“Where’s floor number 4?” Every country has its own superstitions, often closely related to cultural events and holidays. In many western countries, the superstitions stem from folklore, and are not specific to any country. We all know that breaking a mirror gives 7 years of bad luck, or a black cat crossing the [...]
Meet Market with Chinese Characteristics A mention of the Shanghai People's Park marriage market, known in Chinese as the Rénmín Gōngyuán Xiāngqīn Jiǎo 人民公园相亲角, is likely to elicit more than a few raised eyebrows from foreign visitors. After all, amidst all the international brands and skyscrapers, the whole idea seems rather anachronistic. In fact, it's [...]
Every Dog Has Its Day...and Year! Are you a Dog (Person)? First, a quick refresher. The Chinese zodiac (shēngxiào, 生肖) is a system where one of twelve animal signs is assigned to each year. In turn, each person is said to possess some of the characteristics of the animal from their birth [...]
A Quick Guide to China's Most Important Holiday The Chinese New Year, known in Chinese as chūnjié 春节 (literally "Spring Festival") is fast approaching. Since it follows the traditional Chinese lunar calendar it's also sometimes known as the Lunar New Year. This is why every year it falls on a slightly different date according to the [...]
It's The Most Magical Time Of The Year On December 9th, Hutong School hosted a Christmas Potluck Charity Bash with local Shanghai charity, Giving Tree. It was a night filled with amazing people, delicious food, awesome prizes, and a great cause. We appreciate everyone that came out that night to join us and [...]
Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival Paris of the orient China is so much more than Shanghai, and Beijing. With the biggest population on earth, China offers more diversity than any other country. In this blog post we’ll be introducing one of the most beautiful places in China (And coldest). Way up north, in [...]
Honouring An Ancient Tradition With Mooncakes Among Friends And Family Celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival - 中秋节 With the long hot summers slowly coming to an end, autumn begins to show its face, bringing cooling winds and rainy days to prepare us all for the upcoming winter. In the Western world autumn is [...]
We're Ready To Kick Off Our 13th Year On July 29th, 2017 Hutong School hosted a Block Party in honor of our 12th Anniversary. It was a day filled with entertainment, cultural activities, food, and drinks, and raffle prizes. We were honored that the Shanghai community came out to join us and raised a [...]
Avoiding the Divorce of Cultures During an Intercultural Marriage With the union of man from a western culture and a woman from a Chinese culture, the question is, how do both of the traditions fit? Does the couple lean more towards one culture or do they find a good balance of both traditions? Here is [...]
Are you bored of your comfort zone, want to stop your current routine for something totally new and different? Then a gap year in China is the perfect match for you! I am currently doing a gap year in Shanghai and it is, for now, the best experience I ever had in my life. [...]
