Thursday, March 30, 2023
25.2 C
Haikou

Extreme Weather Warning, Temperatures of 38 Degrees Expected Today...

Hot! Hot! Hot! The temperature is expected to reach a high of 38℃ in Haikou today, with an orange warning for high temperatures in effect. This is the first warning of its kind this year and is expected to continue until tomorrow.

From July! New “mandatory national standard” for e-bike helmets in...

Starting from July 2023, all e-bike riders in China will be required to wear helmets that comply with the new national standard. The standard sets strict rules for the durability and reliability of the straps and other components, collision energy absorption, puncture resistance, and eye protection.

Plan Your Getaway: 2023 Upcoming Holidays to Look Forward...

How time flies, we’re already halfway through the month of March, with the Qingming Festival holiday also known as Tomb Sweeping Day or Pure Brightness Festival, just around the corner.

From Landfill to Eco Park: Yanchunling Restoration Project Unveils...

The "plan" for Yanchunling Ecological Park includes three design schemes, each with detailed introductions to the design concepts, investment estimates, and pros and cons. The public is encouraged to provide feedback on the park's design concept, functional layout, traffic organization, plant configuration, architectural style, urban furniture, and signage system.
HomeArts and cultureHainan’s Intangible Cultural...

Hainan’s Intangible Cultural Heritage: Traditional Music and Crafts

Wooden furniture

hainan-furniture

Many types of tropical wood are used to manufacture furniture in Hainan. Yellow Flower Pear Wood (花梨木 Huali Mu) or Ormosia Henryi to give the species its Latin name, is native to the island. The fragrant wood’s attractive grain and extreme durability make it suitable for use in a wide variety of household furniture.
 
Popular during the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368-1911CE), the wood also had other uses : according to ancient Chinese medicinal lore, its sawdust can lower blood pressure and improve the circulation. Other woods are also used to create unique and magnificent furniture including mahogany, teak and bamboo.
 
Along with the above, other specialty items to be found in Hainan include items such as crystal products, seashells, sliver ornaments made by the Miao ethnic group, various types of wooden articles and different types of dried pepper.

Pearl Products

Even though the supply of natural pearls from the beds around Hainan’s northern coast dried up at the end of the fifteenth century, pearl products still abound on the island today. From necklaces to bracelets and pendants, beautifully worked local jewelry is readily available.

Nowadays, the pearls are farmed in saltwater ocean beds and individual specimens may grow up up 1.5 cm in diameter. As well as jewelry these beautiful natural objects also find their way into face powder and other cosmetic products.hainan-pearls

Hand Crafts

hainan-hand-crafts

Value for money hand crafts made form coconut husks, seashells and brightly colored stones can be found all over Hainan Island. These include key fobs, pendants, necklaces, hair grips and brooches. There's also Li Minority Brocade, whether purchased as a functional item of clothing or as an ornament, Li Minority Brocade is the oldest traditional woven cotton cloth available in all of China.

Food & drink

hainan-food-and-drink

Aside from the abundant local fresh fruits (including bananas, mangostten, lichi, guava, dragon eye fruit, wampi, carambola, apples and durian), Hainan boasts a number of other local specialty food products.

These include coffee (introduce to the island in 1887 from Malaysia and Indonesia) which is grown in Xinlong and Foshan, the famous and fiercely hot Yellow Lantern Pepper (黄灯笼 Huang Deng Long ), and all manner of coconut derived products from milk and powder through to candy. Seafood, from crabs and lobsters through shrimps, fresh and saltwater fish to shellfish, are found in most local markets and restaurants.

hainans-intangible-heritage

Hainan Traditional Music

 
Chinese music is comprised of a range of different instruments; stringed silk instruments, those of bamboo which provides the raw material for a variety of flutes and oboes, wooden percussion instruments, chimes made from stone; metal bells and cymbals, clay is used for a small number of percussion instruments, gourds from the basis for a range of wind instruments whilst animal hide is used for drum skin.
Amongst the Li& Miao Ethnic Minorities in Hainan, music is very popular and there is a wide variety of  unique instruments.

miao-musicMiao Music

No matter what the occasion the Miao Minority have a song for it. The lyrics are sung by men or women in exactly the same way. One particular feature of their singing is the many variances in cadence that occur between regions. Changes in pitch are soft, long and faint and tend to linger on. As a result each song takes some time to sing. When engaged in this activity, one person starts and sings four lines of the song. Their partner then sings a reply of four lines and stops. Thereafter they continue in this fashion until the song is finished. These song fall into two categories: those with seven characters per line the style into which the largest number of songs fall, and those with alternating lines of seven characters followed by three characters.

Li Music

Li Music

Li music is produced using traditional instruments such as the nose organ (鼻箫), the bow flute (口弓), single wooden drums(独木皮鼓) and the frog gong.

The Li possess two primary typed of folk song: those sung in standard Han Chinese or Putonghua and those sung in the Li’s own language known as “ Li folk ballads”.

The content of these songs is very varied and includes work, life, live , festive carols, rituals and narrative tales.

The Life and Legacy of Su Dongpo, Poet, Politician and Exile

Su Dongpo, also known as Su Shi (1037-1101), was a renowned scholar, poet, and government official from the Northern Song dynasty (960-1127) in China. He lived during a time of political instability and cultural flourishing and is remembered for his wit, wisdom, and literary talent.

Who was Li Shizhen, barefoot doctor and father of traditional Chinese Medicine?

Li Shizhen was a medical doctor, who spent 27 years scouring the Chinese countryside for natural remedies, classifying them and compiling them into the Bencao Gangmu

Animal shaped cultural relic exhibition at Hainan Museum

If you’re looking for a positive experience this weekend, consider checking out the latest animal shaped cultural relic exhibition at the Hainan Museum

Have you tried Hainan Fish Tea?

Hainan Fish Tea is a popular snack with the Li and Miao minorities of Hainan Island.

Get weekly email updates for new articles published!

spot_img

Like to contribute as an author?

Well then, we want to hear from you. We welcome contributors so here are some guidelines to get you started!

Haikou
broken clouds
25.2 ° C
25.2 °
25.2 °
83 %
3.8kmh
63 %
Thu
26 °
Fri
27 °
Sat
28 °
Sun
29 °
Mon
30 °

Extreme Weather Warning, Temperatures of 38 Degrees Expected Today in Haikou

Hot! Hot! Hot! The temperature is expected to reach a high of 38℃ in Haikou today, with an orange warning for high temperatures in effect. This is the first warning of its kind this year and is expected to continue until tomorrow.

Announcement on the Introduction of “Guarantee and Instant Pick-up Delivery Methods” for Duty-Free Shopping on Hainan Island

In an effort to enhance the duty-free shopping experience for island-bound tourists, Hainan Island has introduced that the "Guarantee Delivery" and "Instant Purchase and Pick-up" methods are now available for tourists purchasing duty-free goods from Hainan's duty-free shops.

New Duty-Free Pickup Point for Rail and Ferry Travelers Opens at Haikou South Port

In a move aimed at supporting the development of the Hainan Free Trade Port as an international tourism and consumption centre, the duty-free pickup point for travellers departing Hainan Island by rail and, or, ferry will open on March 23rd at Haikou South Port (海口南港), according to the Hainan Daily.

From July! New “mandatory national standard” for e-bike helmets in China

Starting from July 2023, all e-bike riders in China will be required to wear helmets that comply with the new national standard. The standard sets strict rules for the durability and reliability of the straps and other components, collision energy absorption, puncture resistance, and eye protection.

Continue reading

Extreme Weather Warning, Temperatures of 38 Degrees Expected Today in Haikou

Hot! Hot! Hot! The temperature is expected to reach a high of 38℃ in Haikou today, with an orange warning for high temperatures in effect. This is the first warning of its kind this year and is expected to continue until tomorrow.

Announcement on the Introduction of “Guarantee and Instant Pick-up Delivery Methods” for Duty-Free Shopping on Hainan Island

In an effort to enhance the duty-free shopping experience for island-bound tourists, Hainan Island has introduced that the "Guarantee Delivery" and "Instant Purchase and Pick-up" methods are now available for tourists purchasing duty-free goods from Hainan's duty-free shops.

New Duty-Free Pickup Point for Rail and Ferry Travelers Opens at Haikou South Port

In a move aimed at supporting the development of the Hainan Free Trade Port as an international tourism and consumption centre, the duty-free pickup point for travellers departing Hainan Island by rail and, or, ferry will open on March 23rd at Haikou South Port (海口南港), according to the Hainan Daily.

Get weekly email updates for new articles published!

Never miss another important notice or event. Be informed of what you need to know, when you need to know it.