Reflections

Do we have a standard for beauty in the West?
In China there is a standard for beauty that has persisted over time. Li Bing, our first Chinese teacher in Nanjing, amazed us when she recited the criterion for us:
~Eyebrows like willow leaves
~Eyes like almonds
~Mouth like a cherry.
~Large and expressive eyes,
~Graceful fingers and arms
~A willowy figure
~Tiny [...]

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In Ancient China poets often sat around drinking tea or wine together, composing poems and sharing their inspiration. So after our trek up the waterfalls, when Xiao Xu invited us to drink some local Green Sword Tea at one of the tea stands by the side of the trail, we were inspired to take [...]

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Wuxie Scenic Area, Zhuji, Zhejiang Province – Home of the Five Waterfalls
Actually, this is not the sea of humanity pouring out of a waterfall- it is simply a joyful crowd of merrymakers, mostly visitors from Shanghai, like us, having a fun time in the Wuxie Scenic Area about 25 km away from the little [...]

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