MyPlain

Category: Chinese Culture

Exploring Chinese culture — from language and philosophy to food, festivals, and everyday life. Personal reflections and cultural notes.

  • Osmanthus: The Scent of October in Shanghai

    Every season in Shanghai has its own character. October has a scent all its own — osmanthus.

    You don’t always see it first. You feel it in the air: soft, sweet, and warm, as a quiet reminder that autumn has arrived.

    These tiny flowers hide among the leaves, but their scent travels far. It follows you along the streets, drifts through open windows, and turns an ordinary walk into something gentle.

    For a short time, the whole city feels wrapped in this delicate fragrance, staying with you, like a small, happy memory.

    If you’re here this week, slow down for a moment. Breathe in or look up. The osmanthus is blooming.

    In Chinese culture, the osmanthus is much more than just a fragrant autumn flower. It carries deep meanings of success, nobility, and reunion.

    The best-known idiom is “plucking osmanthus in the Toad Palace” (蟾宫折桂, chán gōng zhé guì) — a classical metaphor for passing the imperial examinations with top honors. That’s why osmanthus represents academic achievement, career success, and the realization of one’s ambitions.

    In traditional Jiangnan courtyards, osmanthus was often planted together with magnolia, crabapple, and peony. Their names form the auspicious phrase “Jade Hall of Wealth and Honor” (玉堂富贵, yù táng fù guì), expressing a family’s wish for prosperity and distinguished descendants. White magnolia blooms in early spring, while golden osmanthus scents the air in autumn — together suggesting “a hall filled with gold and jade” (金玉满堂, jīn yù mǎn táng). Here, the golden osmanthus stands for “gold” and the white magnolia for “jade.”

    Also, the osmanthus is humble. Its tiny golden flowers hide beneath the leaves, yet their fragrance is undeniable. It seems to tell us that true worth does not need to be flashy to be appreciated.

    Furthermore, because osmanthus blooms in mid-autumn, often coinciding with the Mid-Autumn Festival, it is closely tied to family reunions and harmony. Its sweet scent, which can travel far, also symbolizes a good reputation and virtue that spreads widely.

    I always find it fascinating how a single tree can carry so many layers of meaning — from exam success to family blessings to quiet humility. Maybe that’s why osmanthus feels so special in China: it’s a scent, and also a feeling with many layers.

  • Happy Mid-Autumn Festival

    One of our biggest holidays, the Mid-Autumn Festival, is coming this Friday. This festival’s traditional food includes mooncakes that come in many different flavors.

    Here are some I wanted to show you:

    1. Five-Nut Mooncake (五仁月饼, wǔ rén yuè bǐng)
      It’s one of the classic flavors — sweet, rich, and packed with nuts.
    2. Fresh Pork Mooncake (鲜肉月饼, xiān ròu yuè bǐng)
      This one is the most popular mooncake in Shanghai. It’s savory rather than sweet, usually filled with seasoned pork.
    3. Vegetarian Mooncake (净素月饼, jìng sù yuè bǐng)
      The filling usually has nuts and seaweed, and it’s fully vegetarian — traditionally made without animal products. These are often made in temples or by vegetarian bakeries.

    Whether or not you get to try any mooncakes, I hope you can still feel the centuries-old Mid-Autumn blessing from China:
    Happy Mid-Autumn Festival — may your life be sweet and fulfilling.

  • The Chinese Characters Next to the Zodiac Animals

    Last week, I came across a foreign girl in a Chinese tea ware shop. She knew some Chinese but not much, so I helped her communicate with the shop owner, an elderly gentleman.

    She knew her zodiac sign but was confused by the Chinese characters next to the zodiac animals on the little cups.

    Well, that’s a bit complicated because it involves the system of 天干地支 (tiān gān dì zhī) — Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches. It was used in ancient Chinese astronomy and calendars to mark years, months, days, and hours. It was also widely used in divination, counting, and naming.

    Now, back to the Chinese zodiac: the twelve zodiac animals repeat every twelve years. So, if two different years are 12 years apart (e.g., 2014 and 2026), are they exactly the same?

    The answer is no.

    The reason lies in the combination of the ten Heavenly Stems and the twelve Earthly Branches. When you combine them sequentially—matching the first stem with the first branch, the second with the second, and so on—it takes sixty years for the same combination to reappear. This is known as the sexagenary cycle, or a full “甲子 (jiǎ zǐ)” cycle.

    I know the math might be a little confusing. Why is it 60 years instead of 120?

    Well, there’s a traditional rule: Yin pairs with Yin, and Yang pairs with Yang. In mathematical terms, it simply means odd numbers pair with odd numbers, and even numbers pair with even numbers.

    Take a look at the ten Heavenly Stems (甲 jiǎ, 乙 yǐ, 丙 bǐng, 丁 dīng, 戊 wù, 己 jǐ, 庚 gēng, 辛 xīn, 壬 rén, 癸 guǐ) and the twelve Earthly Branches (子 zǐ, 丑 chǒu, 寅 yín, 卯 mǎo, 辰 chén, 巳 sì, 午 wǔ, 未 wèi, 申 shēn, 酉 yǒu, 戌 xū, 亥 hài). According to this rule, we have years like Jiǎ Zǐ and Yǐ Chǒu, but we never have Jiǎ Chǒu or Yǐ Zǐ. Does that make sense?

    So, here’s a quick test for you: if this year is the year of the Bǐng Wǔ Horse, do you know what next year will be?

  • Drinking Tea

    I really like drinking tea, especially when it is brewed in the traditional way. A light flavor and an authentic aroma are what I look for.

    At home, particularly on weekends like today, I like to take out my favorite tea set. With water boiling and tea brewing, a slow, leisurely time unfolds for me.

    When I travel, especially in the Yangtze River Delta, South China, and Southwest China, which are home to many famous teas, I always bring a simple tea set. Local tea paired with local water creates a special experience that is hard to find in Shanghai.

    When wandering through small towns or villages, I usually keep a small teacup and some favorite tea leaves in my bag. Whenever a friendly host offers tea, I take out my own cup to enjoy local tea. If they want to know about tea from other places, I will take out my own tea and share it with them.

    You see, tea is a great companion for quiet thinking. It is also a great way to make new friends.

  • Some Chinese Vocabulary

    It’s a little late, but I’m here to drop some Chinese vocabulary that I taught my friend last Sunday, in case you want to learn Chinese too.

    1. I introduced the concept of “seasonal ingredients” (shí lìng cài 时令菜) — foods that taste best in a particular season, like water spinach (kōng xīn cài 空心菜) in summer.
    2. 靠近 (kàojìn) – means “to be close to” or “to approach.” Example: 别靠太近 (Bié kào tài jìn — Don’t get too close).
      远离 (yuǎnlí) – means “to stay away from” or “to keep distance.” Example: 远离危险 (Yuǎnlí wēixiǎn — Stay away from danger).
    3. 错过 (cuòguò) – means “to miss out on something.” Example: 别错过《奥德赛》这部电影 (Bié cuòguò “Àodésài” zhè bù diànyǐng — Don’t miss the movie The Odyssey).
    4. 薯条 (shǔtiáo) – French fries; the word literally means “potato strips.”
    5. The four seasons: 春夏秋冬 (chūn, xià, qiū, dōng) – all have first-tone pronunciation except xià (summer), which is fourth tone. A mnemonic: it’s so hot in summer that you need to bring the temperature down — so, a falling tone!
    6. 菜 (cài) – refers not only to vegetables but also to meat dishes (荤菜 hūn cài).
      卤菜 (lǔcài) – braised dishes. Though cooked in water, the long cooking time and various spices make them flavorful. Many ingredients can be braised, including beef, pork, chicken, duck, goose, seaweed, tofu, and some vegetables.