Learn Chinese

Introduction of Volunteer - Volunteer No. 4202

2010-07-11T22:32:00.000-07:00

Name: Wang Pu
Location: Beijing
Occupation: Online Gaming

Hello, everybody! I graduated from Zhengzhou University, Department of Computer Science, is founder of online games with friends, but my heart is still very much like the various nations with different customs and cultures! Very much hope that friends in different countries to exchange, learn from each other! I like basketball, table tennis, running, listening to music, reading, calligraphy, cooking, etc., I was particularly personal to the people, right time, and friends like a joke! I should be the language of love! So, prompted me to have the confidence and patience and the happy friends from different countries exchange! Friend if you want to understand China! If you want to learn Chinese! If you want to understand China five thousand years of cultural history! Choose me as your language learning partners, then I would be very honored and happy!

Introduction of Teacher 58 - Zhang Lin

2010-04-16T03:18:00.000-07:00

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I graduated from Tianjin university of Technology. I got the Bachelor degree of Trade and Science English. During the Feb. of 2005 to June of 2005, acted as an assistant, I was responsible for assisting the cultural and study exchanges with USA students at university. During the June of 2007 to Aug. of 2007, I helped my friend, who came from Denmark, to review the content of Business Chinese he studied, practice dialogue and answer his question which he met.
From these teaching experiences, I think that I am good at teaching pronunciation and reviewing spoken Chinese, reading Chinese and listening Chinese. So I think that the students with junior and middle Chinese level will like my lessons more.
I like art, such as singing, dancing; reading. I like to make friends and to help them. I enjoy sharing news, information and knowledge with them. If anyone asked me any questions, or needed my help, I was sure that I would try my best to help them till they got it. I was glad to help the newer in my last two jobs, because I hoped that everyone could be fit for the job here. I am good at thinking and reaching new ways and the answer of any problem. I like studying what I don’t know and what I should know.

Introduction of Volunteer - Volunteer No. 4158

2010-04-03T02:45:00.001-07:00

Name: Zhang hong mei
Location: Beijing
Occupation: Teacher

I am teaching Chinese in one of the primary schools in Beijing.But I have also been teaching foreigners Chinese in my sparetime for two years. I hope my students can make progress in Chinese learning with my help.

Introduction of Volunteer - Volunteer No. 4174

2010-04-03T02:40:00.000-07:00

Name: Guisong Huang
Location: Nanning
Occupation: Teacher

Hello! I have been teaching English as a foreign language in a middle school for about 17 years. It's been fun and wonderful for me to be improving with the students through lively classroom teaching. I love it. This occupation helps me develop an international perspective. Now I'd love to communicate with friends who love Chinese culture and would like to learn Mandarin to enjoy the beautiful exchanging and learning.

Introduction of Teacher 33 - Fu Li

2010-04-03T02:38:00.000-07:00

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I graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies University. I am in China. When I graduated, I worked as a foreign trade clerk in Import-export-company. My job is to send the email to overseas for inquiry. Then, business negotiations, and conclusion of business. I work hard and get along with my customers who are in other countries. I used to teach children English. I think that I could teach children Chinese, beginner, intermediate level students and Business Chinese. I have a broad range of interests. I like reading the love story, prose, and financial books. And listening, swimming, traveling. My favorite happiness is drawing. I started to learn drawing when I was a little girl. And I could use a lot of beautiful color to decoration it. That time, I joined many competitions. And I also got many prize. I love drawing very much.

Introduction of Teacher 36 - Wang Shu

2010-04-03T02:35:00.000-07:00

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My name is Wang Shu and my English name is Sue ,almost the same pronunciation as my Chinese name. The advantage I think I am suitable for Chinese Teacher is my rich and special experience; also I am an excellent Chinese speaker with a solid base well knowing how to speak and use Chinese. That is only one hand, on another hand, I am a girl prefer to get along with both friends and strangers, always I could get a lot fun and information from our communication, thus, I value every chance when I talk to anyone, also, I really want to take this opportunity, teaching with my favorite languages, helping the foreigners who have interest in my mother tongue study. I believe I know how to make the study more efficient, and I am a nice and humorous person, through my work, I could make it more funny and interesting. Especially, I think I am good at teaching people who want to know how to use Chinese following the current trend, however kids and young people all I am favor in.

Introduction of Volunteer - Volunteer No. 4152

2010-02-13T21:05:00.000-08:00

Name: Shang.YuanYuan
Location: ChaoYang
Occupation: administrator

i am sincere, self-confident and have a lovely life. i like learning, writing,listening to music, drawing, solving the internet and traveling.

Introduction of Volunteer - Volunteer No. 4083

2010-02-13T20:49:00.000-08:00

Name: Jaci Liu
Location: Changchun
Occupation: Secretary

Chinese language is the most difficult language, but it can be learned.I am glad to help the people to know more about Chinese, about China.

Introduction of Teacher 49 - Lin Ai Ai

2010-01-23T21:57:00.000-08:00

@ Yahoo! Video

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My name is ellen.
I graduated from Fujian Normal University and majored in Chinese Literature.I got the literature bachelor's degree and teacher certification of senior high school.
I learnt a lot from the teacher-training course and the teaching practice such as class teaching and family education. I had taught some children to grasp Pinyin and literacy in a short time. I had also guided the high-school students to perform a drama when they learnt an elusive classical Chinese.I also recited the poem in the class and encouraged them to do so. All of these gained a satisfying result in teaching effect. The Most unforgettable occasion is the time when I see my students get those things useful within their broad smiles.
Many people including myself believe that I am a reliable and responsible teacher who is quite fit for the Chinese teaching job and can be competent for the children Chinese,intermediate or advanced Chinese teaching.
I am a creative thinker and always try various effective teaching manners to ginger up the class,thereby enhancing the teaching quality.I would like to interact with the others and benefit from the mutual study.I even enjoy to be absorbed in reading literary outputs or play the Chinese lute.I'm a diligent man of many interests and enthusiastic about job,dream and life.
Here, I'm looking forward to tasting the charm and profundity of mandarin with you someday.

Do you know anywhere to learn Chinese, Mandarin FOR CHEAP PRICE?

2010-01-20T18:27:00.000-08:00

You can try Beijing Chinese School was built in 2003. All teachers are from Beijing who can speak standard mandarin and are bilingual with perfect Mandarin/English.

If you want to learn Chinese for lower tuition, I suggest you can choose online tutors. All of the classes are flexible based on your schedule. You can adjust class time with tutors through mobile SMS in schedule system. Free Conversation Practice and Library is also very helpful and cost-saving.

You can try to reserve a free trial class on http://www.hellomandarin.com/freetrial/freetrial.html

Introduction of Volunteer - Volunteer No. 4139

2009-10-15T04:03:00.001-07:00

Name: Vicky
Location: shanghai
Occupation: student

Introduction of Teacher 36 - Wu Xiaoyu

2009-10-15T03:34:00.000-07:00

Teacher 36 Saying Hello @ Yahoo! Video

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I graduated from Sichuan Normal University in 1997 where I took English as my major and got the bachelor's degree.
I used to be a teacher for ten years. Later I have had the educational psychology course for 2 years, and I’ve got the certificate of qualification as a senior Chinese Language teacher by International Profession Certification Association.
I'd like to try everything, especially Chinese culture , business Chinese and children's Chinese.
I love Ping-pang, badminton and hiking.

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Teacher 36 Class Demo @ Yahoo! Video

Introduction of Volunteer - Volunteer No. 4083

2009-06-13T01:05:00.000-07:00

Name: Micheal
Location: Hubei
Occupation: student

I always interprete for foreign teachers of my university.Last year,two foreign teachers spent Chinese Sprin Festival in my home,practiced my oral English and improved my bility of exchanging.So,I can explain any Chinese word or sentence for English people.

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Introduction of Volunteer - Volunteer No. 4019

2008-12-02T21:32:00.000-08:00

Name: Yuna
Location: Canada
Occupation: student

I live in Canada and have an interest and passion to teach mandarin. My passion comes from my love for my motherland our traditional culture and my language. It is my desire to help others learn mandarin and to share my passion for my country. I would love to take TCSL not only as a job but also as a lifetime career. I can speak fluent English and standard mandarin. I capable and willing to perfor

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Introduction of Volunteer - Volunteer No. 3984

2008-10-30T18:47:00.001-07:00

Name: jenny liu
Location: DALIAN
Occupation: student

I am a college student majoring in teaching foreigners Chinese, so I have the solid foundation of Chinese grammar and good English speaking and listening abilities. I have the delightful character. In addition, I am good at enlightening students with examples and am flexible in teaching approaches. I am patient as well as of responsibity.

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Introduction of Volunteer - Volunteer No. 3985

2008-10-30T18:42:00.001-07:00

Name: Eva
Location: Wuhu
Occupation: Sales

Hello,everybody!I'm a honest,friendly,and traditional Chinese girl,who was graduated from Anqing Teachers College on this June.My major is music education and I've got the China Professional Pedagogic Competency Certificate.I like studying and teaching very much,so I hope can be a peace angel who can take Chinese culture and language to more foreigners.

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Introduction of Volunteer - Volunteer No. 3978

2008-08-26T00:49:00.001-07:00

Name: catherine
Location: Harbin
Occupation: Student

My name is LI Simi,I come from a beautiful ice city—Harbin,Now I'm studying in the Heilongjiang University,my major is Chinese language and Literature,so I'm good at Chinese and I've already pass the cet4. In the free time,I like singing,watching movies,and chatting with my friends. Now I'm a sophomore,in the past 2 years,I've already taught 7 foreign students,and I believed they like me very much, so I am very confident to be a good volunteer here. Give me a chance,I'll return a suprise to you!

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Introduction of Volunteer - Volunteer No. 3908

2008-08-18T01:25:00.000-07:00

Name: Yang
Location: Xinyang
Occupation: Student

HI,MY NAME IS QINYANG.I'M A STUDENT OF XINYANG NORMAL UNIVERSITY.I STUDY IN INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION COLLEGE.AND MY SPECIALITY IS COMPUTER

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Introduction of Volunteer - Volunteer No. 3952

2008-08-03T01:22:00.000-07:00

Name: Sandy Zhang
Location: Beijing
Occupation: Business Woman

I am Sandy Zhang from Beijing. I graduated from Renmin University of China, major in Business Administration . Having a chance to be with you during your study of Chinese, I can teach you how to use simple words to express yourself in Chinese and communicate with chinese people. Also, I will be glad to introduce Chinese Culture and business manners to you. Tell you a little about myself. In the last 10 years, I have worked in both Chinese and the European companies， in charge of administration and business operations. I like traditional Chinese literature (confucianism,poems from Tang &Song Dynasty), the Art of Tea and travel. They form as different aspects of my life, which is colorful and stylish. I hope I could help you when you knock the door of Chinese. Let’s be friends and enjoy the time of teaching Chinese!

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Introduction of Volunteer - Volunteer No. 3937

2008-07-10T20:49:00.000-07:00

Name: Shane
Location: 石家庄/ShiJiaZh
Occupation: 自由作家/freelancer

I majored in Chinese Linguistics&Literature when I was in the college,and worked as a journalist for years.Maybe now I am not an experienced Chinese teacher,but I believe I will be the best one .

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Introduction of Volunteer - Volunteer No. 3936

2008-06-25T03:09:00.000-07:00

Name: LIU XIAODAN
Location: LiaoNing 辽宁
Occupation: Doctor 医生

Hello everyone, my name is Liu xiaodan. I am very glad to have this chance to know others aroud the world, and i also want to practise my oral english with you !

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Introduction of Volunteer - Volunteer No. 3217

2008-05-22T21:01:00.001-07:00

Name: Li Yan Fei
Location: NanNing 南宁
Occupation: Chinese teacher 中文老师

Hello,i am Felisha.i am come from NanNing,a beautiful city in south of China.i have been graduated from a key normal university nearly 2 years now.i am teaching chinese in a high school.i love my teaching job,beacause i like the feelings be with my students.i can get progress at the same time when i teach.in my spare time,i like traveling,reading,lisening to the music,doing yoga and playing table tennis.and i like to learn different cultures too.communicate with friends from other countries can help us learn more about this colourful world i think. and i do willing to do my best to help you improve your chinese ability and learn more about the culture about china.anyway,that is my favaour job..: )

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Introduction of Teacher 55 - Mi Xiaojuan

2008-05-22T20:52:00.000-07:00

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Graduated from Shenyang Pharmaceutical University and obtained my pharmacology master degree on July 2005 and majored in pharmacology. Some people may ask why I choose teaching Chinese. There are three points. First of all, China is a large country which has a long history and colorful culture. And with the development of China, it plays a more and more important role in the world. As a Chinese, I love my mother country and I hope more and more foreigners can learn about China's culture and developments. Second of all, I can speak very standard Chinese mandarin without accent; I am good at pronunciation, Chinese culture and so on. Finally, I have the characteristics that a good teacher should have, such as modesty, curiousness, diligence and liveliness and I like trying new things. Besides, in my spare time, I like reading, and by doing so I can improve myself everyday, I like jogging and swimming as well, doing exercises can make me healthy and energic.

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Travel in China | Learn Essential Chinese

2008-05-01T04:26:00.000-07:00

Travel in China - Sports Chinese - Lesson One - Part 1

For Zero level - Survival Level learners (What's it)

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Chinese Movie - The Forbidden Kingdom

2008-04-25T01:33:00.000-07:00

Jackie Chan
Hop, the thrift store owner/Lu Yan, the Drunken Immortal
成龙
饰鲁彦, 鲁彦在生活既随兴又嗜杯中物，颇像醉拳大师。鲁彦碰上杰森以后……

Jet Li
The Silent Monk/Sun Wukong, the Monkey King
李连杰
饰默僧, 默僧一边修行，一边四处寻找金箍棒的下落，他在世间的意义……

Collin Chou
The Jade Warlord
邹兆龙
饰玉疆战神, 天庭里的玉疆战神，以维护天庭秩序为己任，当初耍手段禁锢了美猴王……

Liu Yi Fei
Golden Sparrow, the Orphaned Warrior
刘亦菲
饰金燕子, 金燕子是个孤女，她人生的唯一目标就是杀死玉疆战神，为父母报仇……

Liu Yi Fei
Ni-Chang, the White-Haired Assassin
Li Bingbing
饰白发魔女, 白发魔女原型来自于梁羽生的小说，因为受到感情的伤害变成了满头白发……

The film opens during a battle between Sun Wukong, the Monkey King (Jet Li), and heavenly soldiers amongst the clouds. It is then revealed the sequence was a dream when a young teenager, Jason Tripitakas (Michael Angarano), awakens in his room plastered with vintage kung fu movie posters. After getting dressed, he makes his way to a thrift store in Boston's China town to buy some new Kung fu DVD's. There, he converses with Hop (a prosthetics-laden Jackie Chan), the shop's eldery owner, and, while thumbing through some DVD's, he is drawn to room full of antiques and notices a golden staff. Hop tells him that the staff is to be delivered to its rightful owner and then closes the door. On his way back home, Jason is attacked by a group of bullies who force him to take them to the store so they can steal some money from the old man. Feeling betrayed Hop tries to attack the thieves with the staff, but is shot. He tells Jason that he must deliver the staff to its rightful owner. Jason takes the staff and runs from the thieves. On top of a building, he is surrounded by the bullies and suddenly he is pulled off the roof by the staff and travels back through time.

When Jason wakes up he has been transported back to ancient China. There he is attacked by Jade Warriors who try to take the staff away from him. He is helped by the Drunken Immortal, Lu Yan (Jackie Chan). Later that night, seated in a restaurant, Lu tells Jason a story of how the Monkey King caused havoc at the banquet celebrating the Jade Emperor's forthcoming 500 year period of meditation and drank of the elixir of immortality. The Emperor took a liking to Monkey and decided to award him a heavenly title, much to the chagrin of the Jade Warlord (Collin Chou), a heavenly general. The Emperor then left the Jade Warlord in charge of heaven before retreating to his period of seclusion. The Jade Warlord later challenged the Monkey King to an un-armed duel, but turned him into stone when Monkey set aside his magic staff, the source of his powers. But before he was fully immobilized, the Monkey King cast his staff away. Lu ends the tale by stating a person known as the "Seeker" will be the person to find the staff and free the Monkey King. Lu and Jason then get into a fight with the Jade Warriors who track them to the restaurant and are saved by a mysterious woman, who turns out to be the Orphaned Warrior, Golden Sparrow (Liu Yi Fei). Jason then asks Lu to teach him Kung Fu.

The Jade Warlord is notified by his men that they have seen the magical staff. The Jade Warlord then sends his bounty hunter, the white-haired assassin Ni-Chang (Li Bingbing), to retrieve it for him. When Jason wakes up in the morning he is attacked by a person dressed in white clothes, who takes the staff away. Jason, Lu, and Golden Sparrow follow the trail of the mysterious man. They reach upon a temple where the man is. There, Lu confronts the Silent Monk (Jet Li), who was the mysterious man. There they both fight for the staff. The Silent Monk later learns that the staff is meant for the traveler. The four head towards the Five Elements Mountain in the quest of freeing the Monkey King and destroying the rule of the Jade Warlord.

On the way to the Mountain, Lu and the Silent Monk teach Jason Kung Fu. They are attacked by Ni-Chang and the Jade Warriors, but before anyone got hurt the four escape on their horses with the staff intact. Ni-Chang fires an arrow into the air in the direction of the travelers. Lu is hit with the arrow and falls from his horse. In order to heal from the deep wound he needs the elixir from the Jade Warlord. Jason wanting to help Lu, heads toward the palace with the staff to exchange it for the elixir. Once at the palace he learns that the elixir was promised to Ni-Chang if she brought back the staff, but since Jason brought it, he has to fight Ni-Chang to death, the winner getting the elixir. The Silent Monk notices that Jason has left with the staff and pursues Jason along with Golden Sparrow. Back at the palace, Jason and Ni-Chang fight, with Ni-Chang having a better advantage over Jason. Ni-Chang wins the fight, but before she can kill Jason, the Jade Warlord orders her to stop. The Jade Warlord orders Jason to be killed by his men, but before they kill him, the Silent Monk and Golden Sparrow arrive. The fight begins between The Silent Monk and the Jade Warlord, Golden Sparrow and Ni-Chang. Lu then arrives at the palace, being carried by village people. Jason takes the elixir and throws it to Lu Yan who drinks it and gets his strength and energy back. Lu then fights Ni-Chang on the balcony. The Silent Monk is mortally wounded during his battle with the Jade Warlord and throws the staff to Jason. Jason takes the staff and frees the Monkey King from his statue form. The Silent Monk dies from injuries and reverts into a golden hair, revealing him to be a magical human familiar created by the Monkey King prior to his imprisonment. The fight between the Monkey king and the Jade Warlord commences. Golden Sparrow tries to kill The Jade Warlord, but is killed instead. After a long battle, Jason is able to kill the Jade Warlord and Lu Yan kills Ni-Chang. He is then thanked by the Jade Emperor for his bravery and fulfilling the people's prophecy. He is then transported back to his world.

When Jason wakes up, he is attacked by the bullies, but this time he uses his Kung Fu skills and beats up the leader. He then goes to see if Hop is alright, and learns that Hop is actually Lu Yan. Hop is taken to the hospital, before Jason leaves the scene, he sees a girl who looks like Golden Sparrow. She thanks him for being brave and tells him she will see him later. She then goes into her store (Golden Sparrow). Jason, surprised but delighted to see her, leaves and goes home, where he practices his Kung Fu.

一个夏日，这个十七岁的男孩骑着脚踏车，到波士顿唐人街的一家当铺寻找具有收藏价值的中国功夫片，但他总是在穿过自己家附近的巷子时遇到麻烦，因为杰森经常被一群混混盯上，并且常受到他们的欺负。杰森精通电子游戏，对于功夫片也是如数家珍，他总是希望自己也能成为一名功夫高手，然而当铺的老板老霍却认为，杰森根本不是这块料，他根本不知道什么是功夫。

这天，杰森偶然在当铺里面发现了一根神秘的金箍棒，竟然因此穿越“无门之门”来到了古代的中国！他发现自己已经置身于一个惊世预言中：一个使者要将传说中的武器交还给它的主人，从而解救被困在石头中五百年的美猴王。

在古老而神秘的中国，杰森开始了充满艰险的旅途。他一路遇到许多来自武侠世界或古代传说中的人物：号称是八仙之一及醉拳大师的吟游诗人鲁彦(成龙饰)，报仇心切的侠女金燕子(刘亦菲饰)与沉默寡言又神秘强悍的默僧(李连杰饰)等。一行四人共同前往五指山，传说中的美猴王就被邪恶的玉疆战神(邹兆龙饰)禁锢在那里。玉帝督军派出麾下第一杀手——恶名昭著的白发魔女(资料：电影《功夫之王》剧情简介)霓裳(李冰冰饰)，霓裳率领一众杀手多番追杀杰森等人，令杰森在苦心领会中国功夫的同时还要面临内心的恐惧。到底杰森的这一趟旅程是因为太过着迷功夫所作的一场幻梦，还是他真真切切的穿越时空去实现古老的预言？

醉仙鲁彦说：“你来自的世界才是梦境，要解救美猴王，必须要先救赎你自己……”

Learn Chinese Podcast | Happy China - 2

2008-04-24T23:49:00.000-07:00

Designed for Intermediate Level (what's it?) learners

After watching video, please answer the following questions to know whether you understand.看完视频后，请回答以下问题，来了解你是否已经理解本单元的内容。

1, Which sentence made by '不是，而是' is correct?
a) 我们不是会说英语，而是会说汉语
b) 我们不是开车去的，而是坐火车去的
c) 这几天天气很差，不是下雨，而是刮风

2, Which pronunciation of 鸭绿江 is correct?
a) ya1 lu4 jiang1
b) ya1 lǜ jiang1

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Learn Chinese Podcast | Start to Learn Chinese

2008-04-24T20:39:00.000-07:00

Designed for Zero - Survival Level (what's it?) learners

After watching video, please answer the following questions to know whether you understand.

1, How to say 'Hello' in Chinese?
a) ni3 hao3
b) ni3 hao3 ma
c) yang1 yang

2, What is Chinese meaning of 'ugly'?
a) chou4
b) chou3
c) chou2
d) chou1

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Learn Chinese Podcast | Happy China - 1

2008-04-24T19:50:00.000-07:00

Designed for Intermediate Level (what's it?) learners

After watching video, please answer the following questions to know whether you understand.看完视频后，请回答以下问题，来了解你是否已经理解本单元的内容。

1, 我们这个学习汉语节目要开始一个新单元的名字叫什么？
a) 快乐中国
b) 快乐海疆行
c) 汉语国际推广

2，“海疆”最接近的意思是
a) coastal areas and territorial seas
b) seacoast
c) a sandy beach

3，中国的海岸线长度是多少？
a) 1万公里
b) 1万2千公里
c) 1万8千公里

4，“赏心悦目”是什么意思？

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Introduction of Volunteer - Volunteer No. 3878

2008-04-14T23:54:00.000-07:00

Name: Leo Wei
Location: 丰泽/Fengze
Occupation: 大学生/College student

Hi.This is Leo Wei.My Chinese is excellent.I'd like to teach foreigners chinese.If you are intersted in it,please contact me.

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Introduction of Teacher 54 - Zhu Shuyi

2008-04-14T23:42:00.000-07:00

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I graduated from Beijing Language University(BLCU)，major in teaching Chinese as the second language, Master degree.
As a Chinese teacher in The College of Intensive Chinese Training and Chinese College in BLCU, I have taught spoken Chinese and listening Chinese and so on.
I joined in the HBA (Harvard Beijing Academy) project in 2006, in this project, I learned a lot of things from other Chinese teachers from Harvard university. After two months teaching, I became more familiar with the learning process of the foreign students.
I am good at teaching BUSINESS CHINESE and SPOKEN CHINESE, and teach beginners. I had experiences in teaching CHINESE CHARACTER.
I am very patient in teaching. I am able to speak fluent Cantonese and Hakka.

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Introduction of Teacher 44 - Zheng Mingzhe

2008-03-02T18:15:00.001-08:00

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Graduated From: Beijing Language and Culture University 北京语言文化大学 (www.blcu.edu.cn)
Major: Teaching Chinese as second Language
Experience: Professional Chinese Teacher for over 3 years. Teaching Chinese for more than 200 global students 24/7 from beginner to advanced. Highly experienced.

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Introduction of Teacher 53 - Wu Wei

2008-02-01T07:30:00.000-08:00

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I love students and enjoy being a teacher. I prefer first to be a friend of my students. I think a wonderful class should full of interest, energy and challenge besides knowledge transfer. On the other hand, I conduct my class not only in the classroom, but any place which is suitable for culture exchange. In 12 years I had experienced teacher, editor, anchor, tour guide, secretary and interpreter, I think my various professional history will be helpful for me when I conduct class for different students from different countries.

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Introduction of Teacher 51 - Wang Yan Li

2007-10-21T04:31:00.000-07:00

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I am optimistic, energetic, responsible, patient. I like to study any language and I hope I can use them as soon as possible. Besides, I am good with people and have excellent communication skills.

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Why 'Practice' is the most important?

2007-09-20T02:17:00.000-07:00

Many Chinese learners do not like to open mouth to practice what they learned. They always think reading books and listening to mp3/podcast is enough to learn Chinese. It is absolutely incorrect.
We did a comparative experiment through a survey among learners who already learned Chinese about 1 year by themselves or with Chinese teachers. They all never come to China. One group of learners keep practice with Chinese at least twice a week. The other group almost open mouth to speak Chinese with real Chinese people less than 2 times per month, they like to learn by themselves, listen mp3 or use some software, have some Chinese friends on instant messengers to chat by typing or exchange email. The result is as followed,

The first Group:

Listening ability - 85% is good and can understand clearly what they already learned.

Conversation ability - 68% can express some simple topics clearly in Chinese. (Example: 你住在哪里？你家几口人？你孩子几岁了。今天天气怎么样？) Pronunciation is good or qualified.
48% already can express some complex topics (Example: 你知道最近中国猪肉价格上涨迅速，大家担心会引发通货膨胀的新闻吗？最近美国次级抵押贷款市场引发的危机，对你有影响吗？你觉得你是一个内向的人还是外向的人？)

Characters understanding - 62% can read characters they already learned. Among them, about 85% have learning experience with teachers.

The second Group:

Listening ability - Only 24% can understand clearly our questions in Chinese. Almost 72% cannot understand our question after we repeat 3 times. Finally we have to translate to their native language. When they hear translation, some of them only express 'I ever learned it before, but already forget now'

Conversation ability - Almost 35% only can speak some very simple sentences, example: 你好，我叫... ，我在学中文。Over 85% ' s pronunciation is not good or difficult to understand. 32% cannot express a complete sentence. No one can express any complex topics.

Characters understanding - Only 9% can read characters.

Our suggestions to Chinese Learners after this survey:
1, Only learning with book and mp3, chatting and writing email is not enough. Open your mouth to practice and use Chinese with real Chinese people at least twice per month.
2, Find a professional teacher to learn. It will help you to save time.
3, Do not feel shy to talk with Chinese volunteers. They love to talk with you.
4, Many language points cannot be remembered without enough practice. Example: Quantifier 一个人, 两只梨头, 三口钟, 一把茶壶, 一轮明月, 一钩残月, 一弯新月, 一叶扁舟, 一缕笛声 These Quantifiers also are difficult for native Chinese speakers to remember without practice during childhood.

Posted by Chinese Adviser Carter
http://www.hellomandarin.com/service/adviser.html

How to use Reservation to meet Volunteers?

2007-09-17T02:00:00.000-07:00

We added new reservation function in Voice Connecting China - Practice With Volunteers. Maybe you met the following difficulties. When you want to learn Chinese or practice Chinese with a certain volunteer, but he/she is not online at this time. Now you can use Reservation function to ask this volunteer to meet you at requested time.
Please do as followed steps,
1, View Volunteers list, Watch Say Hello Video and read background of volunteers
2, Find or select your favorite Chinese volunteer
3, If he/she is online now, please call him/her directly. If he/she is not online, please fill reservation form to input a time when you want to meet based volunteers' open time map
4, After Chinese Volunteer receive your reservation, he/she will confirm and you will get confirmation info in Practice channel of student zone.
5, Meet your favorite volunteers at reserved time.

Notes: Only Formal students can use Reservation system.

Go to Voice Connecting China - Practice Chinese With Volunteers

Comparison between Private Class and Group Class

2007-09-05T20:01:00.000-07:00

Strong Points of Group Class:
1, Join at any time, do not need to reserve
2, Lower Cost

Week Points of Group Class:
1, Cannot Choose favorite teacher before class. Do not know evaluation history and experience of teacher. Cannot join trial class from a targeted teacher.
2, Only offer conversation practice around limited topics. Cannot offer complete education system including textbook, preview, review, vocabulary, exercise... in the class
3, Teacher cannot track student' s progress. Does not know which part a student already learnt or not because teacher is always changing in every class.

Strong Points of Private Class:
1, Can Choose your favorite teacher before class through joining trial class from the teacher, view evaluation from previous students, watch saying hello video and class demo. All of teachers are excellent and have their own features, but every student has different favour. You can choose based on your favour.
2, Teacher will go with you from beginning to the end of learning process. He/She knows every detail of your learning including weak points and strong points. Teacher can design personalized solution for you. You will not waste time.
3, Textbook and class process is complete. Not just conversation. http://www.hellomandarin.com/courses/course.html

Weak Points of Private Class:
1, You need to reserve before class
2, Cost is a little higher than group class, but class efficiency is much higher.

If students have no enough budget to join private class, we suggest you can choose basic package. Cost is lower than group class. Our volunteers are also good teachers, compared with formal teachers, they only are lack of enough experience. You also can view evaluation history of every volunteer from previous students. http://www.hellomandarin.com/connectingchina/index.php

Introduction of Teacher 34 - Jiang Saishuang

2007-08-14T04:46:00.000-07:00

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Good at course of Children Chinese, Chinese Culture and Practical Chinese.

Level 10 of Piano Text. Graduated from Science and Technology of Shandong Univercity in July,2005. Occupied social director in student association. Achieved scholarship and other awards in every year,furthermore, many my essays were published in campus magazine. I gained Computer Science Bachelor.
Have taken tutor jobs for foreign students for over 4 years. Patient, humorous, knowledgeable, Students are from Korea, Japan and UK, including their parents. They are from age 10 to age 40.

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Introduction of Teacher 39 - Yang Haili

2007-08-14T04:40:00.000-07:00

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Graduated from Beijing Language and Culture University. Major is Teaching Chinese as second Language. Interests: China Culture, History, Geography and Literature. Ever studied in Cambridge University of UK.

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Introduction of Teacher 40 - Zhao Yating

2007-08-14T04:31:00.000-07:00

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Graduated from China University of Political Science and Law. Worked as Chinese teacher for 4 years. Have enough background and experience of Business Chinese, foreign investment enterprises, Children Chinese and Chinese Law course.

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Learn Chinese

2007-08-06T04:15:00.000-07:00

Hello! Mandarin is planning to add a Basic Learning Package. Different from Whole Package, Basic Package will decrease live class amount and teaching cost. The package is a monthly description service including unlimited textbook, courseware, library, practice with volunteers and 1 live class per month. You can learn mainly with volunteers and 1 live class with professional teachers.

The Basic Package is only $29.99 per month.

Learn Chinese - An easy way to test your Chinese level - Listening Level - Mastery

2007-08-05T02:12:00.000-07:00

Spend 5 minutes to know your current Listening Level of Chinese language - Mastery Level

Watch the following video, if you can understand clearly, it can show your listening level of Chinese language already passed Mastery level 3. (Learn more about what is Mastery level)

Notes: According to official statistic, a student should spend 4-6 months to pass Mastery level 3 from Advanced level 3. If you do not pass within above period, it shows your progress maybe is slower than average. We suggest you need to contact our study adviser for more detailed suggestion to help you to adjust study plan. (Click here to contact study adviser)

Notes: Above test is only simple one. If you need to get a more accurate result, please join a formal level assessment or login student zone to join level assessment.

Learn Chinese - An easy way to test your Chinese level - Listening Level - Advanced

2007-08-03T04:28:00.001-07:00

Spend 5 minutes to know your current Listening Level of Chinese language - Advanced Level

Watch the following video, if you can understand clearly, it can show your listening level of Chinese language already passed Advanced level 3. (Learn more about what is Advanced level)

Notes: According to official statistic, a student should spend 4-6 months to pass Advanced level 3 from Intermediate level 3. If you do not pass within above period, it shows your progress maybe is slower than average. We suggest you need to contact our study adviser for more detailed suggestion to help you to adjust study plan. (Click here to contact study adviser)

Notes: Above test is only simple one. If you need to get a more accurate result, please join a formal level assessment or login student zone to join level assessment.

Learn Chinese - An easy way to test your Chinese level - Listening Level - Intermediate

2007-08-03T04:23:00.000-07:00

Spend 5 minutes to know your current Listening Level of Chinese language - Intermediate Level

Watch the following video, if you can understand clearly, it can show your listening level of Chinese language already passed Intermediate level 3. (Learn more about what is Intermediate level)

Notes: According to official statistic, a student should spend 4-6 months to pass Intermediate level 3 from Beginner level 3. If you do not pass within above period, it shows your progress maybe is slower than average. We suggest you need to contact our study adviser for more detailed suggestion to help you to adjust study plan. (Click here to contact study adviser)

Notes: Above test is only simple one. If you need to get a more accurate result, please join a formal level assessment or login student zone to join level assessment.

Learn Chinese - An easy way to test your Chinese level - Listening Level - Beginner

2007-08-03T04:14:00.000-07:00

Spend 5 minutes to know your current Listening Level of Chinese language - Beginner Level

Watch the following video, if you can understand clearly, it can show your listening level of Chinese language already passed Beginner level 3. (Learn more about what is Beginner level)

Notes: According to official statistic, a student should spend 4-6 months to pass Beginner level 3 from Survival level 3. If you do not pass within above period, it shows your progress maybe is slower than average. We suggest you need to contact our study adviser for more detailed suggestion to help you to adjust study plan. (Click here to contact study adviser)

Notes: Above test is only simple one. If you need to get a more accurate result, please join a formal level assessment or login student zone to join level assessment.

Learn Chinese - An easy way to test your Chinese level - Listening Level - Survival

2007-08-03T03:43:00.000-07:00

Spend 5 minutes to know your current Listening Level of Chinese language - Survival Level

Watch the following video, if you can understand clearly, it can show your listening level of Chinese language already passed Survival level 3. (Learn more about what is survival level)

Notes: According to official statistic, a student should spend 4-6 months to pass Survival level 3 from zero level. If you do not pass within above period, it shows your progress maybe is slower than average. We suggest you need to contact our study adviser for more detailed suggestion to help you to adjust study plan. (Click here to contact study adviser)

Notes: Above test is only simple one. If you need to get a more accurate result, please join a formal level assessment or login student zone to join level assessment.

Before watching, you also can know more about background of the above material if you are not very confident.

Who is Yi JianLian - NBA New Comer 2007

NBA News
http://www.nba.com/summerleague2007/players/index.jsp?player=yi_jianlian
http://www.nba.com/chat_and_mailboxes/NBAcom_Blog_Yi_Jianlian.html

Introduction of Teacher 45 - Kong yin

2007-08-02T21:17:00.000-07:00

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I had been a teacher in Shandong University of Science and Technology for 9 years. Now, I study in China University of Mining & Technology for my PhD. In terms of language ability, I have passed CET-6 for English and got top level in Mandarin Test. I had ever been a professional translator in BCIA T3 project. I’m confident that my combination of teaching experience and a good command of both Chinese and English have prepared me well. Furthermore, my passion for the development of world culture communication gives me a good sense to perform well in this job.

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Introduction of Teacher 50 - Gao Yongle - Learn Chinese

2007-08-01T18:30:00.000-07:00

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I was graduated from University of International Business and Economics, and my major is business English. At the same time, I also finished the BGS (Bachelor’s Degree of General Study), awarded by Fort Hays State University in USA .
I worked as a teacher to teach Chinese as a foreign language. I not only enhanced my professional English level, but also made some improvement in the areas of the history and the geography of China .
I am optimistic, energetic and open-minded. There is no problem of communicating with people. I also have quick reaction to urgency and Down-to-earth attitude. And mow, I am eager to teach, not only Chinese language but also Chinese culture, Chinese history and all the round of Chinese to foreigners.

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Introduction of Teacher 48 - Wang Li - Learn Chinese

2007-07-31T19:58:00.000-07:00

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I have learned tourism guide in Beijing. I like to communicate with others, especially to foreign friends.I often help foreigners who cannot communicate with Chinese people, and enjoy the feeling and pleasure after helping them.

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Introduction of Teacher 47 - Su ying - Learn Chinese

2007-07-30T20:49:00.001-07:00

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Teacher 47, SU Ying, a native of Beijing and was graduated from Fudan University in 2006 with a Master's degree. She can speak English and German fluently as a bilingual Chinese teacher. She is majoring in Literary Theory based in Chinese Literature and Language Study Department. She has 3 years Chinese teaching experience in both Fudan University, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics and Chinese World. She taught writing, listening and speaking. She had passed the National Advanced Chinese Language Teaching Skill Test. Now She is teaching in Peking University.

She had taught two type of students. One is majored by students from Japan and South Kora. She found they do not had much difficulty in Chinese characters and Chinese cultures. But because of their class consistency, they do not have to use Chinese to communicate in their class. The other type is the class majored by students from western language speaking countries, they have more difficulty on Chinese characters and some of them are addicted in grammar and sentence patterns. But the advantage is they are active in class and very welling to express themselves by what they learned, although sometimes it seems not easy to control the topic of the class for the teacher.

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Business Chinese--About the Time

2007-07-29T23:47:00.000-07:00

If you arrange to meet a Chinese customer at 10:00 am,when should you reach the appointed place?

At 9 '50, 10:00 or 10:05, which is better?

According to the Western habit, you will probably arrive on time or a bit later. However,
a Chinese will arrive on time or sometimes several minutes ahead of schedule When meeting an important person or keeping an important appointment to show respect to the other party. So be sure not to be late for a meeting with a Chinese, if you arrive several minutes earlier, the other party will be pleased. This means that you are honest and reliable.

However, there is such a popular saying in China:"Time is not valuable."
Why is that? Since the Chinese observe time,why dose time worthless?
In fact, however, you will find it contradictory if you analyze their attitude
towards time carefully. On the one hand,they observe time; while on the
other, they waste time.

The Westerners often waste materials but treasure people and time,
believing that as time is short for human life, it is of great importance;
while the Chinese waste people and time, but treasure materials, not
sparing to exchange more materials with time and life, and even striving
to leave rich materials for the later generations as the continuation of their
lives. However, with the deepening of the exchanges between China and
the Western countries, some foreign cultural concepts have been gradually
spread to China, influencing the ancient land. Now you will also often
hear the Chinese say "Time is money" or "Time is life".

the mood 情绪

2007-07-29T23:36:00.001-07:00

Do you know how to express your mood in Chinese?
Here're some words to help you.

高兴 gāo xìng happy
快乐 kuài lè joyful
生气 shēng qì angry
悲哀 bēi āi sorrow
伤心 shāng xīn sad
兴奋 xīng fèn excited
激动 jī dòng excited
惊讶 jīng yà surprised
满足 mǎn zú satisfied, content
狂怒 kuáng nù furious
尴尬 gān gà embarrassed
忧虑 yōu lǜ worried
郁闷 yù mèn gloomy, melancholy
失望 shī wàng disappointed
平静 ping jìng calm
恐惧 kǒng jù terrified
胆怯 dǎn qiè timid
感激 gǎn jī grateful
骄傲 jiāo ào proud

The dialog about mood

2007-07-29T23:35:00.001-07:00

Chinese:
李：我父亲上个月去世了。
王：听到这个消息，我很难过。你还好吧？
李：嗯，别担心。现在我很平静。

Pinyin:
Lǐ: Wǒ fù qīn shàng gè yuè qù shì le.
Wáng: Tīng dào zhè gè xiāo xī, wǒ hěn nán guò. nǐ hái hǎo ba?
Lǐ: g, bié dān xīn. Xiàn zài wǒ hěn ping jìng.

English:
Li: My father passed away last month.
Wang: I'm sorry to hear that. Are you OK?
Li: Yes. Don't worry. I'm calm now.

The dialog about mood(2)

2007-07-29T23:33:00.000-07:00

Chinese:
苏：太高兴了！公司的项目结束了，我下个月可以回国休假！
李：太好了！祝贺你！我也为你高兴！
苏：谢谢你！没有你的帮助，我的项目不可能这么顺利！我很
　　感激！
李：不用谢！

Pinyin:
Sū: Tài gāo xìng le! Gōng sī de xiàng mù jié shù le, wǒ xià gè yuè kě yǐ huí guó xiū jià!
Lǐ: Tài hǎo le! Zhòu hè nǐ! wǒ yě wèi nǐ gāo xìng!
Sū: Xiè xiè nǐ! Méi yǒu nǐ de bāng zhù, wǒ de xiàng mù bù kě néng zhè me shun lì! wǒ hěn gǎn jī!
Lǐ: Bù yòng xiè!

English:
Sue: I'm very happy! My company's project is over and I can go back to my country and take a vacation next month.
Li: Great! Congratulations! I'm happy for you!
Sue: Thank you! Without your help, my project would not have gone so well! I really appreciate your help.
Li: You are welcome!

The Purple Forbidden City

2007-07-29T23:32:00.000-07:00

the palace museum; also know as the Purple Forbidden City. It is the largest and most well reserved imperial residence in China today. Under Ming Emperor Yongle, construction began in 1406. It took 14years to build the Forbidden City. The first ruler who actually lived here was Ming Emperor Zhudi. For five centuries thereafter, it continued to be the residence of23 successive emperors until 1911 when Qing Emperor Puyi was forced to abdicate the throne .In 1987, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization recognized the Forbidden City was a world cultural legacy.

It is believed that the Palace Museum, or Zi Jin Cheng (Purple Forbidden City), got its name from astronomy folklore, The ancient astronomers divided the constellations into groups and centered them around the Ziwei Yuan(North Star). The constellation containing the North Star was called the Constellation of Heavenly God and star itself was called the purple palace. Because the emperor was supposedly the son of the heavenly gods, his central and dominant position would be further highlighted the use of the word purple in the name of his residence. In folklore, the term ”an eastern purple cloud is drifting” became a metaphor for auspicious events after a purple cloud was seen drifting eastward immediately before the arrival of an ancient philosopher, LaoZi, to the Hanghu Pass. Here, purple is associated with auspicious developments. The word jin (forbidden) is self-explanatory as the imperial palace was heavily guarded and off-explanatory as the imperial palace was heavily guarded and off-limits to ordinary people.

The red and yellow used on the palace walls and roofs are also symbolic. Red represents happiness, good fortune and wealth. Yellow is the color of the earth on the Loess Plateau, the original home of the Chinese people. Yellow became an imperial color during the Tang dynasty, when only members of the royal family were allowed to wear it and use it in their architecture.

The Forbidden City is rectangular in shape. It is 960 meters long from north to south and 750 meter wide from east west. It has 9,900 rooms under a total roof area 150,000 square meters .A 52-meter-wide-moat encircles a 9.9-meter—high wall which encloses the complex. Octagon —shaped turrets rest on the four corners of the wall. There are four entrances into the city: the Meridian Gate to the south, the Shenwu Gate(Gate of Military Prowess) to the north, and the Xihua Gate(Gate of military Prowess) to the north, and the Xihua Gate(Western Flowery Gate )to the west ,the Donghua (Eastern Flowery Gate) to the east.

Manpower and materials throughout the country were used to build the Forbidden City. A total of 230,000 artisans and one million laborers were employed. Marble was quarried from fangshan Country Mount Pan in Jixian County in Hebei Province. Granite was quarried in Quyang County in Hebei Province. Paving blocks were fired in kilns in Suzhou in southern China. Bricks and scarlet pigmentation used on the palatial walls came from linqing in Shandong Province .Timber was cut ,processed and hauled from the northwestern and southern regions.

The structure in front of us is the Meridian Gate. It is the main entrance to the forbidden City. It is also knows as Wufenglou(Five-Phoenix Tower). Ming emperors held lavish banquets here on the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar year in hornor of their counties .They also used this place for punishing officals by flogging them with sticks.

Qing emperors used this building to announce the beginning of the new year. Qing Emperor Qianglong changed the original name of this announcement ceremony from ban li(announcement of calendar)to ban shou(announcement of new moon )to avoid coincidental association with another Emperor` s name, Hongli, which was considered a taboo at that time. Qing Dynasty emperors also used this place to hold audience and for other important ceremonies. For example,when the imperial army returned victoriously from the battlefield ,it was here that the Emperor presided over the ceremony to accept prisoners of war.

source:w865.com

The Temple of Heaven

2007-07-29T23:31:00.000-07:00

The Temple of Heaven was built in 1420 during the reign of Emperor Youngle of the Ming Dynasty. Situated in the southern part of the city ,this grand set of structures covers an area of 273 hectares. To better symbolize heaven and earth ,the northern part of the Temple is circular while the southern part is square .The whole compound is enclosed by two walls, a square wall outside a round one. The outer area is characterized by suburban scenery, while the inner part is used for sacrifices. The inner enclosure consists of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest and the Circular Mound Altar.
the Circular Mound Altar is enclosed by two walls ,each containing four groups of Southern Lattice Star Gate, each in turn consisting of three doors, with 24 marble doors altogether. Standing on the passage facing north, you will notice that with each pair of doors on is narrower than the other. This reflects the feudal hierarchy: the wider door was reserved for monarchs, while the narrower one was used by courtiers.
On the day of the ceremony ,the emperor would don his ritual costume and be ushered in by the official in charge of religious affairs. He ascended the three terraces in the forefront to pay tribute at the alter.

simple finals

2007-07-29T23:29:00.000-07:00

The main topic of this week is Articulation and Speech Organs
Let's begin with the first part--Simple finals

Compound Finals

2007-07-29T23:27:00.000-07:00

The second part is compound finals
There are 13 compound finals in Chinese

Initials

2007-07-29T23:24:00.001-07:00

The third part is initials
There are 21 initials in Chinese which are consonants.

Manner of Articulation

2007-07-29T23:21:00.001-07:00

The manner of articulation refers to how air stream is stopped or released.

Position of Articulation

2007-07-29T23:16:00.000-07:00

The position of articulation refers to where the air stream is stopped or constricted.

An Ancient Poem

2007-07-29T23:15:00.001-07:00

Do you like the ancient poem ?
Maybe you find them difficult to understand.
Here's a simple one.

A Riddle Game

2007-07-29T23:12:00.000-07:00

Do you find it's useful to learn Chinese by playing games?
In the process of playing ,you can get much information.

What is the Chinese Proficiency Test(HSK)

2007-07-29T21:31:00.002-07:00

The Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK) is a series test to assess the Chinese language proficiency of non-native speakers. It assesses the examinees' ability to use the Chinese language in communicative activities and understanding in the environment of studying in educational institutions, enterprises and other organizations. The HSK is the abbreviation of Chinese Pinyin: Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi.

The HSK consists of HSK (Basic), HSK (Elementary-Intermediate), HSK (Advanced), HSK (for Young Learners), HSK (for Business), HSK (for Secretaries), HSK (for Tourism). The HSK can fulfill the needs of testing and evaluating Chinese language proficiency in world wide.

The HSK (Basic), HSK (Elementary-Intermediate) and HSK (Advanced) are connected on the degree levels. They serve as the examination and evaluation for beginners, intermediate and advanced learners of the Chinese language. They also provide the testing reference to the relating educational institutions and certain organizations. The HSK (for Young Learners) is mainly for the young Chinese language learners under the age of 15. The HSK (for Business), HSK (for Secretaries) and HSK (for Tourism) are formed as the vocational Chinese Proficiency Test, which serves for the related organizations to provide testing reference for the process of policy making when enrolling, selecting and training personnel.

The HSK (Basic), HSK (Elementary-Intermediate) and HSK (Advanced) are primary tests. The HSK (for Young Learners), HSK (for Business), HSK (for Secretaries) and HSK (for Tourism) are secondary or branch tests. Branch tests are the new tests designed and developed from the basis of the main tests, in order to accommodate to the needs of the development of the Chinese language in the world and fulfill the needs of various groups of examinees. The main tests and branch tests are either related or independent. They complement each other. Each test is designed and developed under the fixed standard of the HSK.

With the development and practice of 20 years, the HSK has become a predominant test of bright characteristics. The HSK test has become the first choice of Chinese proficiency adopted by many groups and users worldwide. By the end of 2003, more than 300,000 overseas examinees had taken HSK.

source:internationalperson.com

The Host Organization of HSK

2007-07-29T21:31:00.001-07:00

The Chinese Ministry of Education has established the State Committee for the Chinese Proficiency Test (SCCPT). The Committee fully supervises the Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK) and is the host organization inside and outside of China.

SCCPT has set up an office, which is called the Office of the State Committee for the Chinese Proficiency Test (OSCCPT), located at the Department of Testing, China National Office for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language.

In order to accommodate to the needs of the development, the SCCPT decided to set up the HSK Designing and Developing Center and the HSK Testing Administration Center (located at Beijing Language and Culture University). The HSK Testing Administration Center will be responsible for the specific routine work of the Chinese Proficiency Test inside and outside of China.

Institutions for Designing and Developing the HSK

2007-07-29T21:30:00.000-07:00

In 1984, the Chinese Ministry of Education entrusted the Beijing Languages Institute (Now, Beijing Language and Culture University) to design and develop the Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK). In 1990, the HSK was appraised and officially put into practice inside and outside of China.

In 2002, the SCCPT entrusted Nanjing Normal University to design and develop the HSK (for Young Learners), entrusted Peking University to design and develop the HSK (for Business), entrusted Capital Normal University to design and develop the HSK (for Secretaries) and entrusted Shanghai Teachers' University to design and develop the HSK

source:internationalperson.com

Countries of Conducting the HSK举办HSK的国家

2007-07-29T21:29:00.002-07:00

Since HSK was officially put into practice, it has been set up in 140 testing centers in 34 countries or the world. These countries are: Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Russia, France, Philippines, Finland, Korea, Holland, Canada, Czech Republic, Malaysia, United States, Mongolia, Burma, Mexico, Japan, Sweden, Switzerland, Serbia and Montenegro, Thailand, Ukraine, Spain, Singapore, New Zealand, Hungary, Italy, Indonesia, United Kingdom, Vietnam and China.

举办HSK的国家
自推出至今，HSK在世界上34个国家设立了151个考点。举办国家包括澳大利亚、奥地利、保加利亚、比利时、丹麦、德国、俄罗斯、法国、菲律宾、芬兰、韩国、荷兰、加拿大、捷克、马来西亚、美国、蒙古、缅甸、墨西哥、日本、瑞典、瑞士、塞尔维亚和黑山共和国、泰国、乌克兰、西班牙、新加坡、新西兰、匈牙利、意大利、印尼、英国、越南、中国。

The Usage of the Results of the HSK成绩的使用

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A person, with minimum passing score in each level, will get a "Chinese Proficiency Certificate" for that level issued by the State Committee for the Chinese proficiency Test.

5.1. A person, with a "Chinese Proficiency Certificate" qualified above HSK Level 3 (HSK Basic A or HSK Elementary C), can attend higher institutions of education in China for he or she also courses in science, engineering, agriculture and Western medicine; can take the test of HSK (for Business), HSK (for Secretaries) and/or HSK (for Tourism).

5.2. A person, with a "Chinese Proficiency Certificate" qualified above the HSK Level 6, can attend the higher institutions of education in China for courses in literature, history and Chinese medicine.

5.3. A person, with a "Chinese Proficiency Certificate" qualified above HSK Level 9 can attend the higher institutions of education in China to take courses for post-graduates.

5.4. A person, with a "Chinese Proficiency Certificate" qualified for HSK Basic, Elementary, Intermediate and Advanced Level, can be exempt from attending the corresponding Chinese courses and can apply for jobs in various organizations of the world, which need working personnel with Chinese language proficiency.

5.5. The "Chinese Proficiency Certificate" qualified for HSK (for Young Learners) can be a proving-test to test the examinees' Chinese language level and communicative ability, can test the results of the Chinese language teaching in a school and can be the enrollment reference for the examinees who wish to study in China.

5.6. A person, with a "Chinese Proficiency Certificate" qualified for HSK (for Business), HSK (for Secretaries) and/or HSK (for Tourism), can be exempt from attending the corresponding Chinese courses and can apply for jobs to various organizations of the world, which need working personnel with Chinese language proficiency.

The Examinees of HSK考试对象

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The examinees of HSK are those whose first language is not the Chinese language.

6.1. The HSK (Basic) is appropriate for those beginners who have had 100-800 hours of formal education in modern Chinese, and have a basic vocabulary of 400-3,000 common Chinese characters (at the A and B levels), and who understand the corresponding Chinese grammar structures (at the A and B levels).

6.2. The HSK (Elementary-Intermediate) is appropriate for elementary and intermediate students of Chinese who have had 400-2,000 hours of formal education in modern Chinese, have a basic vocabulary of 2,000-5,000 common Chinese characters (at the A, B and C levels), and who understand the corresponding Chinese grammar structure (at the A, B and C levels).

6.3. The HSK (Advanced) is appropriate for Advanced students of Chinese who have had 3,000 hours of formal education in modern Chinese, have a basic vocabulary of 5,000-8,000 common Chinese characters (at the A, B, C and D levels), and who understand the corresponding Chinese grammar structure (at the A, B, C and D levels).

6.4. The HSK (for Young learners) is appropriate for young learners of Chinese under the age of 15. Level 1 is appropriate for those who have had 150 hours of learning Chinese; Level 2 is appropriate for those who have had 250 hours of learning Chinese; and level 3 is appropriate for those who have had 400 hours of learning Chinese.

6.5. The HSK (for Business), HSK (for Secretaries) and HSK (for Tourism) are appropriate for those who hold a HSK Level 3 (HSK Basic A or HSK Elementary C) or above that level.

The Contents of HSK 考试内容

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7.1. HSK (Basic) Test Contents Test Items Item Numbers Test Duration
Listening Comprehension Listening 1 15 50 About 35 minutes
Listening 2 15
Listening 3 20
Grammatical Structure Grammar 1 20 40 40 minutes
Grammar 2 20
Reading Comprehension Reading 1 20 50 60 minutes
Reading 2 30
Total 140 About 135 minutes　

7.2. HSK (Elementary-Intermediate)

Test Contents Item Numbers Item Proportion Test Duration
Listening Comprehension 50 29.4% About 35 minutes
Grammatical Structure 30 17.7% 20 minutes
Reading Comprehension 50 29.4% 60 minutes
Cloze Test 40 23.5% 30 minutes
Total 170 About 145 minutes

7.3. HSK (Advanced)

Tests Test Items Item Numbers Test Duration
Objective Test Listening Comprehension 40 About 25 minutes
Reading Comprehension 40 40 minutes
Comprehensive Expression 40 40 minutes
Total 120 About 105 minutes
Subjective Test Writing 1（400-600 words） 30 minutes
Oral Test 10 minute recording 10 minutes preparation，10 minutes test，total 20 minutes
Total 50 minutes
Total About 155 minutes

7.4. HSK (Young Learners)

Level 1 Test Contents Item Numbers Test Duration
Listening 22 About 12 minutes
Reading 30 22 minutes
Writing 18 16 minutes
Total 70 About 50 minutes
Oral 5 7 minutes

Level 2 Test Contents Item Numbers Test Duration
Listening 21 About 15minutes
Reading 41 35 minutes
Writing 13 20 minutes
Total 75 About 70 minutes
Oral 7 8 minutes

Level 3 Test Contents Item Numbers Test Duration
Listening 25 About 20 minutes
Reading 50 40 minutes
Writing 5 30 minutes
Total 80 About 90 minutes
Oral 7 10 minutes

Notes: HSK (Young Learners) Oral Test will be divided into stages and batches.

7.5. HSK (Business) Test Contents Item Numbers Test Duration
Objective Test Listening 50 About 40 minutes
Reading（including some Cloze Test and simple questions） 50 55 minutes
Subjective Test Oral 3 5 minutes preparation，10 minutes recording，total 15 minutes
Writing 2 40 minutes
Total 105 About 150

7.6. HSK (for Secretaries) Test Contents Item Numbers Test Duration
Objective Test Listening 33 About 38 minutes
Reading and Language Knowledge 47 55 minutes
Subjective Test Writing 2 40 minutes
Oral 2 About 17 minutes
Total 84 About 150 minutes

7.7. HSK (for Tourism) Test Contents Item Numbers Test Duration
Objective Test Listening （Including some writing questions after listening） 50 About 40 minutes
Reading （Including some written answers to questions after reading） 45 50 minutes
Subjective Test Writing 2 45 minutes
Oral 2 15 minutes
Total 99 About 150 minutes

Hand-shaking(1)

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Introduction of "Hand-shaking" in China

Introduction of 'Hand-shaking' of Chinese

2007-07-29T21:24:00.001-07:00

Hand-shaking(3)

2007-07-29T21:22:00.000-07:00

Clothing(1)

2007-07-29T21:17:00.001-07:00

Have you realized that clothing is the first wxchange of information between you and strangers?Your clothing might leave as your first impression to others over a long time.

Clothing (2)

2007-07-29T21:04:00.001-07:00

Top 10 Chinese Holiday Calendar for the Year of the Pig (2007)(1)

2007-07-29T21:03:00.001-07:00

Chinese New Year may be China’s biggest excuse for a party, but it’s not the only one. There are many Chinese holidays throughout the year, and most have their own special celebration food. Because Chinese holidays are based on the lunar calendar, the date on the Gregorian calendar changes from one year to the next. Here is a Chinese holiday calendar with dates and information about the major festivals and significant days in 2007, the Year of the Pig (also called the Year of the Boar).

1. Chinese New Year - February 18, 2007
For millions of Asians, Chinese New Year is more than one special day. Families spend weeks preparing for the big event – cleaning house, painting doors and windows red, and cooking special foods. Celebrations for Chinese New Year, also called the Spring Festival, last a full fifteen days. Learn more about Chinese New Year, the symbolic significance of festive foods, and try New Years recipes. (Date of Chinese New Year Day: first day of the first Chinese lunar month).

2. Lantern Festival - March 4, 2007
Missed celebrating Valentine’s Day with your sweetheart? You get a second chance with The Lantern Festival. Falling on the last day of the Chinese New Year season, the Lantern Festival is traditionally a day for lovers. Learn more and try a recipe for Yuanxiao, the sticky rice dumplings that are served at Lantern festival celebrations. (Date: fifteenth day of the first Chinese lunar month).

to be continued...

copyright:chineseculture.about.com

Top 10 Chinese Holiday Calendar for the Year of the Pig (2007)(2)

2007-07-29T21:02:00.000-07:00

3. Kuan Yin's Birthday - April 6, 2007
A few weeks after the Irish pay homage to St. Patrick, Buddhists will be celebrating the birthday of the Goddess of Mercy. Learn more about Buddhism's most universally beloved deity and celebrate the day with classic Irish and Asian recipes. (Date: nineteenth day of the second Chinese lunar month).

4. Ching Ming – the Tomb Sweeping Festival - April 5, 2007
A gravesite picnic? Why not? The Tomb Sweeping festival is a time for families to honor the memory of their ancestors. Along with “tomb sweeping” – performing standard gravesite maintenance such as removing debris from the gravestones and replacing dead flowers - family members offer gifts of food, fruit and wine to the departed. After a formal ceremony, the food is shared among family members. Another tradition is to burn incense to ward off any evil spirits that may be lurking.

5. Cheung Chau Bun Festival – May 24, 2007
Every year, Hong Kong's tiny island of Cheung Chau holds a celebration honoring Pak Tai, the God of the Sea. The highlight of the three day festival involves a spectacular midnight race up steel towers that have been loaded with Chinese buns. (Date: the eighth day of the fourth lunar month).

6. Dragon Boat Festival - June 19, 2007
There are few sites more spectacular than a fleet of painted dragon boats racing toward the finish line, with a drummer in each boat hammering out the rhythm for the rowers to follow. The Dragon Boat Festival is China’s oldest festival. Find out more about this exciting event and learn how to make Zongzi, the sticky rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves that are an essential feature of any Dragon Boat Festival celebration. (Date: fifth day of the fifth Chinese lunar month).

Top 10 Chinese Holiday Calendar for the Year of the Pig (2007)(3)

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7. Chinese Valentine’s Day - August 19, 2007
They may not celebrate with chocolate and flowers, but the Chinese have a day devoted to love. Learn more about the legend of star-crossed lovers Niu Lang and Zhi Nu, and try several romantic menus to celebrate the holiday. (Date: seventh day of the seventh Chinese lunar month).

8. Hungry Ghost Festival - August 26, 2007
Even ghosts deserve time off. According to Chinese legend, every year ghosts are allowed to leave hell and return to earth for one month. Learn more in this feature by Greg Cruey, About's Guide to Asia for Visitors. (Date: fifteen day of the seventh Chinese lunar month).

9. Mid-Autumn Mooncake Festival - September 25, 2007
When the autumn harvest moon is at its fullest, the Chinese celebrate by lighting colorful lanterns and enjoying delicious mooncakes. Learn more about the legends behind the festival and try some mooncake recipes. (Date: fifteenth day of the eighth Chinese lunar month).

10. Double Ninth Day (Chung Yeung), Elder's Day - October 19, 2007
The Chinese believe nine is a lucky number, which makes Double Ninth Day particularly auspicious. In addition, because the words “nine” and “long” are homophones (words that sound alike but have different meanings), the government has designated this as a day for youth to honor their ancestors and the elderly. Traditions associated with Double Ninth Day include visiting gravesites, hill or mountain climbing, and drinking chrysanthemum wine. (Date: ninth day of the ninth Chinese lunar month).

Zong Zi - the Traditional Chinese Food(2)

2007-07-29T20:50:00.000-07:00

In addition, there is also a festival called the Duan Wu or Dragon Boat Festival. If you ever visit China during the Dragon Boat Festival, you can't miss the nationwide custom of enjoying Zong Zi. You are sure to be impressed with the delicacy of this snack, and with the faint scent of the leaves imprinted on the skin of the dumplings.

I still remember making and enjoying Zong Zi as a child. Along with my brothers and sisters I hovered around the stove, begging to have a taste, unable to wait until they were cooked. We were very eager since the food was made only once a year on May 5th. But now it is quite different. The Chinese Zong Zi is not only made for the Duan Wu Festival. It is available at any time of the year. And local areas have developed their own styles and varieties of dumpling.

The main ingredient of Zong Zi is the glutinous rice. The next most important ingredient is the bamboo or reed leaves which form the wrapping and make Zong Zi distinct from other types of Chinese dumplings. The filling often contains either dates or sweetened red bean paste. These are the ones I once had in my family. I like them much more than the ones with meat but my brother doesn't. He says the meat ones are terrific.

The leading place for the food is Jia Xing, an ancient town in Zhejiang province. Many different types of Zong Zi are made here. At Wu Fang Zhai, a monopolistic food processor, you'll find all the ingredients you need: the dumplings with meat, sweetened bean paste and chestnuts, lotus seeds, dates, and yolk of egg.

If the materials are available to you, it is quite possible for you to make Chinese Zong Zi at home; both for pleasure and maybe also to honor the great poet, Qu Yuan. By the way, in the year 2006 the Dragon Boat Festival happens to fall on May 31st, according to the solar calendar. You'd better prepare a net for the fish.

Zong Zi - the Traditional Chinese Food(3)

2007-07-29T20:48:00.001-07:00

Here is a recipe for Zong Zi:
(makes ten dumplings)
1. 50 sheets of bamboo or reed leaves
2. Glutinous rice (1 kilogram)
3. Chinese dates (250 grams)

Directions:

1.Soak the rice and the dates 12 hours or more till they are soaked thoroughly.
2.Wash the leaves.
3.A chopping board is necessary for laying out the leaves.
4.Fold the leaves flat at the leafstalk to make a sheet.
5.Hold the sheet, fold it round in the middle and make a funnel till both ends are laid over each other in one direction.
6.Use about 1/10 kg. of rice and 6 dates for each dumpling. The dates must be covered by the rice so that they won't lose too much syrup in cooking.
7.Fold the leaves up to seal the open side of the funnel and tie the bundle with a band made of twisted leaves. Make sure that the bundle is tied neither too tight nor too loose. This helps make sure that the ingredients are well cooked.
8.Put the dumplings in a pot, cover with water and make sure they are pressed and kept still while being boiled.
9.Cooking time: 40 minutes in a pressure cooker; 2 hours in an ordinary pot.

copyright:chineseculture.about.com

Top 5 CD-ROMs for Learning Chinese(2)

2007-07-29T20:45:00.000-07:00

3. Rosetta Stone: Chinese Explorer
The program features native speakers and more than 800 real-life color pictures. You may choose simplified characters or traditional characters with Pinyin.

4. Instant Immersion Mandarin Chinese 2 CD-ROM Set
Learn to speak Mandarin Chinese through complete immersion. The Euro Method is an easy and simple way to learn to speak a second language. Based on the same techniques that allow a 4-year-old child to speak a language long before that same child can read or write, the Instant Immersion Mandarin Chinese CDs teach users to speak Mandarin Chinese quickly.

5. Talk Now! Cantonese
This unconventional language-learning series offers games and quizzes that make the learning process fun, relaxing, and, as such, more successful. Ideal for beginners, Talk Now!

copyright: chineseculture.about.com

Four-character Phrases

2007-07-29T20:41:00.000-07:00

Here're some four-character phrases for you.
If you have questions about them,just tell me,please.

一心一意 yī xīn yī yì put one's whole heart into

三心二意 sān xīn èr yì with half a heart

举世闻名 jŭ shì wén míng be world-famous

臭名远扬 chòu míng yuăn yáng notorious

大功告成 dà gōng gào chéng be brought to successful completion

一败涂地 yī bài tú dì be a dead failure

心平气和 xīn píng qì hé in a calm state of mind

怒气冲天 nù qì chōng tiān be in a towering rage

一见钟情 yī jiàn zhōng qíng fall in love or become captivated at first sight

一举两得 yī jŭ liăng dé serve two purposes at once; kill two birds with one stone

大海捞针 dà hăi lāo zhēn fish for a needle in the ocean; be next to impossible

大开眼界 dà kāi yăn jiè be an eye-opener; broaden one’s horizon

心心相印 xīn xīn xiāng yìn have heart-to-heart communion with each other; share the same feeling

心满意足 xīn măi yì zú be perfectly content; be completely satisfied

dialog about mood (3)

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Chinese
李：最近我对自己有点失望，项目不太顺利。
王：不要这样。你一直做得很好，我一直都为你骄傲呢！
李：谢谢你！你真是我最好的朋友。在我悲哀的时候，你安
　慰我。在我得意的时候，你提醒我。在我恐惧的时候，
　你鼓励我。
王：对，我们是最好的朋友，永远。

Pinyin
Lǐ: Zuì jìn wǒ duì zì jǐ yǒu diǎn shī wàng, xiàng mù bù tài shùn lì.
Wáng: Bù yào zhè yang. nǐ yī zhí zuò de hěn hǎo, wǒ yī zhí dōu wèi nǐ jiāo ào ne!
Lǐ: Xiè xiè nǐ! nǐ zhēn shì wǒ zuì hǎo de péng you. Zài wǒ bēi āi de shí hòu, nǐ ān wèi wǒ. Zài wǒ dé yì de shí hòu. nǐ tí xǐng wǒ. Zài wǒ kǒng jù de shí hòu, nǐ gǔ lìwǒ.
Wáng: Duì, wǒ men shì zuì hǎo de péng you, yǒng yuǎn.

English
Li: I was disappointed in myself recently when my project did not go well.
Wang: Why? You've been doing well. I was proud of you!
Li: Thank you! You are really my best friend. You comfort me when I am sad, remind me that I was proud, and encourage me when I am disappointed.
Wang: Yes, we are best friends.

Origin of Chinese Characters

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As we know, written Chinese is not an alphabetic language. We call Chinese characters as 'squared characters' and they are. They seems very complicated and hard to learn. But Chinese is the most used language in the world and certainly one of the most beautiful languages. It will be interesting to know its origin.
The development of Chinese characters can be dated back to about 4,500 years as discovered at Yanghe, Shandong Province in recent years. There are about a dozen pottery wine vessels unearthed, which have a character each. Those characters are quite close to the oracle inscriptions carved by the ancients of the Shang Dynasty (16th to 11th century B. C.).

Top 5 CDs of Traditional Chinese Music

2007-07-29T19:08:00.000-07:00

Chinese music has a long history. Here are a few CDs for you to learn a little about the ancient music.
1. Masterpieces Of Chinese Traditional MusicInclues some of the well-known pieces of traditional music, such as Melodies from the Night Fishermen.
2. Traditional Chinese MusicThe moon is special in Chinese culture, so is the music. Hope you enjoy them.
3. Traditional Chinese MusicA good collection including Flowing Water from the High Mountain, Purple Bamboo Melody, etc.
4. Chinese Bamboo Flute MusicExperience some new and fresh music.
5. The Great Yellow RiverThis is one of the best modern Chinese music.