country: Population: 7,869,000 Currency: Yuan (Renminbi) Language: Hefei Dialect, on which Mandarin Chinese is based on Time Zone: China Standard Time (UTC+8) Area: 11,434.25 km2

Hefei is the capital and largest city of Province in China. It is the political, economic, and cultural centre of Anhui. It borders to the north, to the northeast, to the southeast, to the south, to the southwest and Lu'an to the west. Until the Chinese civil war, Hefei was a largely agricultural city. Since then it has industrialised. Among the main industries here include machinery, electronics, chemical, textile and tobacco. It is one of the emerging cities of China.

HEFEI ORIENTATION 1 Money and Currency

The currency of China is the renminbi (RMB) or yuan (or colloquially known as 'kwai'). ATMs are common in urban and tourist areas of China. "Union Pay" credit cards issued in China are widely accepted at regular stores and larger restaurants. American Express, Visa and MasterCard issued elsewhere without the Union Pay symbol are not widely accepted at stores and restaurants. Hotels, expensive tourist restaurants and expensive shops generally take foreign-issued cards. Elsewhere, the Chinese yuan is king.

Temperature

Hefei has four distinct seasons and agreeable weather which belongs to the subtropical monsoon climate. Hefei's annual average temperature is 16.18 °C (61.1 °F). The weather chop and change fantasticality in spring, with a long and the intermittent drizzles can last from June to early July in summer. The autumn features is very comfortable with clear and sunny weather.

Winters are damp and cold, with January lows dipping just below freezing and January averaging 2.8 °C (37.0 °F). The city sees irregular snowfalls that rarely turn significant. With monthly percent possible sunshine ranging from 35 percent in March to 50 percent in August, the city receives 1,868 hours of bright sunshine annually. Extremes since 1951 have ranged from −20.6 °C (−5 °F) on 6 January 1955 to 41.1 °C (106 °F) on 27 July 2017.

HEFEI ORIENTATION 2

Transportation By plane

Hefei Xinqiao International Airport (合肥新桥国际机场 Héféi Xīnqiáo guójì jīchǎng) is located about 30 kilometres from the city centre. A straight run (light traffic) to or from the airport by car or shuttle bus takes 45 minutes. There is also a 10 RMB toll fee to get onto the airport expressway. A taxi costs about ¥120 one-way, shuttle bus ¥25.

By Train

Hefei has two major train stations.  Hefei South Railway station receives most of the high speed trains (G or D categories) from all of China. It is situated in a newly developed zone for South of the city centre and many city buses serve this station.  Hefei Railway station is in the Northern part of the city. Few high speed trains arrive here, however, all of the conventional trains are operated through this station. A taxi from Hefei South to the city centre will be less than ¥20. Expect to queue for the taxi. Changing between these two stations with a taxi will cost less than ¥30, expect 40 minutes in normal traffic conditions.

By taxi

HEFEI ORIENTATION 3  Green, blue or orange: These taxis are metered and start at ¥8.

 DiDi is the most commonly used mode of transport in Hefei. It is cheaper than taking a taxi but requires either WeChat or Alipay to order a DiDi. Also the order site is ONLY written in Mandarin.

Legally, every taxi must have the driver's picture and licence number displayed in a plastic plate affixed to the dashboard. If you have any major problems with a taxi driver, discretely write down this number if you need to make a complaint and ask for a fa piao (receipt) at the end of your journey. Around the city area in Hefei, you can reasonably expect to pay between ¥10-30. In Hefei, a driver might occasionally try to pick up an extra passenger and carry them with you. i.e. pooling. They sometimes try this on foreigners who don't know how to object. Make it known if you don't want this to happen.

By bus Public buses are the dominant mode of public transport in Hefei. The central hub is in Municipal Square. A single bus fare to anywhere costs ¥1 or ¥2. All bus routes, schedules, and announcements are in Chinese. But don't let this put you off. An excellent way to navigate the Hefei bus system is to use Maps app. on your mobile phone. You can search bus routes, find bus numbers/stops in English and . The results are very accurate. Beware that in peak hours buses are absolutely crammed to the limit. There is no such thing as a "full" Hefei bus; the driver will take more people on.

By subway Currently, Hefei and serve the public. Metro line 1 includes 23 stations, connecting Hefei Railway Station and Jiulianwei. Hefei subway line 2 links Nangang and Sanshibu. In addition, subway , line 4 and line 5 are under construction now. By the end of 2020, the rail transit line in the city will reach about 170 kilometres (105 miles). According to the long-term plan, Hefei is scheduled to have totally 15 subway lines with a length of 523 kilometres (325 miles).

HEFEI ORIENTATION 4

Bank Bank of China can service you with foreign exchange. Usually the bank opens between 09:00 - 17:00 from Monday to Friday.

Emergency Numbers Fire: 119 Police: 110 Ambulance: 120 Traffic Accident: 122

The following is a list of hospitals in Hefei where there are English-speaking doctors and provide medical care and services to foreigners.

Anhui Provincial People's Hospital Tel: +86-551-2652 797 Address: No 1 Lu Jiang Road

Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Provincial Medical Institute Tel: +86-551-6292-2114 Address: No 218 Jixi Road Shushan

The Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Anhui Medical University Tel: +86-551-6511-8679 Address: Meishan Road No.69 Shushan Where to stay?

There are more than 200 hotels with star ratings, including 18 five star hotels, more than 40 four star hotels in Hefei. Here is the list of popular 5 star hotels in Hefei.

HEFEI ORIENTATION 5 Hilton Hefei

The Hilton Hotel is a 7-minute drive to Hefei Railway Station. Hefei Xinqiao International Airport is a 68-minute-drive away. Former residence of Li Hongzhang can be reached in 6 minutes by car. Phoenix Restaurant specialises in Chinese and fresh seafood dishes, while Happy Panda Restaurant features live cooking stations offering Asian favourites. The 24-hour Sens Restaurant offers a Chinese and Western buffet and an outdoor Sens garden.

The price for one night is 112$ (breakfast included) Address: 198 ShengLi Road, Yaohai, 230011

The Westin Hefei Baohe

The Westin Hefei Baohe is located in the business of Hefei city, a 15-minute drive from Baohe Park. Westin Hefei Baohe is a 46-minute drive from Hefei Xinqiao International Airport and only 161 m from the Bao Gong Temple. It takes 11 minutes by car to Hefei Railway Station. Guests can dine at the Daily Treats serving fast food. They can also enjoy Western and Chinese cuisines at the Seasonal Tastes Restaurant. The Five Zen5es Restaurant serves and local Anhui specialities.

The price for one night is 135$ (breakfast included) Address: No. 150 Ma'An Shan Road, , Baohe, 230011

HEFEI ORIENTATION 6

Holiday Inn

Holiday Inn Hefei is a 55-minute drive to Xinqiao International Airport. Hefei South Railway Station can be reached in 13 minutes by car. Chinese dishes can be enjoyed at Xiang Abalone Chinese Restaurant or the 24-hour Noodles and Chopsticks Restaurant. Western dishes are available at Golden Laurel Western Restaurant.

The price for one night is 67$ (breakfast included) Address: No.1104 East Chang Jiang Road, Yaohai, 230011

Hengyue International Club Hotel

Hengyue International Club Hotel is a hotel situated in Hefei. 2.6 km from Hefei 1912 Bar Street and 3 km from Hefei Swan Lake Wanda Plaza. The nearest airport is Hefei Xinqiao International Airport, 27 km from the property. Shushan is a great choice for travellers interested in nature, food and relaxation.

The price for one night is 55$ (breakfast included) Address: 83 Science Avenue (Kexue Dadao), New & High Technology Development Zone, Shushan, 230088 If you are looking for some cheap accommodation options in Hefei, here they are.

HEFEI ORIENTATION 7 GreenTree Inn /Tongling Road Express Hotel/

Located within 3 km of Xiaoyaojin Park and 9 km of Hefei 1912 Bar Street, GreenTree Inn Anhui Hefei Tongling Road Express Hotel offers rooms in Hefei. 11 km from Hefei Swan Lake, the property is also 11 km away from Hefei Swan Lake Wanda Plaza.

The price for one night is 22$ (breakfast US$2 (optional)) Address: No.169, Tongling Road, (interchange of tongling road and HePing road), Yaohai, 246003

Thank Inn Chain Hotel /Baohe District South Second Ring Road/

Thank Inn Chain Hotel Anhui Hefei Baohe District South Second Ring Road is located 6 km from Xiaoyaojin Park. In a prime location in the Baohe district, the property is set 7 km from Hefei Swan Lake and 7 km from Hefei 1912 Bar Street. Hefei Xinqiao International Airport is 36 km far.

The price for one night is 19$ (breakfast not included) Address: No.3.102, Fengdan City Garden, No.15, Dongliu Road, Baohe, 230000 Hefei, China

What and where to eat?

Here is the list of restaurants in Hefei, where at least you can find a fork and a knife. )))

HEFEI ORIENTATION 8 Bitburger Beer Hall

Hefei’s first German bar and one of the first establishments in the city to serve imported draught beer – German, of course. With its decent selection of bar snacks and East-West fusion food (pasta, salad, beef, pizza, burger, etc.), Bitburger is a popular destination for foreigners. German-brand draught beers start at around ¥45. But what is the special part for foreigners - Bitburger has a group chat in WeChat called “BitBurger foreigners VIP”, where all members of the group can enjoy a discount of 20% of their bill. All you have to do is show one of their friendly staff members, that you are in WeChat group to get your discount.

Address: No.258-6 Wuhu Road, Baohe District

Local name. 碧特博格啤酒屋, local address. 芜湖路 258-6 号

Francesco’s Pizzeria

This is a small, quiet place in a narrow street. Here you can enjoy traditional Italian pizza, pasta, lasagna, panini, salad, etc.

Address: Shu Guang Road No. 107

HEFEI ORIENTATION 9 Peter’s Mexican Restaurant

The best choice if you either love Mexican food or wish to discover what it’s all about. You can order tacos, burritos, Mexican rice. They also have great desserts but with the portion sizes being so huge, it’s easy to fill up before dessert is even an option.))))

Address: Intersection of Qianshan Road and Xiyou Road, MixC Mall, floor 5

Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal is a popular Indian restaurant serving Indian food. Service is good, the staff pay attention to your orders (ex. less oily, less spicy.) and the prices are reasonable.

Address: 1912 Block Huangshan Road No. 588 1912 Block Shushan

Shawarma, coffee restaurant

Nice place to visit and enjoy Arabic food. This small restaurant offers hummus, falafel, tabbouleh, lamb, kebab, kufta, mutabal etc. and most importantly the prices are acceptable.

Address: Feixi Road No. 64 (Xingye Yuanshangpu) Shushan

Local address. 蜀山区肥西路 64 号

HEFEI ORIENTATION 10

Fabio’s pizzeria and bar

The hangout place for most of the foreigners in Hefei. If you are looking for strong drinks and an awesome atmosphere…this is the place to be.

Address: Huangshan Road Jiaokou Southward 100 Migao Science and Technology Square Beiyizuo Baohe

Shipyard

This bar is owned and run by two foreign couples from France and Scotland and is very popular. Shipyard has regular live bands and DJs. It offers Guinness on tap, a great selection of imported European beers, delicious food and the best cocktails in town (whenever you are there try

Cosmopolitan ☺ ). They have open mic. So if you think your voice sounds beautiful, you can get up on the stage and have a try to sing.

Address: Shuguang Road and Tunxi Road Intersection Southward 50 Mi East Side Baohe P.S. All menus are very clear to understand, written also in English.

HEFEI ORIENTATION 11

Where to do your shopping?

Where you choose to do your shopping in Hefei depends on what you’re looking for and what style of shopping you prefer. There are a growing number of luxury department stores, shopping malls and shops, which are generally open from 10:00–22:00 every day of the week. Here are a few of the most popular places to shop in Hefei.

MixC Mall

This luxury Shopping Mall is stocked with all the name brand and luxury products your heart desires. But when shopping in China, keep in mind that imported luxury products are quite expensive, due to high tariffs and value-added tax.

Address: Intersection of Qianshan Road and Xiyou Road

Wanda Plaza

Wanda, a large shopping mall in the centre of the city. Mix of Western and China-only stores, many of them selling clothing. There also are a bunch of restaurants throughout the mall, from Western fast food chains: Starbucks, Pizza Hut, KFC, McDonalds to authentic Chinese restaurants.

Address: No. 3818 South 2nd Ring Road, Zhengwu District

HEFEI ORIENTATION 12 Ole Boutique Supermarket

This supermarket imports over 70 percent of its products from overseas, targeting foreigner and white collar customers. OLE Supermarket brings in a full spectrum of fashion and consumer products from the international market. But, at the same time Ole is very overpriced, often by more than 10%.

Address: Qianshan Road and Xiyou Road Intersection City Crossing The Mixc F B1 B 101

Metro

Metro was on the vanguard of wholesalers selling imported goods in China, entering the market in 1996. Metro's stated goal is to cater to restaurants or other bulk buyers, but walk through the store's aisles and you'll find more than a few individual shoppers. You should register a membership at Metro. The German company has a reputation for quality, it imports or purchases directly over 4,000 products from more than 50 countries and regions in the world.

Address: No.90, Meiling Avenue Baohe

HEFEI ORIENTATION 13 Carrefour The French based chain store sells Western favourites such as English tea, cheeses, wines, snacks and more than 120 different types of coffee and other items all imported from France, Japan, Korea and other countries.

Address: 199 Changjiang Xilu, Hefei

Taobao

Taobao owned by Alibaba Group, is the biggest online shopping method in China. It is typically similar to eBay, Amazon. It has over a billion listings, but usually doesn't prove the quality of the goods so you need to be careful when you are purchasing in TaoBao. Actually, Chinese prefer shopping by using TaoBao because the comparing between price and quality is usually much better than shopping in the mall.

HEFEI ORIENTATION 14 Where to go?

Xiaoyao Jin Park

Park locates on the northeast part of Hefei. The name of Xiaoyao Jin has a long history and is well-known as the ancient battlefield of the Three Kingdoms. Until now there is a small mound of earth which is said to be the tomb for Zhang Liao’s hats and clothes on the three islands which locates in the centre of the Xiaoyao Lake. The water area takes up one third of the total of it. Xiaoyao Jin Park consists of two parts - the Eastern Park and the Western Park. The Eastern Park is a playground for teenagers and kids. It equips different kinds of rides, a big square on the centre and other recreation facilities like teahouse, small cruising boats, etc. The Western Park focuses on landscape plants and gardening. There are Plum Blossom Hill, Peony Garden, Azalea Garden and Potted Landscape Garden, etc. Varied rockeries, bridges and corridors, pavilions dot the landscape. The park is open even at late night, but the rides, or other charging attractions like Happy Pavilion and Historical Cultural Centre of the Three Kingdoms have limited opening hours, and you must go there in the day.

Admissin Fee: It is free to enter the park, but some playing facilities would charge from 3-10 yuan. Address: Shouchun Road No. 16 Luyang (Southwest Gate) Funan Road No. 10 Luyang (West Gate)

HEFEI ORIENTATION 15 Zipengshan National Forest Park /Mountain Zipeng/

Mount Zipeng, also called Mountain Lee Ling, locates 18 km southwest from Hefei downtown. The whole mountain is covered with dense forest. Along the mountain, the first thing that catches your eyes is the "fairy lake." About a-hundred-meter from the "fairy Lake" , is the "Buddha Park" area. There are a pair of large stone lions in front of the door. Through the "Buddha Park" soon you will reach the "West Cottage Temple. Zipengshan has not only beautiful sceneries and views, but also varied plants as well as a wide variety of wildlife. According to the survey, here has more than 100 species of wild animals, including 80 species birds.

Admission Fee: 10yuan/ person

Address: 合肥市肥西县紫蓬镇森林大道

How to get there: There are many direct buses taking to the park at Lvyou West Bus Station. It leaves every 10 minutes.

Hefei Botanical Garden

Located in Shushan Mountain Scenic Area of the city, is a peninsular-shaped area surrounded by Shushan Lake on the north and west. With an area of 1058 mu (roughly about 70.5 hectares), it functions as the natural oxygen bar and the green lung of the city.

HEFEI ORIENTATION 16 Currently there are more than 1000 plant species here, of which the second and third grade national protected tree species account for 20. Several scenic spots, such as Waterfront Garden, Plants Exhibition Area, Plum Garden, Bamboo Garden, Osmanthus Garden, Autumn View Garden, and a Lakefront Green Corridor called Ludicangzhou, have preliminarily taken shape and opened to public since May 1, 2002

Address: No.123 Huanhu East Road ,

Memorial Temple of Lord Bao /包公祠

Ancestral Temple of Lord Bao () is located in the Hefei's Bao River Park, a river named after him. Temple of Lord Bao was once where Bao Zheng read books when he was young. It is the ancestral temple to honour the well- noted upright official of the and it's one of the famous Hefei tourist attractions. A few steps to the east of the hall, there is a hexagonal pavilion, with a well in it the water in which been called “Honest Spring”. It is said that, person who are greedy will feel headache after drinking the water.

HEFEI ORIENTATION 17 Bao Zheng (999-1062) was an official of the Earlier Song Dynasty. During his twenty five years in civil service, Bao Zheng consistently demonstrated extreme honesty and uprightness, with actions such as sentencing his own uncle, impeaching an uncle of Emperor Renzong's favourite concubine and punishing powerful families, which made him a legendary figure in history. His story made into many movies or television dramas in China.

Admission Fee: 50 Yuan Address: East of Huancheng South Road, Yaohai District

Mingjiao Temple

Mingjiao Temple is one of Chinese state-protected Buddhist complexes. It is located on the ancient Jiaonu Terrace (Cao Cao DianJiang Tai), in the south of Xiaoyaojin Park. Mingjiao Temple consists of three parts: Buddhist Palace, Sutra Depository and Western Chamber Park. The Buddhist Palace is composed of the front palace and the back palace and has more than 30 Buddhist statues. There are more than 30 statues of the figures of Buddha and some constructions such as the Grand Hall and the Ti-tsang Palace inside the temple. Tourists can overlook the whole city of Hefei once they mount the Ting Song Pavilion on the platform.

Admission Fee: 10 yuan/person Address: East of Huaihe Road,

HEFEI ORIENTATION 18 Sanhe ancient town / 三河古镇

Sanhe Town is a typical town of river, located in the , is the most famous ancient town in Hefei. It gets the fame because of Fengle River, Hangbu River and Xiaonan River. The most famous place is the old home of Yang Zhen Ning- who won the Nobel Prize in physics. During the War of Resistance Against Japan in Chin, Chen Ning Yang moved to this town and lived here for a while. More interesting is that there is a narrow lane near his old residence only allowing one people to pass by one time. Along Wan Nian Street, you can also visit Wan Nian Temple and Cheng Huang Miao (town god's temple)

Admission Fee: Yang Zhen Ning Fomer Residence: 8 yuan / person; Crane Cottage: 3 yuan / person; Sun Zhongde Memorial: 2 yuan / person; Liu Bingzhang House: 3 yuan / person; Gu Yu Fang: 8 yuan / person; Lakeview House: 8 yuan / person; Three river upstream: Tourist boat 8 yuan / person; leisure pedal: 20 per two-person recreational boats, four small boats and 30 yuan, 50 yuan six leisure boats. Area ticket: 21 yuan / person.

How to get there: it is located 4o kilometers in the south of Hefei city. Tourists can take bus at Hefei Lvyou Bus Station (合肥旅游汽车站) or Hefei Nanmen Bus Transfer

HEFEI ORIENTATION 19 Ceneter (合肥南门换乘中心) to reach Sanhe Bus Station first, then walk for about 10 minutes to reach the ancient town. The buses leave from 6:00am to 5:30pm every day, with an interval of about 20 minutes. And it takes about one hour for one way.

HEFEI ORIENTATION 20 Culture and Traditions: Myths

Why do the Chinese celebrate the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) the way they do? Why do people put up red decorations and light firecrackers? The stories date back to thousands of years ago. Here is a collection of a few popular and interesting Chinese New Year myths.

The Monster and New Year’s Eve In ancient times, there was a monster named Nián (年). It usually lives at the bottom of the sea and comes up once a year to feast on animals and humans. On this day, the villagers would all escape into the mountains. One year, a beggar came to seek shelter, but everyone was hurrying away. Only an old woman took him in and he promised to chase Nian away. He busied himself with decorating the homes. At midnight, Nian lumbered in but stopped short when it saw the red paper on the doors. As it roared in anger, firecrackers suddenly sounded and it trembled in fear. When it saw the beggar, dressed in red, laughing at it, it could only run away. The villagers came back the next day and were pleasantly surprised that the homes were all still standing. They realised that loud noises and the colour red were Nian’s kryptonite. This is why, on New Year’s Eve, families eat dinner in their homes fortified by red decorations. At midnight, firecrackers are sounded.

HEFEI ORIENTATION 21 Spring festival

The Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, has more than 4,000 years of history and is the longest holiday of the year. In the 21st century, the national holiday begins on the first of the Lunar Calendar and lasts until the 15th of the first month. In 2018, Chinese New Year began on February 16th and ended on March 2nd. All stores are closed during the first five days of the Spring Festival, with some not opening until the very end. People must stock up on New Year supplies (年货—nian huo) beforehand.

Decorations

Because the purpose was to scare off Nian and prevent it from returning, the holiday decorations are typically a bright and loud red. The colour red is much loved by the Chinese in general as it represents happiness and good fortune. Chinese folk religion includes various types of gods, as well as revered historical figures (either real or legendary.) Below are some popular decorations used to create festivity for the celebration.

Door Gods 门神 (mén shén)

The most famous demon hunter Zhong Kui (钟馗 –

Zhōng kuí) has a terrifying face. This is why Door Gods all have angry eyes, twisted features and hold traditional weapons. They are ready to protect the family against any demon or spirit. Any demons that harmed humans during the night would be seized and fed to the tigers.

HEFEI ORIENTATION 22

Fortune 福 (fú)

Chinese people also decorate homes by hanging up certain words. The most common word is fu, happiness and good fortune. It is written with calligraphy onto a square piece of red paper. These can then be pasted onto walls, doors or windows.

Spring Festival Couplets 春联 (chūn lián)

Originating from the Shu era (more than one thousand years ago), Spring Festival couplets have a long and rich history. In ancient times, these couplets were carved into tablets made from peach trees. Nowadays, you can see them alongside the doors of nearly every household during New Year’s season. An optional shorter third line is placed above the doorframe. Much thought is put into these poems. The number of words of each line should be the same. If you're writing your own use a word counter to make sure each line contains the same number of words. The format and rhythm should be either identical or complimentary. Some writers even take the challenge of using alliteration or the same side radical for each word.

Dumplings and Ears Some people say that dumplings are shaped like gold and silver ingots. Others say they look like ears. That may be due to a myth about the goddess Nǚ wā (女娲). She created humans out of yellow clay. But she realised that the ears would freeze and crack off in the winter. To solve this problem, she sewed the ears in place and put the end of the thread in

HEFEI ORIENTATION 23 the humans’ mouths. Later, to thank Nǚ wā, people molded dough into the shape of ears. They then stuffed it with meat and vegetables rather than thread. So next time your ears are so cold you think they’ll fall off, be glad they won’t and eat some dumplings!

Red pockets

According to legends, there used to be a demon called Sui (祟). On New Year’s Eve, it would come and pat the heads of sleeping children three times. The children would end up with a fever. Even if they recovered from the fever, they’d never be the same again. To protect their children, parents would stay up the entire night, guarding them. One couple gave their child a coin to play with. When he fell asleep, they placed the coin next to the pillow. At midnight, an eerie wind snuffed out the candle. When Sui reached for the child, the coin flashed in the darkness and scared him away. The next day, the couple wrapped the coin in red paper to show their neighbours.

Should You Give and/or Receive Red Pockets?

As aforementioned, there are two main types of Spring Festival red pockets. If you’re a young or middle-aged adult, you’ll have to give both: for children and for your parents and elders. Regardless the age, this activity is traditionally between close family and friends. Nowadays, you can give red envelopes to practically anyone.

HEFEI ORIENTATION 24 How Much Should You Give?

During the Minguo period (20th century), it was custom to wrap 100 cents in red paper.

It represented living until 100 years old (长命百岁—chǎng mìng bǎi suì).

Regardless the amount of lucky money, the number is still very important. In Northern China, whole numbers (50s and 100s) are favoured. In the South, traditional lucky numbers are the way to go. Those are numbers that include 6 and 8. Six (六—liù) is seen in 六六大顺 (liù liù dà shun), a phrase about smooth success. Eight (八—bā) rhymes with 发 (fā), or “gaining wealth.”

Tradition Meets Technology

Nowadays, thanks to technology and platforms like WeChat and Alipay, digital red envelopes are the new trend. Since they’re digital, you can also send to friends far away. Because of this ease, red pockets have become an everyday thing. You can send them to thank somebody, as a surprise gift, or even as a bribe to like your post on Moments (similar to Facebook.) Some complain that the tradition of Spring Festival red pockets have become too materialistic and frivolous. Depending on how you look at things, it may be true. But no matter what, red pockets still bring joy and happiness to children and adults alike. It is a show of love and gratitude to each other.

HEFEI ORIENTATION 25

Lantern festival

It’s a beautiful night, but why lanterns?

As the story goes, a heavenly swan was killed by a hunter when it visited the human world. To avenge its death, the Jade Emperor planned to send his knights and burn the earth down. The lesser gods were horrified at this plan and secretly went to warn the humans. On that night, the humans lit firecrackers and each household hung lanterns. From the heavens, it seemed like Earth was in flames. It tricked the Jade Emperor and humanity was saved from his wrath.

In Ancient China, women usually weren’t allowed out the house. But on this night, they can stroll freely, lighting lanterns, playing games and interacting with men. The wild and romantic stories are why some say the Lantern Festival is the true Chinese Valentine’s Day, rather than Qixi (七夕). Nowadays, the festival technically isn’t a national holiday, so there aren’t any days off. The best period for Lantern Festival lovers would be the Ming dynasty. It lasted around 1 month! ))))))

Lighting the Lanterns

A famous variation is the Kongming lantern (孔明灯—kǒng míng dēng). They represent hope, success and happiness. In the

HEFEI ORIENTATION 26 past, people used these lanterns to signify they were safe after an attack. Now, they are used for wishes. Also known as the sky lantern (天灯—tiān dēng), it sounds similar to 添丁 (tiān ding), which means “adding children”. Lanterns would be gifted to newlyweds or couples without children to pass on the blessings. Pregnant women would receive a pair of small lanterns to wish health and safety on both mother and child.

Dragon dance (耍龙灯—shuǎ lóng dēng)

Dragon dance has a history almost as long as Chinese culture itself. The performers create impressive formations to the beat of Chinese drums and cymbals.

Lion dance (舞狮子—wǔ shī zǐ)

Lion dances can be seen in any festive event, from holidays to weddings and store openings. The lion is intricately designed, with movable eyes and mouths. Sometimes, the lion will open its mouth and demand food and red pockets. Other times, they roll around and play like oversized kittens.

Food and Family

The trademark food of the Lantern Festival is called yuan xiao (tāng yuan (汤圆) in the

South), just like the festival itself. They are glutinous rice dumplings with sweet fillings made of

HEFEI ORIENTATION 27 syrup, red bean paste, black sesame paste or more. They can be steamed or fried, but usually boiled and served in hot water.

They represent family reunions because tang yuan sounds similar to “reunion” (团圆— tuán yuan). Helpful phrases

These are some of basic greeting phrases that can and will be used in almost everyday conversations.

• Hello: Nǐ hǎo.

• Good morning: Nǐ zǎo. Depending on

the time of the day, you may want to use this instead of the more commonly used ‘Ni-hao.’ Who knows, you may even surprise someone with your skills.

• How are you?: Nǐ hǎo ma? You may already know this greeting. If it’s your first time

hearing it, then you should familiarise yourself with it as soon as you can. It’s the most common way Chinese native speakers will greet one another.

• Fine, thank you: Hěn hǎo, xiéxie.

• Hello?: Wèi. This particular greeting is used when answering a phone call. In English, we also use ‘Hello?’ when answering a call, whereas we would say ‘Hey or Hi’ when meeting in person. Speaking of…

• You are welcome: Bú kéqi.

• Nice to meet you: Xìng huì. You’ll most likely be using this while shaking someone’s hand and looking them in the eye. Performing these multiple actions at the same time may confuse you, so review this phrase once more.

HEFEI ORIENTATION 28 • I’m sorry: Duìbùqǐ.

• Please: Qǐng. Being polite will take you a long way in terms of building a stronger

relationship and respect with Chinese speakers. Make sure you’re not using it too often, as the effect will wear off soon.

• I don’t know: Wǒ bù zhī dào. Knowing how to say I don’t know in Chinese is both

easy and extremely useful. You’ll find yourself using it often, and you’ll hear all kinds of people in China saying.

• Sorry I don’t understand: Bù hǎo yì si, wǒ tīng bù dǒ ng. Got yourself in a situation

where someone’s talking to you but you’re not actually understanding what they’re saying? But how do you let the other know you’re not quite getting their gist? Instead of shaking your head no, you can say:

• Goodbye: Zàijiàn

• Goodbye (spoken informally): Bai-bai

Emergency Situations

It’s always safe to know the basic phrases if some unwanted people are harassing you, you need to alert those around you for help, or if you need assistance if you (or someone with you) is injured. Here are some key phrases that will help you:

• Police!: jǐngchá

• Leave me alone: búyào dǎrǎo wǒ .

• Stop! Thief!: zhùshǒ u! xiǎotōu!

• I need your help: wǒ xūyào nǐde bāngzhù.

• I’m lost: wǒ mílù le.

HEFEI ORIENTATION 29 • Help! Jiùmìng. For something really urgent, when you’re in real danger or are facing a very present issue, say — or yell, depending on the gravity of the situation Worst comes to worst, simply just yell “Help!”. I bet all the people understand this word in this Universe.

HEFEI ORIENTATION 30