My Stories of Chinese Characters

It's all about the five cities and places which Uncle Hanzi and Adam have been to. Let's see which Chinese characters Adam has learned through the whole journey, and who are the Chinese people Uncle Hanzi has met. As Uncle Hanzi has said, he's always been looking forward to opening his eyes for new things.

In this episode, Uncle Hanzi and Adam share the sports they each love. Guess how Uncle Hanzi became a gymnast? But Uncle Hanzi confessed that he was never a team sports person and he hasn't watched TV for twenty years. And what was that last Chinese character for Adam to learn in this season, also an important character in Chinese culture?

In this episode, Uncle Hanzi and Adam reveal that there is a magical line of climate difference in China, especially how cold it can get in northeast China. Also, they talk about the surprising differences in dialects and the languages of different ethnicities. But what is the “strange” and “interesting” thing frequently mentioned by Uncle Hanzi?

In this episode, Uncle Hanzi and Adam talk about the sericulture. Also, Uncle Hanzi reveals his way of studying the evolution of Chinese characters. What are some traditional styles of clothing for the Chinese people? What do modern Chinese people wear, especially for the wedding ceremony? Follow the two travelers to find out the answers and get to know more Chinese characters related to clothing as well.

In this episode, Uncle Hanzi and Adam had a special winter sports competition in China's famous ice and snow tourist city Changchun. Guess who won in the end? The two also made wishes under the fireworks. Guess what are their wishes?

In the second half of this episode, Uncle Hanzi and Adam talk about the great changes that have happened in China. Why does Uncle Hanzi say “it's like I've had five generations in my one lifetime”? What are the Chinese characters related to poverty and richness? Follow the two good buddies to share the philosophy about money and being a happy person.

In the first half of this episode, Uncle Hanzi and Adam talk about their transportation experiences both in China and other countries. Uncle Hanzi shares his indelible impression on traveling to Moscow alone when he was fifty. Adam gives out an important suggestion to be an electrical car driver for the first time. Find out the interesting stories and get to learn some Chinese characters related to transportation.

In this episode, Uncle Hanzi and Adam came to Daliang Mountain in southwest China's Sichuan Province. They took a slow train and experienced many things they had never experienced before. On this special train, they saw a different China, and they also fell in love with this precious “slowness” in “fast times”.

In this episode, Uncle Hanzi and Adam come to China's silk capital Hangzhou. They visit an experienced maker of Qipao, or cheongsam, traditional silk factory and advanced textile laboratory to explore the magic behind Chinese clothing.

In this episode, Uncle Hanzi and Adam have a little discussion on Chinese food after their visit to the "food capital" of Chengdu. Has Adam learned to cook Sichuan cuisine? Why is the flavor of 麻 or numbness special to Uncle Hanzi? What are their favourite Chinese food? You will also find the highlight of their trip to Sichuan.

In this episode of "My Stories of Chinese Characters", Uncle Hanzi and Adam arrive in southwest China's Chengdu, a global food capital. What do they experience? What makes Adam scream?

In this episode, Uncle Hanzi and Adam talk about the port city of Quanzhou and how they found their visit to be mind-blowing! The two travelers share their feelings of homesickness and their purposes toward life. You will also find the results of their exploration of Chinese characters related to buildings or houses.

In this episode, Uncle Hanzi and Adam come to Quanzhou, where they visit "Quanzhou Ancient House"; experience "Dehua White Porcelain"; go to sea with fishermen; feel the Chinese people's obsession and nostalgia for "home" and "homeland".

This season, Uncle Hanzi and Adam set out to explore a real China from the perspective of Chinese characters in the daily life of the Chinese people.

The Chinese language is considered one of the most difficult languages, attracting millions of new learners every year. Uncle Hanzi will speak with foreign students, talk about the difficulties they face and share some tips.

Humans have always been curious about the future. The Chinese word 占卜 vividly reflects how the ancient Chinese practiced it. Uncle Hanzi will explore the origin of Chinese divination and discuss with an expert the philosophy behind it.

Do you enjoy hip-hop and its drumbeats? The drumbeat is the lifeblood of music as it controls the rhythm and expresses the emotion. Drum has always been an important instrument in China. Drums dictate the rhythm of battle and motivate soldiers. Uncle Hanzi will play drums and explore its charm.

Different people prefer different things. The choice of food comes from the climate and environment and reflects lifestyles and traditions. Uncle Hanzi will share his experience of food in China and Chinese food culture.

Happy Chinese New Year and best wishes for the Year of the Ox! Chinese people celebrate the Spring Festival, the most important festival in China, through various means. They often worship their ancestors, decorate their house and cook a big dinner for the New Year's Eve. This year, Uncle Hanzi will celebrate it with Aunt Wu and her family, sending New Year wishes to you. He will also share some interesting stories.

As we all know, the concept of marriage in China is quite different from that in the West. For Chinese people, marriage is an important event and people need to do a lot of preparation. In this episode, Uncle Hanzi will tell you something about the pictograph of "marriage" and discuss the unique concepts and culture of marriage in China.

"A small room with walls and windows, always runs in the middle of the road, with pedestrians walking on both sides." Guess what it is? It's a car. Chinese characters are considered to be pictograms, but why can't we find any wheels on the character for car?

Many people wonder why there's no "circle" in Chinese characters. In fact, it did exist in ancient Chinese characters, just disappeared over time. Uncle Hanzi will unveil the mystery of the disappearance of the circle.

Do you know how many Chinese characters you need to know to live in China? 2,000? 3,000? Or 5,000? Unfortunately, we can't give you an exact figure. It all depends on scenarios.

You may wonder why one American is called “Uncle Hanzi”? Why is he so interested in Chinese characters? Did he settle in China and have a Chinese wife? All these questions will be answered in this episode.

What is the hardest thing about learning Chinese and how can one conquer the challenges? How many Chinese characters do you need to know to get by in China? Why are all the characters drawn the way they are and what are the meanings behind all of them?......Subscribe to "My Stories of Chinese Characters" as Uncle Hanzi (Chinese characters) shares the background behind these Chinese symbols, to be released in February.