In March, the earth springs back, everything recovers, and in March, the spring blossoms and the swallows return. Kindergarten children also take advantage of this beautiful season to go to the park for spring excursions.
Today, my birthday, a bowl of noodles, I am very happy, I remember when I was a child, on the birthday of the parents will prepare a table of hearty lunch, the staple food is Shandong characteristics of the brine noodles. Jiaodong area of the brine noodles are quite distinctive, mainly seafood, fresh clam meat, sea rainbow, and shrimp just out of the sea as the ingredients for the brine, onion and ginger frying pot, out of the brine, that is really fresh.
On your birthday, your child, your lover, may forget, but only your parents remember your birthday. Eating noodles on birthdays is a traditional Chinese folk custom, longevity noodles, representing a good wish for the future. Some people eat dumplings or cakes, or even do not eat noodles, and the habits of different families vary from place to place.
Talking about birthday cakes, I think of Westerners, the older generation in Jiaodong Peninsula, most of them call Europeans and Americans Westerners. This is because they come from the west of China and come by boat across the ocean, so they are called Westerners.
Birthday cake In the Middle Ages, Westerners believed that birthday was the day when the soul was most easily invaded by demons, so on birthdays, relatives and friends would gather around to give blessings and send cakes to bring good luck to expel demons.
In 1911, at the end of the Xinhai Revolution, with the continuous collision of Chinese and foreign cultures, China gradually began to accept the tradition of Western culture and eat cakes on birthdays to celebrate. Since the 1970s, cakes have become popular in China, and they have slowly become popular among the population. There are cakes for birthday parties, ceremonies, events, etc.
In the Jiaodong region of the Shandong Peninsula, taking Yantai as an example, since the Opium War opened the door to China in 1840, the Qing government was forced to sign the treaties of Nanjing, Tianjin and Beijing, which humiliated the country, and seized many privileges from China, such as reparations, negotiated tariffs, opening up five-port trade, consular jurisdiction, and one-sided most-favored-nation treatment. According to the unequal Provisions of the Treaty of Tianjin, the Shandong region opened only one treaty port, Yantai
Since the opening of Yantai in 1861, the British were the first to buy land and build a consulate on Yantai Mountain. France, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Japan and other countries have successively set up consulates on Yantai Mountain, and set up bungalows with different styles such as foreign banks, banks, post offices, churches, hospitals, schools, hotels and clubs under Yantai Mountain. Today's Yantai Mountain Scenic Area is the largest surviving modern consulate complex in Asia. The architectural style of the complex is varied, the atmosphere of the times is strong, and it is well preserved.
The modern architectural complex of Yantai Mountain is the carrier of history and culture, and occupies a pivotal position in the history of Yantai and even the entire modern development of China. The foreign consulates, official residences, and building complexes recorded the special history of Yantai as the first port-opening trade port in Shandong; it recorded the nationalist spirit of the vast number of people from Yantai to Jiaodong who loyally defended the country and the aspirations of rejuvenating China. As an educational base for patriotism, let the latecomers remember that humiliating history.
Before and after the opening of the port of Yantai, foreign missionaries, businessmen, and officials cooperated with their own governments to carry out economic and cultural aggression against China. From the Ming Dynasty, Weihaiwei, Tianjinwei, Jinshanwei and Zhenhaiwei are commonly known as the four famous guards. As well as Xiamen, Fuzhou, and the coast of Guangdong in Fujian, all of which are the places where Westerners landed. As a coastal person at that time, I was first exposed to Western culture.
At the beginning of the opening of Yantai, Western foreign goods successively entered China's treaty ports, opium, cotton, matches, iron products, pepper, sugar and so on. The main varieties exported are: beans, bean cakes, cotton, dates, salted fish, vermicelli, wheat and so on. Western culture, customs, and diets have also taken the lead in spreading in coastal areas.
The Eight-Nation Alliance burned the Yuanmingyuan, and Empress Dowager Cixi's Western clocks, foreign cars, and teachers of the last emperor were all related to westerners. So, where did they come from in Beijing, the first stop was Tianjin landing, and then to Beijing. Like Fuzhou, Xiamen, Tianjin, Qingdao and other places, there are the same Western buildings, which are still preserved. Westerners were the first to enter China from these coastal areas. The author once published a love story of the documentary "Western Girl Meets Yantai", which is a true story that tells the love story of the Danes in Yantai after 1860.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the early stage of China's reform and opening up, China's exchanges with the West and China, Japan and South Korea entered a period of rapid development. At that time, in coastal cities such as Yantai and Qingdao, young people had begun to fashion a white body shirt on the upper body, jeans on the lower body, and a pair of casual shoes. Inland cities such as Jinan and Linyi can be several years late. Except for the big cities of Beijing and Shanghai. This is inseparable from the first contact with Western culture. Foreign wine, foreign tobacco, foreign language, foreign car, etc. I still remember the Toyo (Japan) of the late 1980s. Smuggled cars, motorcycles, etc. in Japan. Influenced by the Orientals, the author himself still drinks Oriental coffee (Korean wheat ear coffee).
Koreans and Japanese, the author has been in contact. Confucius is Korean, Chinese is Korean, and China's Spring Festival Dragon Boat Festival and so on have all been said by Korean scholars to be written as Korean. At the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, the Korean national costumes worn by Chinese dancers have also become Koreans. You're too unconfident.
The Japanese are still better and recognize the existence of Chinese culture in Japan. Former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda came to China to visit the Sacred Site of Confucius in the early days of his presidency. Most Japanese people understand the way of Confucius and Mencius, Han culture, Confucius Temple, Xufu Park, etc. In many cities such as Nagoya in Japan, most of them retain Chinese-style buildings and Han culture.
The author had previously met a Japanese person because of his work relationship, and once the two went to a café, and when they were talking very happily, the author himself was a little loud. The Japanese on the side whispered, a little noise, next to the Americans. For a full minute, the author reminds the author of a little boy who was given to Japan by the United States during World War II. Decades later, the Japanese still compliment the Americans.
From the Sino-Japanese War, the Eight-Power Alliance to the Anti-Japanese Resistance against the United States, today's China is not the China of before. Remember, General Xu Qiliang often reminded the officers and men in the army not to forget the heroes who contributed to the motherland. We must remember history and constantly learn new knowledge. Whether it is the army or individuals, we must face difficulties head-on. Chinese people stand up, get rich, and become strong is the dream of the people of the whole Chinese.
The rise of Huawei has made Europeans and Americans afraid, and they have taken various ways to suppress and sanction Chinese companies such as Huawei. They have only one purpose, and you can't be better than me. When the Ukrainian-Russian War broke out, the author found that there were many domestic people and well-known scholars such as universities to wash the white of NATO, don't forget, NATO also owes a blood debt to the Chinese people, the Chinese embassy in Yugoslavia was bombed by NATO led by the United States, China sacrificed three journalists, this account will be calculated sooner or later.
The Eight-Power Alliance invaded and occupied China to help China, and the Nanjing Massacre is not true or true. Most of these inappropriate remarks come from domestic scholars. Why they denigrate China so much, go abroad to study, contact with Western education, and are greatly influenced by Western capitalism. A well-known professor at a university in Beijing openly washed the white of NATO in the WeChat circle, and the investigation found that the two children of the family were abroad, and they often wandered in Taiwan. Regarding this kind of common sense, Sima Nan, a famous Chinese patriot, and Jin Yinan, a famous professor, have explained a lot in this regard, and the author himself is deeply touched.
A piece of cake for Westerners has influenced you for decades, centuries. Christmas in the West has Santa Claus, Christmas trees, and what is the Chinese Spring Festival, of course, fireworks. Nowadays, there are fewer firecrackers in China's Spring Festival, and the streets are full of Christmas trees. China's traditional culture, during the Spring Festival, some cities ban fireworks and firecrackers, why can't we introduce relevant programs to unify the specifications and models of fireworks and firecrackers, so that our next generation can inherit this millennium culture. The prohibition of firewood and sealing stoves now seems to be for environmental protection, and the human world has lost fireworks, let alone human fireworks. It must cause an imbalance in the cycle of nature.
In carrying out reform and opening up, China has opened up the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics, established a theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and consolidated, improved and developed the socialist system with Chinese characteristics. China's rise is unstoppable, sanctions and pressure are difficult to achieve the goal, Chinese not eat this set, nor are they afraid of this set. It is believed that in the near future, China will liquidate a large number of improper internet public opinion. It is not easy for Chinese people to stand up, get rich, and become strong. As sons and daughters of China, we must remember it in our hearts.
Author: Xicheng Commandment
March 17, 2022