For many locals in Xi’an, spring means eating the bounty of fresh herbs that grow for a short period during the spring. There is a saying that a spring without herbs is a soulless one. During springtime, you will most likely find many locals heading to the mountains and fields to dig up wild herbs with shovels in hands and sunhats on head, as the potherb is the soul of theirs and this is the way they greet Spring.
hough it often seems like the primary occupation of foreigners in Xi’an is in the education industry, there are actually numerous jobs outside of this sector that are available in Xi’an. This month, we interview Richard Isaac, who is working as a professional cellist with the Xi’an Symphony Orchestra.
Christmas has often been compared to Spring Festival in terms of its cultural importance within Western Culture, and there is some merit to the comparison. Both are winter-based holidays that are celebrated annually. Both are times of togetherness, family, and tradition. You could even draw parallels with Red Envelopes and giving gifts. However, it’s easy to forget that, while the practice is small, some local Chinese people like to celebrate this holiday as well, though often in a different way than you might expect. So this year, we thought we’d take a look at the history of this ubiquitous Western holiday, and how it got to the Middle Kingdom
On November 3rd, AWE held their fifth meeting at L One restaurant. The aim of this session was to investigate whether it was possible to be both feminine and successful. The meeting was well attended with members from a variety of backgrounds present. The ladies present included women working in state media, government offices, business and medicine from seven different countries.
If you’ve lived in Xian for more than a minute or two, you might have noticed the word Tang pops up quite a lot here in Xi’an. The name corresponds to what is arguably one of the greatest Chinese dynasties, and what was indisputably the height of the power and prestige of Xi’an, then Chang’an. What you might not know is that there are many remnants of the historical city that have left their mark on modern Xi’an.
Shuyuan Men is an area of Xi’an located just inside of the South Gate, running along for a few hundred meters until eventually terminating close to the Forest of Steles near Wenchang Gate. This area is often visited by tourists, who come looking to pick up some trinkets or calligraphy – something to take home that looks like it has some cultural value. And, indeed, Shuyuan has become the home of some of Xi’an’s various artists, especially those that specialize in the ancient Chinese art of calligraphy.
Money and budgeting is one of the things on most people’s minds. Whether it is due to a change a of jobs when the income is tight, or whether you are just trying to save as much as possible to send back home, many people will reach times when they need to pull down on the purse strings and really save some money. So all of this begs the question, how much does it cost to live minimally in Xi’an.
Sometimes the difficult memories can be the ones that stick with you in the most detailed way – like trying to cram the most important physical pieces of your life into a 30kg piece of luggage and moving to an unfamiliar new country and city. I still remember walking out of the T2 arrivals terminal at Xianyang airport, rehearsing how to say the address of my university in Chinese over and over again in my head so that a taxi driver wouldn’t get confused by my poor intonation of tones. Fast forward four years later, a bucketful of new memories and experiences, great friendships and some faded acquaintances, we arrive to the present day where I find myself trying to accurately puzzle together my experiences and feelings about life in one of China’s most historical and beautiful cities: Xi’an.
Are you a Chinese student who wants to study abroad for an undergraduate degree? Or perhaps you are a foreign teacher in Xi’an who has students looking to study abroad? Or perhaps you are a family with a third-culture child who you want to send to abroad for school? No matter who you are, I hope you find something useful in this article.
The fortifications of Xi’an, better known as the Xi’an City Wall, are a prominent feature of Xi’an and are often used in the symbolism and iconography of the city. As one of the largest and most complete fortifications of its kind, the Xi’an city wall has endured the constant expansion and renovations of a modern Chinese city. In fact, the Xi’an City Wall has been incorporated into the infrastructure of the city, standing not only as a testament to the historical nature of the city, but also as a functional part of the overall landscape.
