CHINESE CULTURE

Cuisine in China:
Chinese cuisine is one of the oldest on earth. Tastes vary by region, where chefs have been honing their skills for thousands of years.

Music in China:
The music of China is as diverse as the country itself. Popular genres include everything from Peking opera to rap music.

Supersititions in China

What's so Great About the Number Eight?

The start date for the Beijing Olympic Games is no accident.

At 8:08:08 p.m. on August 8, 2008, the world will watch as China opens the 29th Olympiad.

Eight has long been a lucky number in Chinese culture because its pronunciation in many Chinese dialects is similar to the word which means "wealth" and "prosperity."

Two eights next to each other also resemble the Chinese character for double happiness – a common symbol for weddings as it shows two people uniting as one.

Chinese New Year Superstitions

1. Dirty Doings

Put your feet up and relax. Certainly the most enjoyable of the Chinese New Year superstitions, sweeping and cleaning is strictly forbidden. The Chinese believe cleaning means you'll sweep all of your good luck out the front door.

2. Time to Come Clean

Before you can enjoy number two, you need to give the house a full spring clean, before putting cleaning tools in the cupboard on New Year's Eve.

3. Read Between the Lines

Be sure to stock up on reading materials before Chinese New Year, as Hong Kong's bookshops will be padlocked tight. In Cantonese, book is a homonym for 'lose'.

4. Choppy Waters

Make sure you avoid rough seas in the new year by not buying shoes over the holiday period. In Cantonese, shoes are a homonym for 'rough'.

5. Balance the Books

If you're in debt, it's time to dip into your pockets and pay people off. The Chinese believe that if you start the new year in the red, you'll finish it the same way.

6. Ghostly Conversations

Caught round a campfire over the holiday period? No ghost stories. Tales of death, dying and ghosts is considered supremely inauspicious, especially during Chinese New Year.

7. Lady in Red

Chinese New Year is packed with colors, and while all the colors of the rainbow bring good luck, it's the color red that is considered the ultimate luck bringer.

8. Sweet Year

Hong Kongers have a sweet touch at the best of times, but Chinese New Year offers the perfect chance to raid the sweet shop, as eating candies is said to deliver a sweeter year.

9. Feel the Breeze

Welcome in the New Year with a blast of fresh air, opening your windows is said to let in good luck.

10. Get to the Point

Sharp objects are said to be harbingers of bad luck, as their sharp points cut out your good luck, pack them away.You should also avoid the hairdressers or you'll have your good luck chopped off.