2022 Year of the Tiger

[GeneChing]

Time to get this started. Hopefully, this will be an auspicious year for Tiger Claw (https://www.tigerclaw.com/home.php).

threads
2022 Year of the Tiger (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?72166-2022-Year-of-the-Tiger)
2021-Year-of-the-Ox (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71967-2021-Year-of-the-Ox)

[GeneChing]

DC's newest hero Monkey Prince gets his own 2022 title (https://www.gamesradar.com/monkey-prince-1-preview-covers/)
By George Marston 3 days ago

DC's new hero Monkey Prince gets his own title coinciding with Lunar New Year 2022

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/92bbJR8XyLZ9sbYuFdyo3C-970-80.jpg.webp
Monkey Prince #1 cover (Image credit: DC)
One of DC's newest heroes, Monkey Prince, will get his own starring title kicking off on February 1, 2022, just in time to celebrate Lunar New Year, as announced during DC Fandome 2021.

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/w34iZatoNMXsDRvbr6KZxA-970-80.jpg
Monkey Prince #1 cover (Image credit: DC)
The 12-issue limited series focuses on the eponymous Monkey Prince, AKA Marcus Sun, a shapeshifting hero with connections to characters from the 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West, who debuted in the DC Universe back in May's DC Festival of Heroes: The Asian Superhero Celebration #1 anthology one-shot.

In fact, Marcus Sun is the son of Sun Wukong, the original Monkey Prince and hero of the story Journey to the West. Oddly enough, despite being a hero himself, Marcus was raised by two villainous henchmen of the evil Doctor Sivana, and so carries some prejudice against the concept of 'superheroes' in the DC Universe.

Monkey Prince will be written by Gene Luen Yang 楊謹倫 with art from penciler/inker Bernard Chang 張伯納, colorist Sebastian Cheng 鍾偉傑, and edited by DC's Jessica Chen 陳穎珊. Monkey King #1 will feature variant covers by Stanley 'Artgerm' Lau 劉丕政 and Zao Dao 早稻. DC hasn't revealed any information about the plot of the limited series.

Before Monkey Prince #1 debuts on Lunar New Year 2022, DC is releasing a digital short via DCUniverseInfinite.com and DCComics.com, titled 'Apokolips in the Heavenly Realm,' which is available now. Written by Monkey Prince series' creative team, along with artist Billy Tan 比利唐.

In 'Apokolips in the Heavenly Realm,' Marcus' father Sun Wukong and his classic allies from Journey to the West, including King Bull Demon, Princess Iron Fan, Red Boy, and Erlang Sheng, will fend off an invasion from - as the title implies - Darkseid and the minions of Apokolips.

Here's a gallery of Bernard Chang's character designs for the heroes of 'Apokolips in the Heavenly Realm,' as well as all three covers for Monkey King #1:

Image 1 of 8
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cDUhuwRam6oeNfxUeaFrCD-970-80.jpg.webp
(Image credit: DC)
Monkey King #1 won't be out till February, but you can get a slightly closer glimpse into DC's future with the just-released full DC January 2022 solicitations.

George Marston
I've been Newsarama's resident Marvel Comics expert and general comic book historian since 2011. I've also been the on-site reporter at most major comic conventions such as Comic-Con International: San Diego, New York Comic Con, and C2E2. Outside of comic journalism, I am the artist of many weird pictures, and the guitarist of many heavy riffs. (They/Them)

threads
DC-Festival-of-Heroes-The-Asian-Superhero-Celebration-amp-Monkey-Prince (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?72054-DC-Festival-of-Heroes-The-Asian-Superhero-Celebration-amp-Monkey-Prince)
Monkey-King (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?50181-Monkey-King)
2022-Year-of-the-Tiger (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?72166-2022-Year-of-the-Tiger)

[GeneChing]

https://static.fratello.com/2021/10/VAC_MdA_Chinese_Zodiax_Tiger_86073_000R_B901_LA.jp g?auto=compress&&fit=crop&w=1680&h=756&crop=edges,focalpoint&dpr=1

New Release: Vacheron Constantin Métiers d’Art The Legend Of The Chinese Zodiac — Year Of The Tiger (https://www.fratellowatches.com/vacheron-constantin-chinese-zodiac-year-of-the-tiger/)
New Release: Vacheron Constantin Métiers d’Art The Legend Of The Chinese Zodiac — Year Of The Tiger
Eastern design and western craftsmanship come together in two limited edition models
Ignacio Conde Garzón
IGNACIO CONDE GARZÓN
OCTOBER 21, 2021

As the final months of 2021 draws closer and the year of the Ox comes to an end, Vacheron Constantin thinks ahead not to January, but to February first. This is when Chinese New Year celebrations will take place and the year of the tiger will begin. The Swiss brand marks the transition into the new year with two limited edition watches that pay tribute to the auspicious animal. A symbol of good luck that drives away evil spirits, the Tiger also represents power, authority, and strength. Brought to life by Vacheron’s highly skilled craftspeople these watches are true horological masterpieces with added symbolic value. These pieces will surely take a place of pride in just a lucky few collector’s collections.

The Geneva-based brand recently impressed the world with a pair of sporty titanium offerings, the highlight of which was the Overseas Dual-Time Everest Edition that Dave covered here. Now, with summer long gone, and the colder season well underway, VC offers us something a bit more dressy and symbolic of change. We leave behind the Ox and make way for the Tiger.

https://static.fratello.com/2021/10/VAC_MdA_Chinese_Zodiax_Tiger_86073_000P_B900_CU.jp g

Impressive craftsmanship
For this latest release, Vacheron Constantin has found inspiration where both Swiss and Chinese artistic crafts meet. The paper-cutting technique, known in China as Jianzhi is mirrored by the Swiss Scherenschnitt. Both inspire the unmistakable styling of the Métiers d’Art Legend Of The Chinese Zodiac timepieces. However, paper and scissors are left untouched, and it is the masterful enamelers and engravers in VC’s atelier that create the wonderfully detailed dials on these watches. The Tiger itself, hand-engraved in rose gold or platinum, is applied to the center of the dial. It sits, surrounded by the plant motifs, which are hand-etched into the metal of the dial. Expertly crafted, the depth of these elements makes them appear almost three-dimensional.

https://static.fratello.com/2021/10/VAC_MdA_Chinese_Zodiax_Tiger_86073_000R_B901_R.jpg

The ancient technique of Grand Feu enameling is then applied to the dial, carefully coating the intricate engravings. This detail further adds to the depth of the symbols of classic Chinese iconography. Expert craftspeople apply blue enamel in the platinum model and a warm brown for the pink gold watch. This gives the centerpiece of these dials a worthy background upon which to stand. The highly detailed tiger takes center stage, unobstructed by traditional watch hands. The dial becomes a canvas for artistic expression for VCs skilled artisans, allowing the incredible craftsmanship techniques to truly shine. The lack of hands would normally leave us with a watch that would serve no time-telling purpose. Or at least this would be the case, were it not for the ace up Vacheron Constantin’s sleeve.

https://i2.wp.com/static.fratello.com/2021/10/VAC_MdA_Chinese_Zodiac_Tiger_Cal_2460G4_Front_8607 3_000P-B900.jpg?w=496&h=496&crop=1&ssl=1

Horological masterpieces
I’m talking, of course, about Vacheron Constantin’s in-house Calibre 2460 G4. This uniquely designed movement allows for a hands-free indication of the time and date on the watch’s dial. You read the time through four openings, at the 2, 4, 8, and 10 o’clock positions. Elegantly framed, these four color-matched displays indicate hours, minutes, day of the week, and date. The movement uses a dragging mechanism for the hour and minute wheels. This means that the disks slowly rotate as they display the time. The bottom two, serve to indicate the day of the week and date and are equipped with a jumping mechanism. This is all thanks to the incredible engineering of the brand and is just one of the many reasons why it is worthy of its status as a cornerstone of Swiss watchmaking.

https://static.fratello.com/2021/10/VAC_MdA_Chinese_Zodiac_Tiger_Cal_2460G4_Back.jpg

This incredible movement, housed in an elegant 40mm pink gold or platinum case, is visible through the sapphire case back. Inside a stunning 22K gold rotor engraved with a guilloché pattern, inspired by the brand’s Maltese cross logo. The movement itself features finishing in accordance with the Hallmark of Geneva. The self-winding movement runs at 28,000 Vph and provides a power reserve of 40 hours. The watches come equipped with a matching hand-stitched alligator strap. They feature the brand’s signature Maltese cross folding clasp in the metal matching the case. Finally, the brand’s logo, printed on the underside of the sapphire crystal, keeps the dial de-cluttered and allows the artistry to shine.

https://i0.wp.com/static.fratello.com/2021/10/VAC_MdA_Chinese_Zodiax_Tiger_86073_000P_B900_SDT.j pg?w=496&h=701&ssl=1

Vacheron Constantin Métiers d’Art The Legend Of The Chinese Zodiac
These pieces bring together Vacheron’s renowned Haute Horlogerie craftsmanship and watchmaking and combine them with the poignant symbol of the Chinese Zodiac in an elegant and impressive manner. VC will only make 24 watches in total; twelve in each of the metals. The watches will be sold exclusively through Vacheron Constantin boutiques, with pricing available on request. For more information on the Vacheron Constantin Métiers d’Art, The Legend Of The Chinese Zodiac Year Of The Tiger watches visit the brand’s website here (https://www.vacheron-constantin.com/en/watches/novelties.html#tab=0). These have been going since the year of the rat (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71622-2020-Year-of-the-Rat). Price on request...:rolleyes:

'horological' is my word of the day.

[GeneChing]

Here we go...


Criminal charges possible for man attacked by tiger after reaching into enclosure at Florida zoo (https://abcnews.go.com/US/man-attacked-tiger-reaching-enclosure-florida-zoo-authorities/story?id=81996838)
The Malayan tiger was fatally shot by authorities.
ByMeredith Deliso andWill Gretsky
December 30, 2021, 12:10 PM
• 5 min read

WZVN
A maintenance worker who entered an unauthorized area of a Florida zoo and was attacked by a tiger could face criminal charges, authorities said. The tiger was shot and killed by responding authorities in order to free the man from the animal's jaws.

The incident happened Wednesday at the Naples Zoo after it had closed to the public, the Collier County Sheriff's Office said.

A member of a cleaning service contracted by the zoo to clean restrooms and the gift shop, but not the animal enclosures, had "entered an unauthorized area near a tiger that was inside its enclosure," according to the sheriff's office.

The man, identified by authorities as 26-year-old River Rosenquist of Naples, was possibly petting or feeding a male Malayan tiger, "both of which are unauthorized and dangerous activities," when the attack occurred, the sheriff's office said.
https://s.abcnews.com/images/US/naples-zoo-tiger-attack-wzvn-mo-20211229_1640833880882_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg
PHOTO: A man was attacked by a Malayan tiger at the Naples Zoo in Naples, Fla., on Dec. 29, 2021. The tiger was shot by authorities.
WZVN
"Initial reports indicate that the tiger grabbed the man's arm and pulled it into the enclosure after the man traversed an initial fence barrier and put his arm through the fencing of the tiger enclosure," the office said.

Rosenquist called 911 to request help, according to the sheriff's office. A deputy responded to the zoo around 6:30 p.m. and found the man with his arm in the tiger's mouth. The deputy kicked the enclosure in an attempt to get the tiger to release the arm, but was "forced" to shoot the animal, authorities said.

"Our deputy did everything he could do in that situation and he ultimately made the only possible decision he could in order to save this man's life," Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk said in a statement Thursday. "This was a tragic encounter at our world-class zoo facility. We value our community partnership with the Naples Zoo and their focus on conservation and education."

The cleaner suffered serious injuries and was transported to an area hospital, authorities said. Lee Memorial Hospital Emergency Department confirmed to ABC News it had received a patient via medical helicopter from Naples with injuries related to a tiger attack.

The Malayan tiger, which is a critically endangered species, was killed in the shooting, according to a spokesperson for the zoo. The animal retreated to the back of the enclosure after it was shot and a drone that authorities flew inside showed it was unresponsive.
https://s.abcnews.com/images/US/naples-zoo-tape-wzvn-mo-20211229_1640834063211_hpEmbed_5x3_992.jpg
PHOTO: A man was attacked by a Malayan tiger at the Naples Zoo in Naples, Fla., on Dec. 29, 2021. The tiger was shot by authorities.
WZVN

A veterinarian sedated the animal and examined it "when it [was] safe to do so," and determined the tiger had died, the sheriff's office said.

The sheriff's office said Thursday it is working with state and federal prosecutors to investigate the "serious encounter" and determine whether criminal charges will be filed against Rosenquist.

The zoo will be conducting its own investigation, officials said.

The 8-year-old tiger, who the zoo confirmed was named Eko, came to the Naples Zoo from the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle in December 2019 and was introduced in February 2020. "Eko is a great ambassador for his species. When guests see him, we hope they fall in love and want to learn how they can do their part to save his cousins in the wild," the zoo says on its website.

The zoo was closed Thursday and will reopen on Friday, according to its website. A conservation fund will be set up in Eko's honor, zoo officials said.

"[We] thank our community for their understanding and for the messages and words of encouragement and support that have been flowing into us," the zoo said in a statement.

ABC News' Ben Stein contributed to this report.

Poor tiger...:(

[GeneChing]

Apple launches special edition AirPods Pro for the Year of the Tiger (https://www.imore.com/apple-launches-special-edition-airpods-pro-year-tiger)
Grab a special edition pair of AirPods.
JOE WITUSCHEK
3 Jan 2022
https://www.imore.com/sites/imore.com/files/styles/large/public/field/image/2022/01/airpods-pro-year-of-the-tiger.jpg
Source: Apple

What you need to know

Apple has released a special edition version of its AirPods Pro earbuds.
The Year of the Tiger version features a tiger emoji engraved on the charging case and packaging.

To celebrate the Chinese Year of the Tiger, Apple has launched a special edition version of its AirPods Pro wireless earbuds.

The special edition version comes with a tiger emoji engraved on the front of the wireless charging case. In addition, a red tiger emoji is also printed on the side of the AirPods Pro packaging. The Year of the Tiger version of AirPods Pro are available now for $1,999 HK or $257 U.S. dollars.

AirPods Pro aren't the only special edition of an Apple device that the company recently released. Apple also released a special edition version of its AirTag item tracker for Chinese New Year.

Apple is known to occasionally release special edition versions of its products. For example, the company has released a (PRODUCT)RED version of the iPhone, iPod, and most recently Apple Watch. Usually, however, these limited-edition versions are more commonly found with the company's Beats brand.

There may soon be even more in store for Apple's pro earbuds. According to a report from earlier today, supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo speculates that the 2nd generation of AirPods Pro will feature support for Lossless Audio and a sound-emitting wireless charging case. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman also said that the new earbuds will feature motion-tracking sensors for additional fitness and health features.

The 2nd generation of AirPods Pro are anticipated to be released this year but an exact timeframe is still generally unknown.

If you want to figure out if AirPods or AirPods Pro are better for you, check out our AirPods 3 vs AirPods Pro comparison.
I am unimpressed by these.

[GeneChing]

Jan 13, 2022 1:37pm PT
‘Battle at Lake Changjin’ Sequel to Hit China Theaters in February Amid Crowded Lunar New Year Lineup (https://variety.com/2022/film/news/battle-at-lake-changjin-sequel-water-gate-bridge-release-date-1235153886/)

By Rebecca Davis
https://variety.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/270404533_623489382302667_6296083393347245986_n-Cropped.jpg?w=675&h=379&crop=1
"Battle at Lake Changjin 2"
“The Battle at Lake Changjin 2: Water Gate Bridge,” the sequel to China’s highest grossing film of all time, will debut on Feb. 1, the first day of the lucrative Chinese New Year holiday.

The weeklong vacation is typically China’s biggest box office period of the year and thus is subject to intense competition. This year, “Lake Changjin 2” is set to go up against 10 other hotly anticipated titles. The sequel currently ranks third in popularity based on votes from the “want to watch” metric from the Maoyan database.

Its top competitor is “Nice View,” the next feature from “Dying to Survive” director Wen Muye, which currently has the highest number of people indicating they “want to watch” the film on the Maoyan platform, with 447,000 votes. (Typically, films with more than 100,000 “want to watch” votes can expect a strong box office showing.)

Trailing “Nice View” in popularity is director Han Han’s “Only Fools Rush In,” with 389,000 votes. The comedy “Too Cool To Kill” from director Xing Wenxiong currently clocks in as the fourth most-anticipated with 344,000 votes, followed by the annual installment of the animated “Boonie Bears” franchise “Back to Earth” (225,000 votes) and then “Sniper,” from director Zhang Yimou (79,000).

The other titles debuting that Tuesday so far include Olympic winter sports film “Breaking Through” and four other children’s animations.

Last year, China raked in a record $1.2 billion (RMB7.8 billion) in ticket sales over the Chinese New Year holiday, making a tenth of the global 2020 box office in just six days. The period marked the first time that the country’s single-day box office exceeded RMB1 billion ($155 million) for five consecutive days.

The top films last year were “Detective Chinatown 3” and family dramedy “Hi, Mom.”

“The Battle at Lake Changjin” has been in Chinese theaters since its National Day holiday debut in late September, grossing a whopping $907 million (RMB5.77 billion) so far.

threads
The-Battle-at-Lake-Changjin (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?72154-The-Battle-at-Lake-Changjin)
The Battle at Lake Changjin 2: Water Gate Bridge (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?72238-The-Battle-at-Lake-Changjin-2-Water-Gate-Bridge)
2022-Year-of-the-Tiger (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?72166-2022-Year-of-the-Tiger)

[GeneChing]

Year of the Tiger on Parade (https://chineseparade.com/tiger-on-parade/)

February 1, 2022 marks the first day of the Year of the Tiger. The Chinese Chamber of Commerce of San Francisco is proud to bring back the public art project, Tiger on Parade, to its list of festivities this Lunar New Year.

Six life-sized Tigers will be publicly displayed around San Francisco, from January 17 – February 19, to help ring in the new year.

The Tiger statues spotlight local artists as well as reflect upon the culture, people, and traditions surrounding Chinese New Year. Thank you to our sponsors, Alaska Airlines, AARP, Lucky California, Golden State Warriors, Whole Foods Market, and ICBC for making this project come to life!

Click on the image below to learn more about the Tigers, the artists, and the inspiration behind each design.

https://i0.wp.com/chineseparade.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/logo_Tiger_Alaska_Airlines.jpg?resize=768%2C768&ssl=1https://i0.wp.com/chineseparade.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/logo_Tiger_AARP.jpg?resize=768%2C768&ssl=1https://i0.wp.com/chineseparade.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/logo_Tiger_Whole_Foods.jpg?resize=768%2C768&ssl=1https://i0.wp.com/chineseparade.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/logo_Tiger_Warriors.jpg?resize=768%2C768&ssl=1https://i0.wp.com/chineseparade.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/logo_Tiger_Lucky.jpg?resize=768%2C768&ssl=1https://i0.wp.com/chineseparade.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/logo_Tiger_ICBC.jpg?resize=768%2C768&ssl=1


Be sure to check out all six Tigers and enter into our photo contest. Click on the banner below to learn how to enter, win fun prizes, and the official rules (https://chineseparade.com/tiger-on-parade-contest-official-rules/).

https://i0.wp.com/chineseparade.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/tiger-on-parade-web-banner-01062022-01.jpeg?resize=768%2C320&ssl=1


Cool concept. Hope to see a few of these in person...

[GeneChing]

NEW Year of the Tiger Hoodies (https://martialartsmart.com/collections/new-product/products/2022-year-of-the-tiger-hoodie) & T-shirts (https://martialartsmart.com/collections/new-product/products/2022-year-of-the-tiger-t-shirt)!

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FKSBnJ1VEAQ80g7?format=jpg&name=medium (https://martialartsmart.com/collections/new-product/products/2022-year-of-the-tiger-hoodie)

[GeneChing]

2022 The Year of the Tiger (https://ymaa.com/articles/2022/01/2022-the-year-of-the-tiger)

https://ymaa.com/sites/default/files/images/article/articles-20220131-tigerguardlead.jpg

[GeneChing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdSppKcpRBU

[YinOrYan]

Great article. Wonder where can we get tiger masks like the one in the video. Both my parents are born in the year of the tiger, so we get to hear a lot of growling and purring...

[GeneChing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=squhaF1D4C0

threads
2022-Year-of-the-Tiger (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?72166-2022-Year-of-the-Tiger)
Wu-Jing (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?71240-Wu-Jing)
WildAid-Tiger-Claw-Champion (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?57416-WildAid-Tiger-Claw-Champion)

[GeneChing]

Wednesday, February 2, 2022

Feature: First Shaolin Temple in Zambia holds ceremony to mark Chinese New Year (http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/africa/20220201/23fc567d5fa949e48b8ebc9d2a0ed325/c.html)
Source: Xinhua| 2022-02-01 20:55:16|Editor: huaxia

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/africa/20220201/23fc567d5fa949e48b8ebc9d2a0ed325/43cf7c76ffcb4d2ab4361ea2841f1b39.jpg
Local students perform martial arts during a ceremony to mark the Chinese New Year at the Shaolin Temple in Lusaka, Zambia, on Jan. 31, 2022. The first-ever Shaolin Temple in Zambia held a ceremony to mark the Chinese Lunar New Year, or the Spring Festival. (Photo by Martin Mbangweta/Xinhua)

by Elias Shilangwa

LUSAKA, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- The first-ever Shaolin Temple in Zambia held a ceremony to mark the Chinese lunar New Year, or the Spring Festival.

The ceremony, held on Jan. 30, on the outskirts of Lusaka, the country's capital, attended by the Chinese community in Zambia and some local people, was characterized by a display of Chinese Kungfu by local students and their masters.

The audience was later taken on a conducted tour of the facilities before taking part in a Buddhism ceremony. Fireworks, the burning of incense and the ringing of the bell characterized the event.

Yan Tao, one of the masters, said the Spring Festival was an important period in the Chinese calendar as it signals the end of a year and the start of a new year.

He said the Temple decided to hold the ceremony in keeping with the Chinese tradition and as a way to appreciate the previous year and the New Year.

The Temple opened its doors to the public and started conducting its training in January, with an initial 15 local students.

Apart from teaching them Chinese Kungfu, the students are also being taught the Chinese language, culture which includes how to prepare Chinese dishes.

Victoria Nakazwe is a 22-year-old student who has decided to start learning Chinese martial arts at the Temple and is so far happy with what she is learning.

Nakazwe, who has always dreamt of learning Kungfu after watching Chinese Kungfu actors in films, said she intends to use the knowledge acquired to open her own school and impart the knowledge to others.

"I have always liked Kungfu since my childhood. Whenever I watched the movies and watched the Chinese actors, I always wanted to be like them," she said.

She has since encouraged other young people, especially girls, to consider learning Kungfu, as it will not only help them to have self-defense but to be disciplined as well.

She further said she is enjoying the teachings on how to prepare Chinese food.

Justina Banda, 22, says she decided to join the training because she has always loved Chinese Kungfu.

Banda, who has been undertaking Chinese training for the past year, said she decided to join the training at the Temple because she wanted to perfect her skills and become a trainer of her colleagues in the future.

Construction works of the Temple started in April 2019 and were completed in July 2021. Four monks from the Shaolin Temple in China are at the Temple to conduct the teachings.

Yan Lun, the headmaster of the Temple, said the objectives of the project include teaching Shaolin Kungfu, Chinese culture, helping understand the African culture as well as enhancing the China-Africa friendship. ■

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/africa/20220201/23fc567d5fa949e48b8ebc9d2a0ed325/e0ceaac6ccce453391ea1091ed7ab39d.jpg
A local student performs martial arts during a ceremony to mark the Chinese New Year at the Shaolin Temple in Lusaka, Zambia, on Jan. 31, 2022. The first-ever Shaolin Temple in Zambia held a ceremony to mark the Chinese Lunar New Year, or the Spring Festival. (Photo by Martin Mbangweta/Xinhua)

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/africa/20220201/23fc567d5fa949e48b8ebc9d2a0ed325/aac4c71ef7e64208a8748b32e88863f2.jpg
People ring a bell during a ceremony to mark the Chinese New Year at the Shaolin Temple in Lusaka, Zambia, on Jan. 31, 2022. The first-ever Shaolin Temple in Zambia held a ceremony to mark the Chinese Lunar New Year, or the Spring Festival. (Photo by Martin Mbangweta/Xinhua)

threads
Shaolin-Temple-Zambia (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?72221-Shaolin-Temple-Zambia)
Year-of-the-Tiger (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?72166-2022-Year-of-the-Tiger)

[GeneChing]

Get wet. READ Chinese New Year 2022: Year of the Soppy Tiger (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=1624) by Gene Ching

http://www.kungfumagazine.com//admin/site_images/KungfuMagazine/images/ezine/5352_Year-of-the-Tiger_Lead.jpg

[GeneChing]

China’s New Year Box Office Grosses May Hit New High (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/chinas-new-year-box-office-grosses-may-hit-new-high-1235082399/)
Leading the charge is 'The Battle at Lake Changjin 2: Water Gate Bridge,' the sequel to the country's top-grossing movie of all time with $901.5 million

BY PATRICK BRZESKI

JANUARY 29, 2022 3:31PM
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/changjinlake2-H-2021.jpg?w=681&h=383&crop=1
'The Battle at Lake Changjin' COURTESY A REALLY HAPPY FILM
As moviegoing in North America and Europe is getting battered all over again thanks to the omicron variant, China’s theatrical film sector is revving up to set a slew of new box-office records.

The country’s weeklong Chinese New Year holiday period, always a bonanza for local studios and exhibitors, kicks off Feb. 1, and analysts believe a bumper crop of high-profile potential blockbusters — eight local titles are currently scheduled for simultaneous release this year — could lift the market to unprecedented heights.

During Chinese New Year in 2021, ticket sales totaled a record $1.2 billion, with family comedy Hi, Mom leading the way with an eventual total haul of $821 million (Wanda’s comedy Detective Chinatown 3 wasn’t far behind with $685 million). Ticket revenue during the seven-day holiday amounted to a whopping 16.6 percent of China’s full-year box office total and the full month of February took at 25 percent share of the year’s sales (Unfortunately for Hollywood, Beijing blocks all foreign film releases during the family holiday — a practice U.S. trade negotiators have lamented with little effect for over a decade — so all gains go only to the local Chinese industry).

Analysts are expecting more of the same for 2022. “This year’s Chinese New Year season could reach a new high-water mark of $1.3 billion to $1.4 billion (RMB 8 billion to RMB 8.5 billion),” says Rance Pow, president of cinema industry consultancy Artisan Gateway.

Leading the charge is The Battle at Lake Changjin 2: Water Gate Bridge, the second installment in a nationalistic war saga about China’s real-life victory over the U.S. in a key battle during the Korean War. Co-directed by a trio of Chinese hitmakers, Chen Kaige, Tsui Hark and Dante Lam, the franchise’s first film was only released last September and went on to become China’s top-grossing movie of all time with $901.5 million. China’s state-backed Global Times newspaper reported Jan. 23 that the film was leading the ticket pre-sales race with $5.64 million with a little over a week to go before opening day. The outlet went so far as to forecast that The Battle at Lake Changjin 2 would become the first Chinese film to earn over $1 billion (RMB 6.5 billion)

China’s box office outcomes are notoriously tricky to predict with confidence, however, as frontrunners have often been felled by negative audience reaction within the early hours of their release, and dark horse contenders have then galloped ahead. “Social media word of mouth in China can be a powerful determinant of a film’s commercial success, and the market has shown an adeptness for adjusting to audience preference if the pre-season favorite does not launch quickly,” explains Pow.

Other top contenders this year include drama Nice View, director Wen Muye’s follow-up to his 2018 hit, Dying to Survive ($451 million); and road trip comedy-drama Only Fools Rush In, from former blogger turned fan favorite director Han Han (his previously release, Pegasus, earned $256 million in 2019); local director legend Zhang Yimou’s Korean War biopic, Sharpshooter; and comedy caper Too Cool to Kill, from relative newcomer, Xing Wenxiong; among much else.

The only major Western entertainment business that enjoys regular participation in the Chinese New Year earnings sensation is Imax, which operates over 750 screens in the country. Each year, the Canadian exhibitor places its bets by picking one or two titles to covert into its giant screen format. In 2020, Imax has selected three expected winners, Battle at Lake Changjin 2 (which was filmed for Imax), Nice View and Han Han’s Only Fools Rush In.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/4rep_lunarholiday-chart_EMBED.jpg
SOURCE: ARTISAN GATEWAY

For the record, I circled back and reviewed part 1 (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?72154-The-Battle-at-Lake-Changjin&p=1322530#post1322530).

threads
The-Battle-at-Lake-Changjin-2-Water-Gate-Bridge (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?72238-The-Battle-at-Lake-Changjin-2-Water-Gate-Bridge)
Chollywood-rising (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?57225-Chollywood-rising)
Year-of-the-Tiger (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?72166-2022-Year-of-the-Tiger)

[GeneChing]

I just posted 13 pix of a Lion Dance that happened at Tiger Claw HQ (https://www.tigerclaw.com/home.php) last Saturday on the Tiger Claw FB page (https://www.facebook.com/TigerClaw).

Yau Kung Moon (https://www.ykmsf.org/#heading-section)SF under Sifu Richard Ow


https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/273603165_10162220273022715_8717402485822165573_n. jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-5&_nc_sid=0debeb&_nc_ohc=brAXz5aBIn8AX9ZtxA4&_nc_oc=AQmb1UjKr5VnWtnS5xkQPcVMo06vwKWIe8dKTebdhOP vk8FB1AR3d7kOMSJejnbV8FJSZTE3DSgpqVEOLQuP5Q0B&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=00_AT9Vl9hduulu7-nAMbHKxk_ngNRTseurd-vICxHCxsZf0Q&oe=6206FC84

[GeneChing]

'Hope for Community': Storied Chinatown Kung Fu School Gears Up for First Lunar New Year Parade Since Pandemic Began (https://www.kqed.org/news/11904680/yau-kung-moon-school-brings-joy-to-chinatown-with-lunar-new-year-performances)
Spencer Whitney
Feb 18

https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/RS53673_067_SanFrancisco_YauKungMoonPerformance_01 302022-qut-1020x679.jpg
The Yau Kung Moon School's Matthew Wong walks back to the studio with students after their performance at the Chinese New Year Flower Market Fair in Chinatown, San Francisco, on Jan. 30, 2022. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)
On a recent sunny Saturday morning, children and parents filed into the Yau Kung Moon School in San Francisco’s Chinatown to practice their martial arts techniques, train with traditional weapons and practice lion dancing ahead of their performance in this weekend's Chinese New Year Parade on Feb. 19.

The Yau Kung Moon School — named for the southern Shaolin kung fu style it teaches — has a practice room in a building on Waverly Place just off Clay Street filled with trophies, honors and banners. Spears, staffs and swords are placed neatly in the corner behind the yellow-and-red-colored dragon costumes the school is known for. Performers wear yellow shirts, yellow pants, a red sash and traditional, striped red-and-gold leggings.

Led by Richard Ow (referred to as "sifu," meaning teacher), students learn the fundamentals of the Yau Kung Moon style, and the Nam Si Buk Mo lion dance style. Ow currently teaches 50 students and has trained 300 students since he became a sifu in 2000.


'The Lunar New Year parade is about bringing out positivity and hope for community. We bring in members that have been with us for 22 years, and it’s like a family gathering again.'
Sifu Richard Ow, Yau Kung Moon School
“Sifu has a more in-depth meaning than ‘teacher,’” said Ow. “So first it's like a coach. There's a Chinese saying: ‘The student will watch the teacher and the teacher will watch the student.’ You’ll see in three to six years if the student is dedicated or worth your time. In the old-school way of thinking, the sifu doesn’t waste time. They let their younger instructors teach.”

The school has been in San Francisco for more than 50 years, and has participated in 36 Lunar New Year parades. Students' ages range from 4 to 40 years old. The youngest students and beginners will march in the New Year parade, while students who have practiced kung fu will perform short sets for the crowd. Intermediate and advanced students will perform the lion dancing and help the younger students.

https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/02/RS53565_004_SanFrancisco_YauKungMoonPractice_01292 022-qut.jpg
Richard Ow teaches a beginners martial arts class at Yau Kung Moon, a southern Shaolin kung fu studio, in Chinatown, San Francisco, on Jan. 29, 2022. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)
Ow was born and raised in San Francisco in a traditional Chinese household.

“My dad had a bakery on Washington Street in Chinatown and would work for over 12 hours regularly," he said. "My sisters and I also helped with the business.”

Ow remembers vendors putting posters of martial arts movies on the window of the bakery and handing his father free movie tickets. His father would take him to see the films, and Ow grew up idolizing martial artists like Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan.

“Growing up, I was a skinny, weak kid so the films were a big inspiration,” said Ow.

When Ow was 11 years old, his father’s friend recommended taking him to visit the Yau Kung Moon School. Ow instantly fell in love with the school and became a devoted student who prided himself on being the first one to practice and the last one to leave.

He studied under Sifu Lok Sang Lee beginning in 1987, worked hard, and within two years had entered his first national kung fu competition in San Francisco. He won first place using Yau Kung Moon’s broadsword form for short weapons and the "Ying Ching" hand form. By the time he was 15, he was helping to instruct other students.

https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/RS53582_025_SanFrancisco_YauKungMoonPractice_01292 022-qut.jpg
Rebecca Lee, 23, a senior instructor, helps Pandora, 9, during an intermediate martial arts class at Yau Kung Moon School in Chinatown on Jan. 29, 2022. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)
'Bringing out positivity and hope for community'

The last Lunar New Year parade took place two years ago, just before the pandemic shut down many activities that would normally be happening throughout the month. This year, excitement has been building as the parade — the biggest Lunar New Year parade outside Asia — prepares to roar back in the Year of the Tiger.

Folk dancers, marching bands, stilt walkers and Chinese acrobats will join martial arts schools such as Yau Kung Moon, the Tat Wong Kung Fu Academy and Leung's White Crane school, which performs at the parade's finale.

“The Lunar New Year parade is about bringing out positivity and hope for community,” said Ow. “For the performance, we bring in members that have been with us for 22 years, and it’s like a family gathering again. People still come out rain or shine. We represent our community positively in Chinatown.”

Vincent Lau, a resident of South San Francisco, brought his two children to practice at Yau Kung Moon School on Saturday morning. His children are 8 and 10 years old.

“They saw their cousin performing and decided they wanted to give it a try,” said Lau. “They’ve been participating since last year in May.”

continued next post

[GeneChing]

https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/026_KQED_YauKungMoonChinatownPerformance_01302022-1.jpg
Young Yau Kung Moon students prepare to take the stage to perform at the Chinese New Year Flower Market Fair in Chinatown, San Francisco, on Jan. 30, 2022. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)
Lau has been going to see the Lunar New Year parade for years and would watch it on TV when he got older. He watches his children practice with Ow and commends him for his dedication.

“I can tell Sifu [Ow] really likes teaching and working with the community,” said Lau.

Lau said the decision to get his children involved with the Yau Kung Moon School was partly influenced by news of ongoing violent attacks and hate targeting Asian and Asian American people across the United States.

Stop AAPI Hate — a project based out of San Francisco State University that, among other efforts, asks members of Asian American and Pacific Islander communities across the nation to self-report acts of hate and discrimination — found that there were more than 10,000 incidents of anti-Asian hate from March 2020 through September 2021. California ranked first out of 20 states with the largest percentage of hate incident reports at 37.8%.

“My wife has that fear of bad things might happen, and this program is a way to help our kids protect themselves,” said Lau.

Brandon Wong, a 25-year-old from Daly City, is one of Yau Kung Moon School’s senior instructors and has been training and performing since he was in middle school. He’s been working with Sifu Richard Ow for more than 14 years.

“My mother knew one of the instructors and he would see me around town and egged me on to learn,” said Wong. “I decided to give it a try and fell in love with it. I started coming out every Saturday and Sunday to practice. It’s nice to exercise, but learning lion dancing and martial arts helped build my confidence. Learning and practicing with other people from the community was nice.”

When Wong first started practicing, there weren’t as many kids involved, so all the participants (around 20 people) trained together, no matter their skill level. The program has since grown, and classes are now separated by skill level: beginner, intermediate and advanced. Wong has participated in at least 12 parade performances, and he's also a part of the street fair performances held on Sundays in Chinatown. There's a stage set up where students are encouraged to perform their moves with a demonstration of fighting techniques using weapons, hand-to-hand combat and lion dancing.

https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/02/RS53654_047_SanFrancisco_YauKungMoonPerformance_01 302022-qut.jpg
A Yau Kung Moon lion dance team talks before performing at the Chinese New Year Flower Market Fair in Chinatown, San Francisco, on Jan. 30, 2022. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)
Wong remembers the adrenaline rush he felt the first time he performed in the parade.

“The idea of being on TV as a kid was cool,” said Wong. “Overall, it was a really fun experience. After around three years of performing, my sisters got involved so it became a family thing. My older sister assists with the online classes.”

When the pandemic shut down in-person practice, Ow and his instructors switched to teaching online through Zoom classes.

“We still want to make sure everyone’s comfortable, so we still offer online classes," said Wong. "Online classes make teaching a little more difficult when there’s only one view from a webcam — and correcting stances, posture and techniques is important.”

Wong helps out with performances and in-person practice. With a 1-year-old son at home, Wong says his involvement with the program has shifted slightly but he makes time when Ow needs assistance. He helps teach three days a week at every skill level.

https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/02/RS53657_050_SanFrancisco_YauKungMoonPerformance_01 302022-qut.jpg
Brandon Wong, 25, a senior instructor at Yau Kung Moon, performs at the Chinese New Year Flower Market Fair in Chinatown, San Francisco, on Jan. 30, 2022. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)
Ow implemented a new system of distinguishing different skill levels by introducing colored sashes to his students modeled after the colors used in the Chinese zodiac. There are 10 levels and colors; beginners wear gray sashes around their waists and work their way up to red sashes, which instructors wear.

“In the old-school way, there wasn’t this type of structured system and there was no way for students to gauge how they were improving,” said Ow. “Now, it’s set up for a student to be able to learn the system and pass it on to future generations.”


'It was captivating to see the costumes and how people were able to move the lion's head in such a way that it looked realistic.'
Rebecca Lee, senior instructor, Yau Kung Moon School
Yau Kung Moon was introduced to the public in China in 1924 by founding Grandmaster Ha Han Hong — but its rich history extends back to the Tang dynasty. Ha was taught by a Shaolin monk and began establishing schools at the monk's request. Prior to that, the style was primarily practiced in secret at southern Shaolin temples and villages, with monks selecting one worthy disciple to teach and pass along to the next generation. Much of the history of Yau Kung Moon was kept alive through word of mouth rather than written texts.

Wong says while everyone comes into practice at different skill levels, it took him about a year of practice before he started performing. His first performance was lion dancing at the Chinatown weekend street fair. Being in sync and practicing with a partner takes time and at least a few years of practice, depending on the complexity of the performance, Wong said.

Rebecca Lee started coming to the Yau Kung Moon school when she was 6 years old. She remembers being excited to see the lion dance performances and people practicing kung fu.

“It was captivating to see the costumes and how people were able to move the lion’s head in such a way that it looked realistic,” said Lee.

https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/02/RS53569_007_SanFrancisco_YauKungMoonPractice_01292 022-qut-800x533.jpg
Rebecca Lee, 23, a senior instructor, helps students practice martial arts during a beginner class at Yau Kung Moon, a southern Shaolin kung fu studio, in Chinatown, San Francisco, on Jan. 29, 2022. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)
Lee's father brought her to the school one day, and after some convincing, she agreed to join and start learning. Lee is now 23 and has been a senior instructor since 2016. She primarily helps the younger children who need more assistance with their coordination and fundamentals. Lee said she’s glad to see more women getting involved in what’s been seen as a male-dominated activity.

The Yau Kung Moon School has a great reputation among other martial arts schools as being strong competitors and among the community at large for their performances. Ow encourages people who aren’t familiar with the Lunar New Year holiday to participate in festivities and come see the parade.

As for the school, he says the important thing to remember when practicing is to remain humble and open to learning. Ow is planning a Kung Fu Day event on March 19, where he will invite sifus from all over the Bay Area to perform and showcase their styles in an exhibition as a sign of solidarity.

“I don’t consider myself a master,” said Ow. “Even though it’s been 35 years, I still have more to learn. I tell my instructors that as long as you are teaching someone, it doesn’t matter if it’s one person or 10 people. What’s important is keeping the culture, tradition and style alive.”

threads
Yau-Kung-Moon (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?22539-Yau-Kung-Moon)
Year-of-the-Tiger (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?72166-2022-Year-of-the-Tiger)
Kung-fu-and-lion-dancing (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?17623-Kung-fu-and-lion-dancing)

[GeneChing]

https://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/ca05f072-dc64-4dec-98de-3731858c9aba?size=3
Friday 25 February, 2022
Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy
Tai Ji Men Hosts 2022 Lunar New Year Gatherings, Bringing Good Luck and Blessings to the World (https://www.investegate.co.uk/tai-ji-men-qigong-academy/gnw/tai-ji-men-hosts-2022-lunar-new-year-gatherings--bringing-good-luck-and-blessings-to-the-world/20220225210000H2720/)
“Conscience is the key to a successful life.” ~ Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze, Zhang-men-ren (grandmaster) of Tai Ji Men

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 25, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Worldwide Tai Ji Men Qigong Academies held joyful "Lunar New Year Celebrations” online from February 13 to 20, 2022, featuring festive cultural performances, such as Celestial Officials Bestowing Blessings, rhythmic storytelling, martial arts presentations, and energetic dance to shower people with happy energy. At the beginning of the Year of the Tiger, Tai Ji Men dizi (disciples) shared with everyone an abundance of good fortune and five treasures–health, wealth, wisdom, happiness, and joy. For these jubilant events, Tai Ji Men received congratulatory messages from over 700 dignitaries, including those from heads of state, ambassadors of various countries, U.S. Congress members, California state senators, other elected officials in the United States, Taiwan’s Presidential Office, Ministry of Justice, legislators, heads of counties and cities, representatives from all walks of life, scholars, religious leaders, and leaders of cultural organizations and media outlets.

Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze , Zhang-men-ren (grandmaster) of Tai Ji Men, stated, “Conscience is the key to a successful life. All of our actions must be guided by our conscience. We take steps to make our plans and wishes a reality, and we continue to work toward our objectives while reviewing and improving our plans and ourselves. The accumulation of good deeds will eventually allow us to progress in life in leaps and bounds, giving our lives immense and lasting value.”

In celebration of the arrival of the Year of the Tiger, Tai Ji Men presented various exhilarating cultural performances to spread good energy and blessings, including a dance drama based on an ancient legend of "The Carp Leaping Dragon Gate," which has a profound meaning and is meant to encourage people to persevere and insist on doing what is right on their life journeys. With conscience, wisdom, and fortitude, as the drama depicts, people will achieve their goals and attain happiness despite the obstacles and challenges along the way.

The celebration also included a reenactment of Judge Bao Qingtian's story. A group of Tai Ji Men dizi dressed as Judge Bao and his gallant assistants combined qigong, martial arts, and theater in a powerful performance that inspired the viewers to usher in a brighter future for themselves and the world by following in the footsteps of these ancient sages and knights-errant who acted with conscience, protected justice, and combated corruption.

“Run forward! Run forward! We have a bright future ahead of us!" The exhilarating "Celestial Horse Dance" was performed by a group of Tai Ji Men youth, who wished that everyone would fearlessly do good deeds in the Year of the Tiger! To foster cultural diversity and mutual respect, beautiful songs in different languages representing various nations and ethnic groups, such as English, Mandarin, Japanese, Taiwanese, Hakka, and Taiwanese aboriginal languages, were presented.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world, and the counterbalance acts of nature have caused natural disasters all over the world. During the events, an animated film "Tigers’ Wish” produced by Tai Ji Men was presented. In the Year of the Tiger, this thought-provoking film highlights important issues, such as respect, war, and environmental protection, encompassing the wisdom of living in harmony with nature and hoping to awaken the conscience of global citizens and inspire them to treat themselves and others with kindness.

Over the years, Tai Ji Men has self-funded trips to 101 nations to promote love, peace, and conscience. Through cultural exchanges, it has brought people closer together, uniting the hearts of global citizens of diverse nations and ethnic origins, and earning accolades from leaders in all circles.

California State Senator Connie Leyva sent her congratulatory message to Tai Ji Men: “I would like to thank you for your important work to spread kindness and joy in homes and communities across our region. The last two years have been very difficult for many people and families. So it is important that we all continue to come together in unity and friendship.”

California State Senator Josh Newman also sent a video message to Tai Ji Men: “May your coming new year be filled with good fortune, health, and prosperity as we not only celebrate another year of life, but the wonderful contributions of your community to our district, to our state, and to our country.”

Santa Clara City Mayor Lisa Gillmor said, “I want to thank Tai Ji Men for its encouragement of physical and spiritual health in our community and beyond. During these uncertain times, we owe our gratitude to organizations like yours for providing nourishment, not only for the body, but also the mind and soul. We cannot thank you enough for the tremendous service you provide to the well-being of our community.”

Walnut City Mayor Eric Ching stated that he is very grateful for Tai Ji Men's hard work and long-term contribution to the community, and that Tai Ji Men has been promoting love, tolerance, and health.

San Jose Councilmember Raul Peralez stated, “The work that Tai Ji Men has done continues to focus on offering peaceful and mindful opportunities for our community that helps to cultivate unity and compassion, and garner goodwill in the community through human relationships and promotion of conscience. Events such as this one help to bring our community together and make our city a better place for all of us.”

San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools Ted Alejandre stated, “Thank you to all of you at the Academy for your dedication to preserve and promote the essence of traditional Chinese culture. Let's all take this new year to spread positive energy, advocate for our mental health and wellness, and inspire each other to make a difference.”

“Tai Ji Men has been doing so many good things for the community, promoting love and peace," said Dr. Tony Y. Torng, president of the Board for the Walnut Valley Unified School District, adding, “I'm here to congratulate you and it's an honor for me to join this event.”

Several Tai Ji Men dizi (disciples) shared what they had learned at Tai Ji Men and how it had helped them cope with the stress of the pandemic. Brian Kung, who works in a hospital, said that practicing Tai Ji Men Qigong has helped him strengthen his body and calm his heart so that he is less fearful of COVID-19, and he encouraged everyone to listen to their conscience to overcome the pandemic. Chiwen Su, a visual artist, said, “Tai Ji Men Qigong has helped me stay calm and positive. The low impact exercises ensure better health and peace of mind.” She also volunteers her time to promote a culture of peace with love and conscience. “My Shifu taught me to help myself and help others and do the right thing,” she explained.

In response to COVID-19 outbreak, Tai Ji Men has produced eye-catching, entertaining, and practical animations, such as "Anti-Pandemic Battle'' and “5 Do’s, 3 Don’ts and 6 Tips,” reminding everyone to take preventive measures to stop the spread of the virus. These films have been widely shared in 241 countries and regions around the globe to help global citizens overcome the pandemic. Tai Ji Men hopes that people will follow their conscience, unite to protect the Earth and human rights, and create a sustainable world with love, respect, and peace.

Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy : Tai Ji Men is an ancient menpai (similar to school) of qigong, martial arts, and self-cultivation. It has carried forward the wisdom of Daoist philosophy, one of the highest philosophies of humankind. It is an international nonprofit cultural organization. Its contemporary zhang-men-ren (grandmaster), Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze established the Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy in 1966, and since then it has grown to 15 academies worldwide.

Dr. Hong teaches his dizi (similar to disciples) methods to achieve physical, mental, and spiritual balance, and tens of thousands of families have benefited from his teaching. At Tai Ji Men, martial arts and wisdom have been passed down from the shifu (master) to his dizi. Through this time-honored tradition, the shifu and dizi promote the Tai Ji Men culture and martial arts around the world while embodying what is true, good, and beautiful as well as spreading the ideas of conscience, love, and peace. Over the past half-century, the shifu and dizi have self-funded trips to over 300 cities in 101 nations to conduct more than 3,000 cultural performances and exchanges and have been recognized as “International Ambassadors of Peace and Goodwill,” contributing significantly to making the world a more loving and peaceful place!

threads
Tai-Ji-Men-amp-Dr-Hong-Tao-Tze (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?72118-Tai-Ji-Men-amp-Dr-Hong-Tao-Tze)
Judge-Bao-actor-passing (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?55175-Judge-Bao-actor-passing)
2022-Year-of-the-Tiger (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?72166-2022-Year-of-the-Tiger)

[GeneChing]

These Vegan Mooncake Biscuits Are a Rare Lunar Year Trea (https://www.kqed.org/arts/13908103/lunar-new-year-vegan-mooncake-biscuits-annies-t-cakes)t
Luke Tsai
Jan 13
https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/01/annies-t-cakes_biscuits_crop-1020x638.jpg.
Originally conceived as a way to use up leftover mooncake dough, mooncake biscuits are a rarity in the Bay Area. (Annie's T Cakes)
It started out as a way to reduce food waste. “I was looking into what to do with leftover mooncake skins,” explains Annie Wang, who runs the vegan home bakery Annie T’s Cakes out of her Uptown Oakland apartment.

The answer, Wang discovered, was mooncake biscuits. According to Chinese custom, bakers would put a small portion of mooncake dough in the oven to test its temperature. Eventually, they started forming these test batches into the shape of little pigs and selling them as a standalone item—an inexpensive alternative to the mooncakes proper, minus their luxurious lotus seed and salted egg yolk fillings. Kids, in particular, love the biscuits, which Wang describes as being akin to a flaky, not-too-sweet cookie.

In Hong Kong, Malaysia and elsewhere in the Chinese diaspora, mooncake biscuits are a common sighting during the Mid-Autumn Festival (which typically falls in September or October). But this year Wang decided to feature them in her Lunar New Year snack box—just released for preorder—in part because the biscuits are such a rarity in the Bay Area.

The Lunar New Year boxes ($30), which also include almond cookies and the more typical filled varieties of mooncake, will be available for pickup in Oakland from Jan. 27–Feb. 1.

All of the baked treats are 100 percent vegan, in keeping with the bakery’s overall mission to veganize traditional East Asian sweets. Armed with a cottage food license and an arsenal of plant-based egg and dairy substitutes, Wang says she hopes efforts like hers will help create a better, more sustainable food system.

https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/2/2022/01/annies-t-cakes_LunarNewYear-scaled.jpg
The Lunar New Year's treat box also features almond cookies and regular mooncakes. (Annie's T Cakes)
As it did for so many other Americans, the pandemic brought Wang face to face with the hard realization that “a full-time job is not necessarily as stable as we thought.” When she was laid off from her marketing job in May of 2020, she dove headfirst into her passion for food tech and vegan baking, spending the better part of the year on recipe development.

Her first breakthrough wound up becoming the item that Annie’s is best known for: a plant-based version of Taiwanese pineapple cakes, or fengli su, probably Taiwan’s most iconic snack cake. Wang, who is Chinese American, grew up eating the cakes, and she says it only took her three tries to come up with an eggless recipe that hit all the right notes, with a buttery (but butter-free) shortbread crust and jammy pineapple filling. Conveniently, the cakes are also gluten-free.

Meanwhile, for Lunar New Year, Wang is excited to introduce her vegan mooncake biscuits to customers who aren’t familiar with them. “They’re really satisfying to eat, and you can eat a lot of them,” she says. “It’s not a heavy snack.” In Hong Kong or Singapore, the little pig-shaped biscuits are typically sold in baskets that are meant to look like cages—which, Wang says, “as a vegan is less fun for me to think about.” So, Wang’s version isn’t modeled after a pig at all. Instead, she stuck with a more traditional-looking engraved mooncake design, though she’s playing around with other shapes for the future.

The bakery is also selling kits for preparing tang yuan soup, a rice flour–based dessert that’s also commonly eaten during Lunar New Year.

Growing up, Wang remembers that Lunar New Year was all about family time: making dumplings, playing mahjong, watching Chinese comedy skits on TV that she couldn’t understand. Wang's Lunar New Year box is well suited for that kind of small, intimate gathering—the kind most people will be having to ring in the Year of the Tiger this coming month.

“It’s not a great time for the world,” Wang says. “But one of the small side benefits of the pandemic is a lot of people really got closer to their smaller circle.”



The Annie’s T Cakes Lunar New Year Box ($30) is available for preorder through Jan. 18, with pickup at Little Giant Ice Cream (1951 Telegraph Ave., Oakland) Jan. 27–Feb. 1. Shipping is also available in California only.

threads
2022-Year-of-the-Tiger (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?72166-2022-Year-of-the-Tiger)
Shaolin-diet-vegetarianism-and-stuff (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?61187-Shaolin-diet-vegetarianism-and-stuff)

[GeneChing]

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[GeneChing]

See WINNERS-2022-Year-of-the-Tiger-T-Shirts (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?72333-WINNERS-2022-Year-of-the-Tiger-T-Shirts)

[GeneChing]

Lunar New Year is now a state holiday in California (https://nextshark.com/lunar-new-year-is-now-a-state-holiday-in-california/)
Ryan General
16 mins ago

https://nextshark.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/lunarnewyear-e1664596100863.jpg

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill (AB) 2596 on Friday, officially making Lunar New Year a state holiday.

The new state law, authored by Assemblymember Evan Low (D-Campbell), authorizes any state employee to receive eight hours of holiday credit rather than personal holiday credit and utilize eight hours of vacation, annual leave or compensating time off to observe the Lunar New Year.

The Lunar New Year, which usually takes place at the end of January or beginning of February, is predominantly celebrated by Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and other Asian communities.

“Recognizing this day as a state holiday acknowledges the diversity and cultural significance Asian Americans bring to California and provides an opportunity for all Californians to participate in the significance of the Lunar New Year,” Newsom said.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a bill officially recognizing Lunar New Year as a state holiday.

Assembly Bill (AB) 2596, authored by Assemblymember Evan Low (D-Campbell), was among the number of bills Newsom passed before the Friday midnight deadline.

The new state law authorizes any state employee to receive eight hours of holiday credit rather than personal holiday credit and utilize eight hours of vacation, annual leave or compensating time off to observe the Lunar New Year.

With the addition of the Lunar New Year, California now has three new state holidays, including Juneteenth and Genocide Remembrance Day.

“The Lunar New Year celebrates a chance to leave behind the troubles of the past year and invite prosperity and good luck moving forward,” Newsom wrote in his signing message. “Recognizing this day as a state holiday acknowledges the diversity and cultural significance Asian Americans bring to California and provides an opportunity for all Californians to participate in the significance of the Lunar New Year.”

According to Newsom, he is “immensely proud of the richness of diversity and backgrounds represented in our state and understand the importance of wanting to see one’s own experience reflected in state holidays.”

The Lunar New Year, which usually takes place at the end of January or the beginning of February, is predominantly celebrated by Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and other Asian communities. Based on the lunar calendar, the special event marks the arrival of spring.

Earlier this year, Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) introduced a new bill that would recognize Lunar New Year as a federal holiday in the U.S.



Featured Image via CGTN America

2022-Year-of-the-Tiger (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?72166-2022-Year-of-the-Tiger)
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[GeneChing]

Enter to win a Tiger Claw ‘Year of the Tiger’ Hoody (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScbu2VSKQETb93ZMF1G-_YliPo7YVVI1h6tnF6Of9fmIwvHMg/viewform)
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[GeneChing]

Lunar New Year 2022 ushered in the Year of the Tiger. This is seen by many as a hopeful sign.

After all, the tiger is inspirational in Chinese culture as a vanquisher of evil, and most of the world sees tigers as strong, brave, and resilient. What better symbol for these challenging times?

The largest of all big cats, these iconic predators play a critical role in maintaining balance in their ecosystems.

Tigers are indeed iconic, but they are also in trouble.

A few startling statistics:

Fewer than 3,900 tigers are estimated to remain in the wild
Tigers inhabit less than 6 percent of their historic range
Approximately 150 wild tigers are killed annually to satisfy demand for illicit products
Of the nine tiger subspecies, three have already gone extinct
Tigers remain in only 13 countries

What’s driving them to extinction?

Demand for tiger products, which are often used in traditional medicine or kept as amulets and charms
Habitat loss
Human-wildlife conflict
Climate change

Help WildAid protect these iconic big cats and wildlife around the globe. (https://donate.wildaid.org/give/445121/#!/donation/checkout?)

For 22 years, WildAid has worked to help protect tigers amid the growing threats of the modern world. Through various behavior change campaigns and innovative programs, we’ve been able to drive cost-effective yet high-impact results.

For example:

Through the establishment of the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park, China has increased the number of tigers in its territory from 27 in 2017 to 50 today—and it continues to grow. Billboards sharing this achievement and the important role rangers play in tiger conservation received three billion views across 204 cities and inspired more than 90% of the surveyed audience to take action to protect tigers.
In partnership with prominent Thai opinion and spiritual leaders, WildAid launched a campaign to help deter the use of amulets made from tiger parts by raising awareness about how the demand for these products fuels poaching and illegal trade.

WildAid is part of the International Tiger Coalition, which is comprised of 42 environmental, zoological, and animal protection groups. Together, the coalition has worked on the call for a permanent ban on the trade in tiger parts and products for over a decade.
A Healthy World for All

As a species that’s integral to the wellbeing of the ecosystem, tigers—along with other keystone species like elephants, sharks, rhinos, and more—are the foundation for a healthy world for all. Every species is interconnected. Every species deserves to be protected.

Together, let’s make this year truly the Year of the Tiger.

Donate now. (https://donate.wildaid.org/give/445121/#!/donation/checkout?)

Yours in conservation,

Hank Lynch
CEO

P.S. WildAid is proud to maintain a four-star rating from Charity Navigator, reflecting strong oversight and fiscal responsibility. Please give today.

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[GeneChing]

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