Chinese New Year 2013

Chinese New Year (Xin Nian Kuai Le), the most important traditional Chinese holiday, is celebrated on the first day, of the first month, of the Chinese calendar (based off the lunar calendar). It is also called Spring Festival and lasts for 15 days. It is custom for family members to travel to their home towns and spend time with each other. Many businesses are shutdown for an entire week to recognize the holiday. Windows and doors are decorated with red paper banners, red lanterns are hung all around, and at night the area shines with colorful lights (similar to Christmas lights). On Chinese New Year Eve it's custom to light fireworks starting as early as 7am and continuing all through the night and for the next 15 days. The biggest fireworks happening on the Eve and actual New Year's Day. 

This year Chinese New Year was on Sunday, February 10, 2013. It's the year of the Snake (Chinese Zodiac). I was born during the year of the Snake, will this be a lucky year for me? To celebrate the holiday we spent the weekend at the Sheraton Hotel, on Nanbin Road, across the river from downtown Chongqing. Nanbin area is a hot spot (popular and spicy food) with many restaurants, night clubs and walking paths along the riverfront.  Three other Ford families (the Ly's, Hayley's and Woytowich's) joined us for a weekend of activities including a cable car ride across the Yangtze River, games in the hotel, a traditional dinner on New Year's Eve, a lighted water show, fireworks extravaganza, and a trip to Nanshun Park (which I'll go into further detail on a separate post). Our rooms were all on the 22nd floor of the Sheraton and this kids thought this was awesome as they could freely travel to each of our rooms and visit their buddies. 

A view of the Sheraton hotel.

Inside the lobby of the hotel was a traditional Chinese New Year decoration. A tree with Chinese red envelopes hung from it. Red envelopes with money inside are given out as gifts during this holiday.

Playing Junior Monopoly and Twister. 

Out for a walk along the riverfront with the skyline of downtown behind.

We took a ride on the Yangtze River Cableway and saw the city from a different perspective.

Looking at the Sheraton Hotel from the cable car. 

More views from the cable car.

On New Year's Eve we reserved a private room at a local restaurant along Nanbin Road called Wei Dao Chongqing. Chinese dinners is served family style and dishes are brought out to the middle of the table and set on a spinning wheel. Because it was a holiday and we had a large group of 15, the restaurant asked us to pre-order our meal. Two days ahead of time, Alison and I select our food for the evening. This was a challenge. The menu was all in Chinese but luckily there were photos of every dish and we could pick some familiar items but we also took a chance on a few others. A pork and mushroom dish, noodle soup, and tofu were some of the favorites from our group. 

Most of the kids dressed up in Chinese outfits. Front row (left to right): Casey, Nathan, Jack, Jake, Claire. Back row: Jacqueline and Nick

Later in the evening we walked along the river to a water show. It was a spectacular display with water, lights and music all synchronized together. 

The girls: Alison, Jessica, Nikki, Chanley   |    The guys: Mark, Chris, Mike, Paul

After the water show we walked down closer to the river where there was a designated area to light up fireworks. To my surprise a show was not provided by the city (that was a disappointment). Instead locals purchase their own fireworks and are allowed to light as many as they want all through the evening. They do a very good job. Along with fireworks many locals were carefully lighting lanterns and sending them in the air. A sense of calmness came over me as I watched the lanterns float gently into the sky. They do this to send off their good wishes for the New Year. Our group purchased a lantern but unfortunately it was confiscated before we could get it into the air. The police patrolled the riverfront and we learned the hard way that it was illegal to send up the lanterns. We were not sure why, but only assumed it had to do with air traffic control. 

After the water show and fireworks our group moved up to the hotel lounge. We had a view of the river and the action below us. We brought a large array of snacks and had our own private room for the kids to run around and play. At 11pm the lounged closed so we moved back down to the 22nd floor and rang in the new year together in one room, while the kids watched a movie in another room. At midnight the city rumbled with an abundance of fireworks to celebrate the New Year. It was incredible!

We all slept in very late the next morning and enjoyed a later breakfast buffet in the lounge. Our plan for the second day was to drive up the mountain to Nanshun Park to see views of the city and walk the landscaped grounds. To be continued.......

Dumpling Lesson

Few weeks ago I was invited, with a group of friends, to Sue's house for a Dumpling lesson. Sue's husband works for Ford and they live in the same apartment complex as us. When we arrived Sue had already prepared the ingredients and had a station setup to make the dumplings. The meat mixture consisted of: ground pork, finely chopped napa cabbage, chopped green onions, cooking wine, lemon juice, soy sauce, and salt/pepper. The wraps can be made from scratch or bought at the local grocery store (pre-made). 

Step 1: Put a small amount of meat in the center of the wrap. 

Step 2: Wet your fingers with water and tap it lightly around the inside edges of the wrap. 

Step 3: Close the wrap at the top, then at the sides, and pinch it closed tightly. 

Step 4: Carefully place a few dumplings in boiling water. When the dumplings float to the top they are fully cooked (about 5-7 minutes). You have to carefully watch the pot during this step. When the water returns to a boil after you have put in the dumplings you need to continually add a little cold water to the pot. You don't want the water at a rumbling boil while the dumplings are in there otherwise they will burst apart. 

Step. 5: Eat them with some soy sauce. Mmmmmm.... 

Note: They were slippery little things and add that to my inexperienced chopstick skills and it was a comic show watching me get them to my mouth. I wasn't the only one and a few of us had a good laugh over this. 

While we enjoyed our dumplings Sue also prepared some traditional Chinese side dishes: deep fried green beans dish and a chicken and snow peas dish. They were delicious as well. It was a lovely day with new friends and good food. I will definitely be making dumplings for dinner sometime very soon. And hopefully more Chinese cooking lessons as well. 

Ciqikou

Recently we had the opportunity to visit a very unique location in Chongqing. It is called Ciqikou (sitcheekoo). This ancient village is over 1700 years old and it was famous for its production of porcelain. It is located on the Jia Ling River and was also used as a shipping port. Over the years the porcelain industry has faded and Ciqikou has turned into a tourist spot and a place for locals to setup their own shops and sell a variety of gifts and souvenirs. 

The architecture and ancient feel of the village has been preserved. As you walk along the flag stone paved streets you can find hand-painted art, traditional Chinese clothing, tea houses, scarves, photographs, jewelry, embroidery workshops, assortment of local food, musical instruments, carved bamboo pieces and so much more. I had the opportunity to go with a group of friends two weeks ago and we purchased outfits for our children to wear at a upcoming Chinese New Year party at school. My good friend Nikki purchased a beautiful embroidered print of pandas. The framed artwork was 6'x2'. At the end of the day four of us carried the artwork up over our heads through crowded streets and alleys to our car waiting outside the village.The locals were throughly entertained by the silly American women hauling this artwork all on their own.

 Then a week later I went back with Chris, the kids, Takila (our Chinese tutor) and Mr. Xiang. We had a hands-on Chinese lesson at Ciqikou with Takila. We learned some new phrases and words specific to that area. And she shared many Chinese traditions with us.

On the main street of the village with Jessica (left) and Alison (right). 

Wall of Chinese proverbs.

Alison and I stopped into this postcard shop. We bought some postcards and on our way out signed our name on this wall of signatures and message from visitors who can been there before.

Chongqing is decorated with these red lanterns for Chinese New Year. They are everywhere and it's beautiful. 

Artisan making glass figurines and jewelry. 

Peppers, peppers and more peppers. Locals like their food spicy. 

In the middle of Ciqikou is a temple. You can pay 5rmb (less than $1) to walk up to the temple and sit inside and kneel before a Budha statue and make your wishes for good things in the coming year. Locals come here 2-3 times a year to make their wishes and light candles. 

On the way up to the temple Casey and Jake put money into a small crevices of this statue and made a wish (similar to our wishing ponds). 

Tradition is for men (boys) to enter and exit the temple on the left side of the doorway with their left foot first, and women (girls) to enter and exit on the right side of the doorway with their right foot first. 

 

Jake and Casey at the top with our Takila. 

Looking down at the Ciqikou village and Jia Ling river is on the left. 

Along the river there is a food court type area and also a kids area with bounce house, rides and carnival games.

Deep fried Chinese cookies called ma hua.

 This guy is making potato noodles. The pot in front is the noodle batter. He puts the mixture (very thick) into the strainer. He then pounds the noodle batter through a strainer and long noodles droop and hang then he cuts them off and they fall into a pot of boiling water. They cook for 2 minutes then he pulls them out and puts them into the other pot of water. They sit there until they are sold. 

This is one of my favorite spots at Ciqikou where you can purchase sugar art on a stick. The technique of making these masterpieces is incredible. I could sit and watch for hours. 

Ciqikou is a place we'll visit often.