Chapter 82
Kites
Kites were invented in China during the 5th century BC. Ancient and medieval Chinese sources describe kites being used for measuring distances, testing the wind, lifting men, signaling and communications for military operations.
Kites were decorated with mythological motifs and legendary figures. Some were fitted with strings and whistles to make musical sounds while flying.
I would see kites flying mostly in the spring when I would go to the parks in Luoyang. Now and then I would see people flying kites at other times also. The kites were beautiful and colorful. Different kinds and designs. They would be in the shape of birds, dragons, owls, all kinds. Some were so high in the air that you could barely see them. It was not only children flying them, there were also a lot of elderly men flying kites.
These first pictures are kites that are for sale. I do not know what they cost.
Some of the people would use a big reel with string on it and the kites would go very high .
Chapter 83
Chinese Festivals
Like in any country, there are many festivals and holidays. We have many here in the US. Many of ours include Mondays so they are three day weekends. The Chinese have two big festivals and have seven days off for National Day and the Chinese New Year (CNY), also called the Spring Festival. They also have smaller festivals. Not everyone in China have those holidays off just like not everyone has our holidays off. Someone has to work of course. Stores are open there just like here. If someone has a smaller shop, they will close it to go to see family and be gone for many days.
The CNY is the biggest migration of people on earth at one time. Chinese all over the world will travel somewhere to be with family. In China, many more trains are used for people to travel on. They will add hundreds of extra trains at this time. If you do not get a ticket for a train or plane early enough, you may not be able to get where you want to on time. Also, this is the winter break time when university students have gone home. They have about one month off. Other schools have some time off.
During a two week time period around the CNY when some people go home early and then return early, they say at the peak travel time six million people travel a day by train. That was the figure in 2013. When I was in China in 2002-2004, the figure was three million people a day.
During the school year, I would have more time off than the Chinese teachers. When there was a holiday for two or three days and it was close to the weekend, I would have five days off. The Chinese teachers would teach on the weekends. For the Chinese New Year Festival, I would have four to six weeks off. I would get done early because the students would need extra time to study for finals. There were days off in April, May and June for different festivals so I ended up with lots of time off during that time.
The one bad thing about holidays when people wanted to travel is that wherever you wanted to go, everybody else did too. It is the same here, people go to tourist sites during the holidays but in China there are four times as many people as in the US so no matter where you go you had to fight the crowds. I have copied some pictures from online just to show you what it is like. All you see is a sea of black hair. In my picture section, look under the chapter "Traveling in China During a Holiday" and those pictures will show you what it is like. After you look at them, ask yourself if it would be worth going somewhere during a holiday.
I would stay out of the parks during the month of April in Luoyang because of the Peony Festival or any festival during the year. You have to pay to go in during a holiday. They are usually free. It wasn’t much in dollars, maybe $5-$10. It is a good time to stay away from them. I would never go on a weekend during a festival. I don’t know why but I did make a couple of exceptions. One time I went to Sui Tang Botanical Garden in the New District the Friday after the Peony Festival started. I was really surprised because there was hardly anyone there, maybe because it wasn’t the weekend. I took 150 pictures and some video. It was a great day to do that, it was warm and sunny and very few people. I don’t have any people in the pictures and on the video you can hear a couple of people talking now and then. This park has 350 acres.
I would also go to Wangcheng Park the second week of the Chinese New Year. By that time, many people had gone home and it was much quieter. The decorations are beautiful. I would go later in the afternoon when it was still daylight and take pictures and then as it became dark I would walk through again and take pictures and video when the lights were turned on. This park has 99 acres.
It takes a lot of work in the parks to make them look so great. Watering, weeding, decorating and everything else that goes along with caring for them.
The CNY is the biggest migration of people on earth at one time. Chinese all over the world will travel somewhere to be with family. In China, many more trains are used for people to travel on. They will add hundreds of extra trains at this time. If you do not get a ticket for a train or plane early enough, you may not be able to get where you want to on time. Also, this is the winter break time when university students have gone home. They have about one month off. Other schools have some time off.
During a two week time period around the CNY when some people go home early and then return early, they say at the peak travel time six million people travel a day by train. That was the figure in 2013. When I was in China in 2002-2004, the figure was three million people a day.
During the school year, I would have more time off than the Chinese teachers. When there was a holiday for two or three days and it was close to the weekend, I would have five days off. The Chinese teachers would teach on the weekends. For the Chinese New Year Festival, I would have four to six weeks off. I would get done early because the students would need extra time to study for finals. There were days off in April, May and June for different festivals so I ended up with lots of time off during that time.
The one bad thing about holidays when people wanted to travel is that wherever you wanted to go, everybody else did too. It is the same here, people go to tourist sites during the holidays but in China there are four times as many people as in the US so no matter where you go you had to fight the crowds. I have copied some pictures from online just to show you what it is like. All you see is a sea of black hair. In my picture section, look under the chapter "Traveling in China During a Holiday" and those pictures will show you what it is like. After you look at them, ask yourself if it would be worth going somewhere during a holiday.
I would stay out of the parks during the month of April in Luoyang because of the Peony Festival or any festival during the year. You have to pay to go in during a holiday. They are usually free. It wasn’t much in dollars, maybe $5-$10. It is a good time to stay away from them. I would never go on a weekend during a festival. I don’t know why but I did make a couple of exceptions. One time I went to Sui Tang Botanical Garden in the New District the Friday after the Peony Festival started. I was really surprised because there was hardly anyone there, maybe because it wasn’t the weekend. I took 150 pictures and some video. It was a great day to do that, it was warm and sunny and very few people. I don’t have any people in the pictures and on the video you can hear a couple of people talking now and then. This park has 350 acres.
I would also go to Wangcheng Park the second week of the Chinese New Year. By that time, many people had gone home and it was much quieter. The decorations are beautiful. I would go later in the afternoon when it was still daylight and take pictures and then as it became dark I would walk through again and take pictures and video when the lights were turned on. This park has 99 acres.
It takes a lot of work in the parks to make them look so great. Watering, weeding, decorating and everything else that goes along with caring for them.
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