China National Tourist Office - Zürich

22/08/2024

/ 二十四节气

🌿Today is End of Heat, (Chù Shǔ #处暑), the 14th solar term of the year, begins this year on Aug 22 and ends on Sept 6.

End of Heat implies that most parts in China are getting rid of the hot summer and entering autumn. But in some areas, especially in South China, autumn is late in coming and people are still bothered by hot weather. End of Heat is also the busy harvest season for farmers.

Eating Duck 🦆

Duck has a sweet flavor and according to Chinese traditional medicine it has a ”cool“ nature. A folk tradition is to eat duck during the End of Heat period. There are many recipes for cooking duck such as roast duck, cooked duck with lemon, smoked duck with walnut dressing and sautéed duck with ginger shoots. The tradition of eating duck during the End of Heat period is still popular in China.

12/08/2024

22/07/2024

/ 二十四节气

Today is Major Heat (Dà Shǔ #大暑), the 12th solar term of the year, begins on July 22 and ends August 6.

During Major Heat, the sunshine, high temperatures, and heavy rainfall are good for agricultural crops. But like Minor Heat, many natural calamities such as floods, droughts and typhoons also happen during Major Heat. Therefore, it's important to harvest and plant in time to avoid setbacks caused by natural disasters.

Eating litchi and mizao 🧊

On the day of Major Heat, there is a custom of eating litchi, Mizao in Putian, Fujian province, as a celebration of Major Heat.

Litchi is a nutritious fruit containing glucose and vitamins. People usually soak litchi in cold well water first and eat it. It is said that litchi during Major Heat is as nourishing as ginseng.

Mizao is made of fermented rice. On the day of Major Heat, people cook them with brown sugar. It can reinforce the vital energy of the human body.

Eating pineapples🍍

There is a saying in Taiwan which goes, "eating pineapples in Major Heat." During the period of Major Heat, pineapple tastes best.

Drinking mutton soup 🥣

There is a custom in southern Shandong province where people drink mutton soup on the day of Major Heat. Many people go to local restaurants to drink mutton soup, which is called "summer mutton soup."

21/06/2024

/ 二十四节气

Today is Summer Solstice (Xià Zhì #夏至), the 10th solar term, begins on June 21 this year and ends on July.

The longest day of the year️

On the Summer Solstice itself, daylight lasts the longest for the whole year in the northern hemisphere. After this day, daylight hours get shorter and shorter and temperatures become higher in the northern hemisphere. ☀️

Eating noodles

There is a saying in Shandong province which goes, "eat dumplings on the Winter Solstice and eat noodles on Summer Solstice." People in different areas of Shandong province eat chilled noodles on this day. Other people around China, including those in Beijing, also have a tradition of eating noodles.🍜

13/06/2024

✅ / Guide to Payment Service in China
Are you ready to travel to China? 🐼🇨🇳

05/06/2024

/ 二十四节气

🌾 ☀️🎽
Today is Grain in Ear (Máng Zhòng #芒种), the 9th solar term, begins on June 5 this year and ends on June 20.

The arrival of Grain in Ear signifies the ripening of crops such as barley and wheat. It is also a busy period for farmers.
Rainfall increases during Grain in Ear compared to the previous eight solar terms. Regions in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River are about to enter the Plum Rains season.

Plum Rains, often occurring during June and July, refer to the long period of continuous rainy or cloudy weather. This happens to be the time for plums to ripen, which explains the origin of its name. Plum Rains is a good period for growing rice, vegetables and fruits.

💚Boil green plums

In South China, May and June are the season when plums become ripe. There was an allusion that Cao Cao and Liu Bei, two central figures in the Three Kingdoms period (AD220-280), talked about heroes while boiling green plums.

Green plums contain a variety of natural and high-quality organic acids and are rich in minerals. They can help clean blood, lower blood lipids, eliminate tiredness and improve one’s looks. However, fresh plums are acerbic and need to be boiled before serving.

🥣Have light food

Do not eat greasy or strongly flavored food during Grain in Ear, that‘s the healthcare advice given more than a thousand years ago by Chinese pharmaceutical expert Sun Simiao of the Tang Dynasty (AD618-907).

Generally, vegetables and coarse grains that work in lowering blood pressure and blood fat should be the first choice. During this season, people are encouraged to consume less lamb, pork, hot peppers, onions and ginger if they are frequently feeling thirsty and tired.













#中国节气
#24节气
#芒种
#🌞
#🌾

03/06/2024

✅ / Payment Methods （2）
Are you ready to travel to China? 🐼🇨🇳
We have a guide for you about how to use UnionPay.

28/05/2024

✅ / Payment Methods （1）
Are you ready to travel to China? 🐼🇨🇳
We have a guide for you about how to use Weixin Pay.

07/05/2024

GOOD NEWS 😃📰✈️
China has decided to extend visa exemption entry for citizens from 12 countries including France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Malaysia, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg on short-term visits to China until the end of 2025, a step that will further boost people-to-people exchanges.

06/05/2024

06/05/2024

🇨🇭🫖
Tea for Harmony: Yaji Cultural Salon 2024 is happening worldwide now. We invite you to stay tuned for the ones in Switzerland!

19/04/2024

/ 二十四节气

🌧️🫖
Today is Grain Rain (Gǔ Yǔ #谷雨 ), the 6th solar term of the year, starts on April 19 and ends on May 4 this year. Grain Rain originates from the old saying, ”Rain brings up the growth of hundreds of grains,“ which shows that this period of rainfall is extremely important for the growth of crops. The Grain Rain signals the end of cold weather and a rapid rise in temperature.

*Drinking tea

There is an old custom in southern China that people drink tea on the day of Grain Rain. Spring tea during Grain Rain is rich in vitamins and amino acids, which can help to remove heat from the body and is good for the eyes. It is also said that drinking tea on this day would prevent bad luck.













#中国节气
#24节气
#谷雨

25/03/2024

✏️🙆🏻‍♀️🇨🇳
Do you want to learn Chinese in Zurich but don’t know where to go? We have Sprachschule Yang Language School for you to learn the language. At the same time, the school offers good opportunities for students to understand Chinese culture better.

Check out the latest course and workshop about starting the language and how to travel to China! ✈️🐼

20/03/2024

/ 二十四节气

🌸🦆🌱
Today is Awakening of Insects (Chūn Fēn #春分 ), the 4th solar term of the year, starts on March 21 and ends on April 4 this year.

The Spring Equinox signals the equal length of the day and night time. On the day of the Spring Equinox, sun is directly above the equator. After the equinox, the sun moves northwards, resulting in gradually longer day time in the Northern Hemisphere and longer night in the Southern Hemisphere.

Eating spring vegetables:

Eating spring vegetables during the Spring Equinox is a commonly practiced custom in many regions of China. ’Spring vegetables‘ refers to seasonal vegetables that differ from place to place. The ancient teachings in the Chinese classic,Huangdi Neijing, suggests that people eat seasonal foods to help preserve health and bring good luck.













#中国节气
#24节气
#春分
#🥕
#🌱

08/03/2024

📢✈️ Discover China with us and Air China!

07/03/2024

🇨🇭✈️🇨🇳 BEIJING, March 7 (Xinhua) -- China will adopt a visa-free policy for Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium and Luxembourg on a trial basis, starting March 14, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Thursday.

"We hope more countries will also offer Chinese citizens visa facilitation and work with us to build fast-track networks for cross-border travels and encourage speedy resumption of international passenger flights," Wang told a press conference on the sidelines of the second session of the 14th National People's Congress, China's national legislature.

This will make it more convenient for Chinese citizens to travel abroad, and make foreign friends feel at home in China, he said.

05/03/2024

/ 二十四节气

🐝🌱🍐Today is Awakening of Insects (Jīng Zhé #惊蛰 ), the 3rd solar term of the year, starts on Mar 5 and ends on Mar 19.

Awakening of Insects signals a rise in temperature and increased rainfall. As the third solar term in the lunar year, its name alludes to the fact that animals sleeping in winter are awakened by spring thunder and that the earth begins to come back to life. It is the key time for spring agricultural activities.

⚡️Spring thunder cracks the sky:

The spring thunder is most noticeable during the Awakening of Insects solar term. An old Chinese saying goes: ”If the first spring thunder crashes before the Awakening of Insects solar term, there will be abnormal weather that year.“ The Awakening of Insects falls after the end of winter and before the beginning of spring. Wind during this period is an important factor in weather forecasting.













#中国节气
#24节气
#惊蛰

05/03/2024