Escape from the Chinese New Year,
Go to Africa to see the Great Migration of Animals
Li Bin has not spent the Spring Festival in Beijing for many years, but he does not follow the trend to go to the overcrowded so-called tourist destination cities, he said that he may be a little "social fear", or he may be in the world's top 500 multinational companies often impetuous, so in the Spring Festival, the most lively festival, he wants to make himself live a cleaner life.
Purity, in Li Bin's view, is not silent, but really able to calm down and live a few days in his heart.
Li Bin said that when he was a child, he especially liked to watch "Animal World", and the pictures dubbed by Zhao Zhongxiang's classic dubbing were animals on the African grassland. They migrate throughout the year, reproducing their young in the process, and life can continue.
(Kenya, 9 July 2019.) Tourists take a ride to Lake Nakuru National Park. (Photo: Visual China)."Animal World" made Li Bin begin to have a great desire to explore nature and animals, and at the same time, the great migration of animals in the African savannah also deeply shocked his heart. "That was the first time I felt a great vibration, about survival, about life and death, about life. As a young child, witnessing the Great Migration of Animals was undoubtedly a "pilgrimage" to life.
It wasn't until the Spring Festival of 2017 that Li Bin finally stepped into the real "animal world".
A week before the Lunar New Year, Li Bin arrived at Tanzania's Kilimanjaro International Airport with a few former "travelers", who had never set foot on the African continent before, so they booked a travel agency in advance. Following the itinerary given by the tour operator, the rest of the trip will take them to the Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Nature Reserve, which is the most important part of the trip.
In the Maasai language, "Serengeti" means "boundless plain" and is Tanzania's most prestigious national park. Together with Kenya's Masai Mara Wildlife Sanctuary, it straddles both countries and forms a breathtaking animal paradise on the African continent. Among them, the Serengeti National Park is 10 times larger than the Masai Mara Wildlife Sanctuary, and Li Bin listened to the tour guide of the travel agency, where more than 3 million large mammals live.
The Serengeti has the rainy season in October, and the 30,000 square kilometres of East African savannah will be nourished by abundant rains in the coming months. Wildebeest and zebra, the wildebeest and zebra, begin their migration south from the Masai Mara Wildlife Sanctuary, through the Serengeti National Park and finally to the Ngorongoro Nature Reserve. The tour guide told Li Bin and his entourage that throughout the year, animals have been migrating clockwise in the East African savannah, and in Tanzania alone, there are 10 months to see the grand occasion of animal migration.
Tanzania, 2 May 2013. Migrating zebras in the Serengeti savannah. (Photo: Visual China).Mr. Li said he didn't like the idea that travel agencies used the term "safari" to define itineraries, where animals are the real owners and humans are visiting their territory. In the Serengeti, herds of wildebeest and zebra cross the grasslands, where the lush green grass feeds them to the fullest. Li Bin and his entourage sat in the car, followed for a while, and then stopped, "Everyone prepared 'long guns and short cannons' to shoot at the animals from all angles, probably keeping a safe distance and not disturbing their migration." Li Bin said that it is difficult to describe that scene in words, and it seems that "spectacular" does not carry enough weight.
The tour guide also introduced to Li Bin and his entourage that this large migration team is composed of about 1.3 million wildebeests, 300,000 zebras, 200,000 gazelles, and more than 10,000 oryx. At the same time, the Serengeti is also home to African lions, African elephants, black rhinos, African leopards and African buffaloes, which are known as the "Big Five of Africa". Their presence in the same place is a spectacle, and the only reason to summon them is their prey.
The cold eyes of carnivorous animals and the lurking ability to attack at any time can make Li Bin instantly tighten his whole body and stand on end. These carnivorous animals, such as lions, cheetahs, hyenas, etc., are at the top of the food chain, and they are the rulers, using speed and strength to stage round after round of life-and-death duels on the savannah. A wildebeest or zebra that falls into the mouth of a predator, almost all of its struggles are ineffective. A lion finished eating its prey, its mouth full of bright red, and turned away. Here, Li Bin saw the most real, the law of the jungle.
Li Bin and his entourage drove the car into the Ngorongoro Nature Reserve, a plateau volcanic area, the Ngorongoro crater seems to be embedded in the Great Rift Valley, the car drives along the steep mountain, Li Bin has never been so close to the volcano. After that, the peak turned around, and the vast plain appeared in front of Li Bin's eyes, and after several twists and turns, the car went forward and went up, and the entire driving route made Li Bin completely lose his sense of direction.
They came with a strong desire to find the black rhinoceros. Before setting off, the tour guide and guide repeatedly gave them "vaccinations" - compared to the average rhinoceros, the black rhinoceros is not so easy to encounter. Li Bin and his entourage went around for three hours and encountered Dickdick antelope and warthogs, but they still couldn't catch a glimpse of the black rhinoceros. Li Bin said that when they were returning in a daze, they heard the tour guide shouting, "Look! A group of people followed the direction of his finger and saw a large, clumsy figure, all gray, with two longitudinal corners protruding from its head, staggering through the carriageway. "I didn't think about anything, I instinctively picked up the camera and 'clicked' to take pictures. Li Bin said that they did not want to disturb the black rhinoceros, so they did not ask the driver to drive close to it.
(Picture unsplash)."It may be a bit of a pity, the photo distance is long, and the focal length has not had time to adjust, and in the end, the black rhinoceros in ** is a gray shadow. Li Bin said that if there is a next time, he still chooses not to bother, after all, there are not many real homes for animals.
During this trip, Li Bin saw the most warm scene. Ndutu is the border between the Serengeti and Ngorongoro, and after arriving here, Li Bin saw a large number of animals resting here for a short time and reproducing. According to some data, from February to March every year, 500,000 wildebeest mothers give birth to their babies here.
It is a scene that can be seen up close. Of course, in addition to curious human tourists, lions, hyenas, and leopards have long been around from afar, waiting for an opportunity. Li Bin recalls that the wildebeest mother would silently watch the cubs, who stumbled and practiced standing, and they had to learn to stand in the shortest possible time before starting to run with their mother. "The 'Licking of the Calves' is vividly expressed in an almost cruel way by the wildebeest mothers, who have not had time to rejoice in the birth of a new life, and must teach their children the most important lesson - only to learn to run to live. Li Bin said that the wildebeest cubs that ran up had not even dried their fetal hair.
When Li Bin returned to the city, he missed the night camping on the grassland more and more: "At that time, I thought that this event was very commercial, but when I returned to the busy traffic, I realized how much I wanted to stay in the vast world forever." Li Bin said that it is a situation where you can enter into selflessness, just like time, which is really lost when it flows away.
He shared a passage he wrote at the campsite at that time, that night, the blood was rolling around his body, and Li Bin couldn't sleep for a long time
Africa is the source of life, and life will always be the theme of this continent. They move and run vigorously, interpreting the reverence for life and the desire for multiplication, just as human beings have also escaped from this ancient and vast land, scattered and multiplied on this blue planet, and finally achieved a vibrant home. Tens of thousands of wildebeests and zebras migrate long distances following the abundant rains and abundant grass, and they have to endure many dangers, both from the hunting and hunting of carnivorous animals and from the undercurrents of the Mara River. The whole process of migration is full of dangers and undercurrents. The sound of rolling hooves and the dust flying in the sky make people feel that it is worthwhile to witness a migration of life in this life. (text - Wei Yan).
Overseas Chinatowns:
The most successful Spring Festival cultural output
As soon as 2024 begins, Xiao Gray, a post-90s generation from Chaozhou, Guangdong, will feel the strong atmosphere of the Spring Festival of the Year of the Dragon in Bangkok's Chinatown.
On February 2, 2022, Niagara Falls, Canada's famous tourist spot, lit up "China Red" with lights to celebrate the Spring Festival. (Photo: Yu Ruidong, China News Service).Located in the western part of Thailand's capital city, Bangkok's Chinatown is one of the city's most prosperous business districts and one of the most popular and well-known Chinatowns in Southeast Asia. Sanpin Street, Yaowarat Road, Shilongjun Road and many streets and alleys here have witnessed more than 200 years of Chinese struggle and Sino-Thai cultural exchanges.
At night, at the end of the road in front of Ash, there was a faint touch of orange-red. Compared to the dim street lamps, the colorful neon lights and red-yellow car lights seem to be brighter, and the bustling scene under the Chinese character signboard makes people feel in a trance of time and space.
At a stall selling New Year's goods, Ash had a pleasant conversation with a Teochew-speaking grandmother. Grandma has been doing business in Chinatown for more than 30 years, and this year, her stall is still a festive red color, with golden dragons dotted with golden dragon elements, which is the best backdrop for Ash to take photos with her.
North Vietnam, January 21, 2020. A man cooks fish in a clay pot over a wood fire. Braised fish is a popular delicacy during the local Chinese New Year and costs $18-$60 per steel. (Photo: Visual China).
With the Spring Festival approaching, there are more pilgrims praying for themselves and their families in Longlian Temple than ever before. When night falls again, the streets and alleys are full of lights, and marionettes hang like sugar gourds on grass targets, passing by Western tourists wearing cheongsams and tying Nezha's heads.
Manila, Philippines, January 22, 2023. During a Chinese New Year celebration in Chinatown, a resident hands red envelopes to a young man wearing a cardboard faucet. (Photo: Visual China).
Dragon dances, lion dances, parades and performances divide the main road in two, and on the stage not far away, New Year's greetings and pop songs are sparked by the collision of tradition and modernity.
Xiaowen, who has been living in Singapore for more than 10 years, appeared in Chinatown again. This is Singapore's Chinatown, where the ancient and the modern meet, and where Chinese civilization and Nanyang culture are in dialogue.
Located on the south bank of the Singapore River, Chinatown is said to have been named after the inhabitants who used it to carry water back in the days when there was no running water. Nowadays, there are many shops here, and Xiaowen can buy special and affordable small goods every time she comes, or use authentic Cantonese, Hong Kong, and Hainanese flavor food to comfort her Chinese stomach.
During the Spring Festival, lanterns are a must-see for Xiaowen when she visits Chinatown. Almost every year, Xiaowen will shoot a lot of Chinese New Year**, and finally due to memory problems, most of the things left in the mobile phone are the zodiac lanterns**. From the "Tiger" two years ago to this year's "Dragon", she collected Chinatown's "Dragon and Tiger Leap" for the first time.
February 3, 2021, Bangkok, Thailand. A shopping mall made a dragon out of lanterns to welcome the traditional Chinese New Year. (Photo: Visual China).
In the impression of Lewis, a photography enthusiast living in Melbourne, Australia, the dragon dance is a reserved program on the first day of the first lunar month in the local Chinatown. At this time, residents and visitors gather around the open space in front of the archway in Chinatown to gaze at or applaud the uniformly dressed performers.
In the second half of the 19th century, "gold mine immigrants" gathered in the heart of Melbourne, and Chinatown gradually took shape. As one of the oldest Chinatowns in the Southern Hemisphere, it is home to not only traditional Chinese culture, but also Asian cultures from Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia and other countries.
Today, Melbourne's Chinatown has expanded into a large commercial precinct for many streets, including Little Bourke Street and Russell Street. Xiaoyin, a Malaysian Chinese living in the local area, recorded the New Year's flavor here with a mobile phone lens.
Ropes connect the buildings on both sides of the road, with red lanterns hanging from each other. The bright flags of the dragon dance team reflect the smiling faces of the locals, while another team of "lions" naps under the trees.
Melbourne's Chinatown is as busy and crowded as the Chinese New Year, but there is one thing that is very different – there are often more Caucasians in the crowd. For them, there are not only the best Chinese restaurants, but also the most ceremonial and atmospheric Chinese New Year celebrations.
On the other side of the world, Jenna, a Victorian immigrant from Canada who calls herself the "first generation of sea drifters", went to the local Chinatown to perform dragon and lion dances. Around her, many children ride on their father's shoulders and even climb trees, some of them wearing zodiac hats.
Obviously, he had arrived more than ten minutes early, but both sides of the road were surrounded by water. Jenna was surprised to find that other ethnic groups in Victoria were enthusiastic about Chinese New Year celebrations, such as a big white brother who parked his car far away and came on foot.
January 19, 2022, Medan, Indonesia. Staff at a local temple clean up Buddha statues in preparation for the Chinese New Year. (Photo: Visual China).Victoria's Chinatown is said to be Canada's first Chinatown, and the "Tongji Gate" on the archway shows the journey of generations of Chinese immigrants who have been in the same boat here. Today, a Chinese Canadian Museum has been established on Fantan Alley.
In Venice, Italy, the Italian Association for the Promotion of Chinese Culture and Tourism and the Venice Federation of Students, with the support of the City of Venice**, held an unprecedented Chinese New Year celebration event in the region. In January, MAX, the person in charge of the Italian Chinese Cultural Tourism Promotion Association, excitedly informed reporters of the good news.
Since the theme of the Venice Carnival 2024 is '700th Anniversary of the Death of Marco Polo – Marco Polo's Travels in the East', we have also reached an exclusive cooperation with the official body that organizes the Carnival, the foreign cultural and artistic and transport shares*** under the jurisdiction of the City of Venice**. ”
Penang, Malaysia, January 28, 2023. At the Penang temple fair, tourists perform a lion dance during the Chinese New Year. (Photo: Visual China).
In Piazza San Marco on the main island of Venice and in the centre of Mestre, which connects the island, dragon dances, lion dances, Chinese music performances, children's poetry readings and innovative Chinese dances were staged. In Mestre's M9 pavilion, visitors can not only enjoy Chinese calligraphy, Chinese painting, paper-cutting, tea ceremony, and Hanfu, but also taste Chinese snacks and experience traditional games.
According to the China International Migration Report (2015), there are more than 60 million overseas Chinese living abroad, distributed in 198 countries and regions around the world. Year after year, the data is changing, and the inheritance and dissemination of the Spring Festival culture remains the same. (Text - Cave Photo).
Go to the German town of Dieterford,
Be a "spiritual Chinese".
In the administrative district of Upper Palatinate in Bavaria, Germany, there is a town called "Dietfort", which has a population of about 6,000 people, almost all of whom are Germanic. In 1869, the Bavarian Pastoral Gazette used the name "Chinatown" for the first time, which became the first officially recognized "Chinatown" in European history.
February 16, 2023, Bavaria, Germany. People take part in a carnival parade in Dietfort, which is rich in traditional Chinese characteristics. (Photo: Visual China).
At the entrance of the town, there is a stone monument that says "116°25', 39°55', 7698 kilometers from Tiananmen Square in Beijing"; At the door of the local ** office, there is a sculpture symbolizing Chinese culture, and even the outer wall is written with "Fu" and "Shou"; There is also a fountain sculpture built in 1962 that imitates the Qing Dynasty in China. The stone monument next to the fountain reads "Dieterfurt – China in Bavaria".
Since 1928, the town of Dieterford has hosted a huge carnival every February, which has continued to this day except during the Second World War, when it was interrupted by the war. During the event, local villagers dressed in costumes with Chinese characteristics performed lion dances, dragon dances, Chinese martial arts, and more. In addition, they will exhibit Chinese tea ceremony, Chinese painting, and Chinese handicrafts.
On February 16, 2023, Dietford's "Chinese Carnival" attracts many tourists. (Photo: Ma Xiuxiu, China News Service).The carnival usually starts in the early hours of the morning, with locals beating gongs and drums and dancing along the streets. In order to welcome the Spring Festival, every household sticks Spring Festival and window flowers, and the "Fu" posted by the Chinese during festivals can be seen everywhere here, and red lanterns and colorful flags printed with Chinese dragons are hung everywhere in the town. At 2 o'clock in the afternoon, the grand procession was ready, and people set off from ** square, dressed as emperors and ministers, some wearing bamboo hats, and some painting Peking Opera masks, and took to the streets.
As for why the people of Dietfort love Chinese culture so much, no one can say clearly. But it is said that when the ancient Chinese Silk Road was prosperous, Chinese tea, porcelain and silk came here, and the locals were greatly shocked, so they began to do business with China with ** and handicrafts, and eventually gradually became fans of Chinese culture. (text - Pinocchio).