Author: Shijun

  • Sixth Day of Chinese new year马六撞立春

    Sixth Day of Chinese new year马六撞立春

    Today marks the 6th day of the spring festival aka Chinese new year, and this year also coincide with the beginning of spring on the Chinese calendar. It is believed that the goddess Nuwa created horses on the 6th day of her creation of the world.

    red papercutting of horses

    Replica papercutting of 8 pair of horses (some say deer)

    The original papercutting fragment was unearthed in Astana, Xinjiang, China, and among the earliest surviving papercuttings in China from AC541.

    Tradition follows that new papercuttings are used to decorate windows and walls to celebrate Chinese new year

    The beginning of spring, known as “Lichun”,restarts the 24 solar term cycle in the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar. It usually falls around the beginning of February and signifies the stronger rising of yang energy, start of warmer weather and the renewal of life. It is celebrated with various customs and activities that emphasise growth, renewal, and hope for a prosperous year ahead.

    The “biting the spring”, known as “Yao Chun”, refers to the custom of eating spring pancakes or spring rolls or dumplings, symbolizing the renewal of life and the start of a prosperous year.

    The moon is 6 days old and all the planets are aligning

    I feel the energy in the air today and am happy.

  • Starry Nights

    Starry Nights

    Fresh new moon and Venus over Hay castle

    The new month of the New Year is only one day later than the lunar month, so on 2 January we see a delicious 3 day moon, accompanied by a dazzling Venus, shinning in her ball gown almost, holding the lovers’ gaze, from each other.

  • Happy new year of pink sunrises and misty sunsets

    Happy new year of pink sunrises and misty sunsets

    Christmas @ Richard Booth’s

    From inside Hay castle
    Christmas Hay market
    Ponies trekking frosty Hay buff

    A few days on the edges of Brecon Beacons, living the mountain air and some bookworm trail, recuperating and be still.

    Climbing the roundabout and screaming “happy new year!” in raging wind, sketching in soaking drizzle, good start has been set!

  • Start of summer

    Start of summer

    Daises form a thick mass of sunny smiles under the silver lime, dandalions fly their dainty parachutes and sheperds purse grow tens of thousands of fresh green hearts. Roses white, roses pink, they perfume the whole garden path. Maple keys red, maple keys green, all over the park. I hammer dye with all of the wild flowers on the day that summer starts, plus our bunny is happy to have playmates.

    立夏,一首简单的小情歌。。。

    雏菊在银色垂枝椴下开出一簇簇小太阳,蒲公英飞舞着精致的透明降落伞,牧童的钱包里叮当着新绿色的小心心。白色的玫瑰开了,粉色的玫瑰也开了,花园的香水瓶打翻了。公园里有好多红色的翅果,绿色的翅果。在夏天开始的这一天,用野花和锤子染画布,兔兔也很高兴出来玩。