Jellyfish aquarium opens in Nanjing

A new Jellyfish aquarium has been opened in Nanking. It almost looks like art.......

Zhang Yimou goes classic opera!

The olympic stadion of Beijing has been used again. This time Zhang Yimou wasn't responsible for an opening ceremony but he was the director of classic Chinese opera 'Turandot' in celebration of China's 60th anniversary. Zhang Yimou got a thundering applause for his last production with more than 1000 participants. It seems like he will never do something small (which is not true, think of Riding alone for thousands of miles) and is the perfect person for a huge spectacle of the most outstanding beauty!

Chinese dragon boat festival

Yesterday many inhabitants of China will have participated in the festivities of the annual Dragon boat festival (Duanwu). This festival occurs on the fifth day of the fifth month. The origin is rather a tragic one. In Chinese a poet, 'Qu Yuan' in 278 BC, didn't want to lose his pride. In fact he was banished from serving high offices cause he was being accused of opposing the alliance. He was accused of treason and because of this, 28 years later, he committed suicide. He jumped into the Miluo river and drowned. Local people, who admired him, threw food in the water, so the fishes would not eat his body. There is another version which said a dragon ate all the food the people had thrown into the water. Because of this, people began to wrap their food up, which resulted in the famous Zhong zi! The rice packages in lotusleafs.

Every year the death of the poet who died in honour of his country is being memmorated by this dragon boat festival!

Ninja Festival and ethnic Zhuang celebration

Today some wonderful pictures of Festivals in Asia!



In Iga, Japan, there is a festival during the first from April till the sixth of May. This city, with a population of 100.00 attracts about 30.000 visitors. It features ninja-inspired dance performances, competitions and opportunities to practice ninja skills.



In China there is another festival. It's a traditional festival that is called 'San Yue San', which means that it is the third day of the third months acoording to the Lunar calender. It's a celebration of the Zhuang ethnic group in Wuming, South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

Memorial ceremony in Fuzhou

On the 6th of April there was a memorial ceremony held in Fuzhou, East China's Fujian province. The 420th anniversary of a death was celebrated this day. So you ask who is this lucky one? Well he is called Qi Jiguang, a general in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). He is famous for his fighting against Japanese pirates!

It's very clear indeed that China's still don't like Japan, so you have to honour your heroes with a memorial day! But ofcourse it is wonderful tradition is still being continued. Maybe I even will look for further information on this man, this Qi Jiguang.