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Stop by these three 'hoods of the Orient:
Hangzhou
One of the most ancient cities of China, Hangzhou has, to say the least, a rich history. The area was home to the Neolithic culture of Hemudu that may well have witnessed the beginnings of rice-growing; the city itself was founded during the first dynasty of a unified China, the Qin. It served as a capital during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, then later as the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty, a time during which it was also considered as the heart of the Chinese civilization. In regard to such achievements, it seemed obvious than no one lesser than a goddess could serve as a guide through this luminous city.

Your host in Hangzhou will be Jun Di.

Kamakura
It may not have achieved the fame of Edo or Kyoto, but Kamakura has nonetheless played a central role in Japan's history, to the point that one of its period was named after it. Indeed, it was chosen in 1192 by Minamoto no Yoritomo as the seat of his government, and will remain the de facto capital (even if the Emperor's court was still in Kyoto, the real power was in the hand of the newly created bakufu) until 1333. This period is also marked by the spread of Buddhism in the archipelago; it will therefore come as no surprise that, long after political power has left the city, it remained well known for its temples and shrines, as well as for its bronze Great Buddha

Your hosts in Kamakura will be Shoki and Oni

Delhi
Capital of the Mughal Empire, Delhi was one of the most important cities in ancient India. It was first mentioned in the Mahabharata under the name of Indraprastha. If it started as a small settlement, the Mauryans helped the city grow. Sacked, occupied and rebuilted several times, many cities rose and fell there (seven were found under the modern city) showing how diversified indian history is. Delhi changed it's name often to finally take the actual one in the 19th century under British rule - New Delhi.

Your host in Delhi will be Saraswati.

This issue will be completely dedicated to our upcoming anual celebration - The Lunar Festival.The celebrations will start February 18, and will end on the 24th. As you probaly already know, the Lunar Festival is, in fact, three different festivals brought together: the Chinese New Year, Setsubun (Japan) and Vasant Panchami (India).
For more details of the festival events don't miss the Daily News brought this year by Jia Li Shen Chi.



This year our festivals are going to be celebrated in three different cities; the ones which ended up being selected are: Hangzhou (Chinese New Year), Kamakura (Setsubun) and Delhi (Vasant Panchami). They will be presented by a very special host who will guide you throughout the festivals. And we aren't talking about any host here: we've managed to approach - and convince - some of the biggest celebrities in the world of Asian mythology: the radiant Jun Di, goddess of Light for Hangzhou; the unlikely team of Shoki and Oni for Kamakura and, finally, the one and only Saraswati for Delhi!



"Each city will also have a teahouse and souvenir shop. The teahouses will showcase the cultural celebrations of each festival, and the souvenir shops will offer an array of gift plaques for visitors to take home. Graphic artists are needed to create plaques for the shops. In fact, festival and regional graphics of all sorts are most welcome!" - explains Jia Li Shen Chi. 

Also, here's what we have been planning for the teahouses:

The Zhulong Teahouse of Hangzhou proudly presents a two night production of the classic Chinese tale, "The Legend of Lady White Snake." The story tells of a good hearted White Snake spirit, who transforms herself into a beautiful woman and travels to the human world in search of love. Join us for the performance during Chinese New Year (Feb 18-19). And after the show is over, return the following night (Feb 20) for a fun filled banquet with the cast.
There will also be a pre-festival event where you can decorate an opera mask to wear to the performance! Stay tuned to the Orient's main page for more information! (Graphic credit: Ji Nu Chi)

The Flying Pig Teahouse in Kamakura will present us with an amaizing and timeless tea ceremony. If you are a tea lover, you will without any doubt appreciate this event where all tea secrets will be revealed. You are invited to show up for a cup of your favourite tea, chat and restore your strengh with a delicious japanese menu prepared especially for Setsubun. You'll even have a shot at beaning the Oni, the demons that otherwise take great pleasure at plaguing humans' lives.

The Vahara Chai and Curry House in Delhi will not only welcome you to experience once again the exotic flavours of the indian traditional cuisine during Vasant Panchami, but you will also have the opportunity to solve puzzles, quizzes, listen some music, learn more about kites even decorate one! Indeed, a kite decoration contest will be held during the two days of the festival: you'll finally get a shot at making the kite you always wanted to have. More information about the contest will be given in the Orient Festival Planning thread.

Of course, we are also having the usual quizzes and the final party that will be celebrated in Delhi on the 24th (hour to be announced).

After more than a year of absence, our beloved panda is back. He told us that while he was in the Orient (but he didn't told us what he was doing - am I the only one worried about that?) he lost quite a handful of personal objects and asked us to organize a search for them, so I hope you'll accept to give Bao Bei a hand and join us for the event. To know more about this contest please visit our thread Panda Central or then Sign-up right away!



Right now, we are still discussing our plans in The Orient Festival Planning thread, come by and do share some ideas with us. The more, the merrier!