Filmmakers explore challenges gay life presents for Chinese families in China and abroad

Saving Face film
Source: Saving Face film cover
Homosexuality is a complicated topic in Chinese society, both in China and abroad.

Sophia Lavara directs Inside the Chinese Closet, a new documentary filmed in China about how families in this country hide a son or daughter’s homosexuality by pressuring them into fake marriages. Huck Magazine reports:

Both Cherry and Andy, the protagonists in the feature, have come out to their parents; frank and uncomfortable discussions between families are depicted on screen. “These marriages are still for the parents,” explains Sophia, “it’s funny to say that, as parents know their children are gay, but as long as they go on to have a “normal” life, getting married and bearing a child, the parents are seemingly happy.” Sophia suggests parents are less concerned by their children’s sex life, or with the gender of those people with whom they go on to have an affair. read more

Wishes to all for a Happy New Year of the Monkey!

xin_nian_kuai_le_by_pyrhaaa-d4ac0kj
Source: Caligraphy by pyrhaaa

year of the monkey

Wishes to all for a Happy New Year of the Monkey! In 2016 the Chinese New Year begins today 08 February and lasts through 27 February. I’ve gathered together some guides for celebrating, which includes various traditions practiced in Asian households around the world and my fun Chinese New Year collection at Pinterest.

Monkey Chinese New Year Stamp
Source: Monkey Chinese New Year stamp 2016 from the USPS
On a national level – the USPS released its Year of the Monkey stamp on 05 February 2016.

The Year of the Monkey stamp is the ninth of twelve stamps in the Celebrating Lunar New Year series. The stamp art depicts two bright reddish orange peonies against a purple background. Peonies symbolize wealth and honor in Chinese culture and often decorate the sides of the traditional drums played during the holiday festivities. Artist Kam Mak created this original painting. Art director and stamp designer Ethel Kessler incorporated elements from the previous series of Lunar New Year stamps — Clarence Lee’s intricate cut-paper design of a monkey and the Chinese character for “monkey,” drawn in grass-style calligraphy by Lau Bun — to create continuity between the stamps in the series. read more

Father, son & now grandson: 30 years of annual fotos in China

Chinese Father and Son in annual fotoThe Daily Mail shows selections from this series of yearly shots of a father and son, with commentary:

A beautiful series of photographs have shown the unbreakable bond between a father and son in China.

Father Tian Jun, 56, and son Tian Li, 29, have posed for the same photograph every year for nearly three decades, since Li was born in 1986.

The incredible pictures capture how Li, who is now a film director, has grown over the years from baby to adult.

Shanghai Park (now Hong Fu) review

The kids and I were near Highland Park tonight at dinner time so we headed over to Hong Fu (formerly Shanghai Park) to find out if their food is as good as people say. We were between ping pong sessions and only had time for a quick bite so we ordered two dishes and some rice, which turned out to be the exact right quantity of food to fill us up but not slow us down. Kind of amazing considering these boys are in their late teens and can eat like soldiers on campaign.

This is the second meal I’ve had out recently that I would have liked to capture some fotos of. Aside from being tasty the dishes were pretty too. I should get used to packing my camera more often. read more