Archive for July, 2008

Jul 27th 2008 New Website for China Travellers and Sports Fans

The team behind GoKunming has recently launched two new websites: China City Listings, a national bilingual listings website, and China Sports Today, which covers all aspects of sports in China.

China City Listings is filled with listings for restaurants, hotels, shops, lawyers, swimming pools, veterinarians, etc. throughout China. Data in the GoKunming listings is now ‘piped in’ from China City Listings. If you wish to add a listing for Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Lhasa or several other cities, you can do so here via GoKunming if you are a registered user.
Read more at Go Kunming

No Comments » Posted by se7en / travel

Jul 15th 2008 Online Chinese Language Course

by Jerry Grant

Learning a foreign language should be an enjoyable experience, while some people choose it as part of a study course, others will do it as a hobby. More and more people are choosing to learn a foreign language these days, with Chinese being one of the most popular. The most convenient, and easiest way to learn Chinese is to take an online course.

It requires lots of efforts, commitment and time to learn any foreign language. People tend to learn the Chinese language for different purposes such as to improve chances of employment, to enhance their travel experience, or to help in negotiating internal business agreements. Chinese is a very interesting language to study. As this language is spoken worldwide, more and more people are choosing to learn Chinese online.

Chinese language is based on a simple structure of characters and language. It involves the use of varying tones to offer a different meaning to a word. When you start to learn the Chinese language, you get a window to understand the Chinese culture and their way of life. There are several ways to learn this language. In some colleges and universities, Chinese language is a part of academic program where you can get all the basics of this language. You can join the private classes to be familiar with this language. Another way is to get training from Chinese language experts.

If it is not possible for you to join college or private classes, then you may opt for online courses to learn Chinese online. There are numerous websites that are dedicated to Chinese language. If you access these sites, you will get excellent information regarding the basics of Chinese language. Different types of courses are available on the internet such as audio courses, video courses and programs conducted by China’s best teachers.

Chinese alphabet is considerably different from the Latin alphabet, and will be one of the first things that you learn. Then you will move on to pronunciation. To learn Chinese pronunciation you must start with pinyin, this consists of the Chinese phonetic alphabet which will teach you how to pronounce Chinese characters.

Through the audio online courses, you can learn about the phonetics and accents of Chinese languages. You can listen and learn simple Chinese vocabulary. You may get the fluency in everyday grammar use and speaking by attending these online courses regularly. Modern audio and video online courses offer a more convenient, up-to-date and efficient introduction to reading and writing Chinese. Language experts and China’s best teachers prepare online Chinese programs.

To increase your proficiency in the Chinese language I advise you to join the Chinese blogging community. Within this community you’ll find original and fresh Chinese language that you will not find in books. Make Chinese friends online and they’ll help teach you their language.

The most important point to remember when learning a new language is to have fun, the more you enjoy it more likely you will stick with it and become an expert speaker.

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No Comments » Posted by Jerry Grant / Chinese Language

Jul 15th 2008 Seven-star luxury hotel triggers controversy

A seven-star hotel to be built in downtown Hangzhou has triggered heated debate among local citizens who question whether the luxury accommodations would bring substantial benefits to the local economy, a report on the website Sina.com.cn said.

A Guangzhou-based real estate group that invested in the hotel four months ago has scheduled construction to begin by the end of this year and to be completed in 2011. The extravagant hotel, to be located in a thriving business area, is expected to be the equivalent of the globally renowned sailboat-shaped Burj Al Arab Hotel in Dubai.

The real estate group also plans to build office buildings and shopping malls nearby, which would bring the total investment to an estimated 600 million US dollars, the report said.
Read more at ChinaDaily.com

No Comments » Posted by se7en / Hangzhou Economy

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