Journey into the Sound of the Silk Road

“Sound of the Silk Road” premiered to thunderous applause on July 23rd 2021, in Xi’an at the Shaanxi Grand Theater. The production was a collaboration begun under the leadership of Dr. Zhou Bing, chairman of the Shaanxi Tourism Group Co. who originally envisioned the production, US production company Nederlander, Broadway Executive Producer Don Frantz (of Lion King fame) who expertly organized both Chinese and American talents, and Broadway director Gabriel Barre (Amazing Grace, The Wild Party). The musical honestly revealed the magnificence that can be created when Western and Eastern cultures bring together their unique strengths and talents to collectively design something amazing.

Portrait of an Indie Musician At The Panting Dog Bar

Once you’ve lived in one place long enough, you end up going through the motions of adapting to everyday life and just being able to fit in. In retrospect, there may have been times I’ve tried so hard to fit in and to understand the different types of people around me that it eventually broke away pieces of my old self, leaving me longing to hold on to the things I’ve loved doing before. One of the things I always found comfort in was playing the part of an audience to a live musician or band, regardless of how big or small a following they had.

How do people in Xi’an celebrate Dragon Boat Festival?

Dragon Boat Festival is one of the many traditional festivals that are celebrated in China. The day falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Lunar Calendar, meaning that it will fall on a different day every year on the Gregorian calendar, usually coming at the end of May or the beginning of June. The holiday is said to originate from the death of a Warring States Period scholar from the state of Chu, who’s opposition to a treaty with Qin was ignored and when the state was subsequently invaded by Qin, he committed suicide out of loyalty and sadness. Since then, the holiday has become widely celebrated across China. Today, as a local, I would like to share with you what the locals usually do during Dragon Boat Festival.

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

Well, the answer lies in the simple fact that if your team works well together, everything – both work stuff AND life stuff (having time to enjoy with your family?)- becomes easier. When it is easier to reach your professional goals, your personal goals should become easier to reach too. There are some key differences between teams in different cultures, and we will save intercultural communication for a future article. Here, we are going to talk about the problems that ALL teams have (to some degree), including YOUR team.

Capturing Pieces of a Folk Culture Village Through Urban Sketching

Growing up on an island surrounded by finely grained sand with blue ocean water and later moving to Xi’an just shy of four years ago, I am no stranger to life surrounded by local attractions and the bustle of tourists. With smartphones charged and digital SLR’s packed with batteries to spare, there is this constant movement of people taking photos. Panting from my morning jog and sitting on a wooden bench beneath the pagoda as the sun rose slowly from its slumber, I realised how the people snapping photos keep changing but the location is constant; the subject is constant. If we take a photo, how often is it that we look back at the same photo and reminisce?

Impressions of an Introvert in Hanfu

Xi’an in spring offers the opportunity to take your cultural experience and moment-capturing photography to the next level by introducing the unique element of history this city offers in abundance with the accompaniment of cherry blossoms and spring flowers in bloom. To take advantage of this backdrop, you may have seen locals walking around in traditional-style clothing in search of the perfect background to match the patterns and colours of the historically cultural fashion statement called “Hanfu”.

Xi’an Spring Eating Guide: The Herbs of Spring in Xi’an

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.

Since ancient time there has been a wording 咬春 Yao Chun or Bite Spring, it is the season for potherbs in March and April switching from the heavy meats and fish of the Spring Festival holiday to lighter and more fresh tastes. So, tune into the season and get a mouthful of Spring.