Anhui style cuisine festival hold in Beijing

A festival celebrating Anhui style cooking -- one of China's eight major cuisines -- is being held in Beijing. Anhui cuisine is applying for status as part of the country's national intangible cultural heritage.

AfestivalcelebratingAnhuistylecooking--oneofChina'seight
majorcuisines--isbeingheldinBeijing.

Anhui Cuisine originated in the Tang dynasty, and flourished in the Ming and Qing dynasties. It features light flavors which accentuate the true taste of the ingredients. It also emphasizes food's medicinal properties and is considered to be very healthy. Many dishes have stories and legends behind them. A full line-up of famous and authentic Anhui dishes are on offer at Beijing's Anhui Mansion during the three-week festival. Anhui Cuisine is the first of China's eight major cuisines to apply for national intangible heritage status.

AnhuiCuisineoriginatedintheTangdynasty,andflourishedin
theMingandQingdynasties.

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Hair cutting becomes fashionable in Nepal

Short, long, curly, straight, or dyed hairstyles crown the fashionable set's latest looks. In the former Himalayan kingdom of Nepal, the under-30s are experimenting with what's hot for 2009.

IntheformerHimalayankingdomofNepal,theunder-30sare
experimentingwithwhat'shotfor2009.

This used to be one of the most conservative societies in the world, but now traditions and cultural beliefs are giving way to more cutting edge influences.

This is most apparent in the way younger people are opting for bolder, more colorful styles, especially when it comes to hairstyles.

Local resident Rajesh Rai said, "It is always good to update hairstyles to attain a new look that suits the new generation. New hairstyles give a fresh look. Initially, I had shorter hair and I often shaved my hair off. But then I decided to keep my hair long and I feel I look good."

Exposure to global fashion and styling has helped reverse young people's mindset on traditional hairstyles. A greater degree of social acceptability has also contributed to women becoming more adventurous with their hair - and styles come in any color of the rainbow. Changing social mores have also blurred the boundaries between the sexes.

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Annual N.M.E. music awards unveiled

Oasis has walked away with NME music magazine's award for best British band. Meanwhile, "The Killers" took top honors as Best International Band and the Brit-pop sensation from the 1990's "Blur" reunited for the NME awards, on Wednesday.

OasishaswalkedawaywithNMEmusicmagazine'sawardforbest
Britishband.

NME's readers decide the awards. They voted "Muse" best live band for the second year in a row. The group fended off competition from fellow Brits "Oasis" and Tennessee foursome "Kings of Leon".

"Muse" also received the award for best artwork for its album "HAARP".

Meanwhile, Peter Doherty, arriving with former Libertines band member Carl Barat was named "Best Solo Artist".

And Barack Obama, the newest occupant of the White House, was named hero of the year.

OasishaswalkedawaywithNMEmusicmagazine'sawardforbest
Britishband.

Readers gave Las Vegas band "The Killers" the title of best international band for the third year in a row.

Scottish rockers "Franz Ferdinand" performed Blondie's "Call Me" with up-and-coming La Roux.

And in a bit of recent nostalgia. Blur's Damon Albarn and Graham Coxon were reunited on stage for the first time in NINE years.

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Gala recital of literary classic holds in Chongqing

Ancient poems are a sometimes overlooked part of China's diverse cultural heritage. A poem recital reminding young people about the ancient literary classics has been held in Chongqing Municipality in southwest China.

Apoemrecitalremindingyoungpeopleabouttheancientliterary
classicshasbeenheldinChongqingMunicipalityinsouthwestChina.

Students from colleges, middle schools and elementary schools joined municipal government leaders among the audience at the recital. Eight hundred people recited twenty-four literary classics -- mainly ancient Chinese poems, including those by Li Bai, Bai Juyi and Meng Jiao. They also recited a famous essay by well-known scholar Liang Qichao. And a few poems penned by late Chinese leader Mao Zedong also formed part of the program, while some college students recited sections of foreign literary classics.

Studentsfromcolleges,middleschoolsandelementaryschoolsjoined
municipalgovernmentleadersamongtheaudienceattherecital.

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09/02/27 Culture Express