Dear CCC friends,

Happy Chong Yang Festival ! 

Today (Saturday) October 16, 2010  is the Double Ninth Festival or Chong Yang Festival, observed on the ninth day of the ninth month in the Chinese calendar. It is a traditional Chinese holiday marked by climbing mountains, appreciating chrysanthemum blossom and showing special respect to their seniors.  So wish every senior a long and healthy life !

Help us select your favorite CCC tour leader

Please give us one minute of your time and help us select your favorite tour leader of out-of-town trips (city day trips are not included).  Follow this LINK HERE to select. Choose two or even four if you are simply unable to decide which one is your absolute favorite. In the Comments box tell us why you think the tour leader of your choice is the best, or what makes him or her special. This will help CCC and our entire Tour guiding team improves our service to you, our favorite customers

Readings

* Calligraphy & painting newsletter -- Issue One

* Our master's Zen thoughts No.116: back packer (from the Live Zen Center)


Upcoming Cultural Day Tours
 

Eunuch Tombs, Mural and Temple Tour
Thursday, Oct.21, 09:00-15:00

CCC takes you to explore two obscure and fascinating sites in the west suburb Beijing, the Eunuch temple with well-preserved 565 year-old mural by Ming court artists and largest eunuch graveyard with memorial and museum - obscure and pristine >>> more

Daytrip: Colonial Architecture Exploration of Tianjin
Sunday, Oct.31, 08:20-19:00

This is an expert guided tour exploring the old colonial districts and areas where the western and classic Chinese villas still exist. The beautiful renovated Haihe river, the traditional lanes, neighborhood and market will also be visited. >>> more

The Western Qing Tombs
Saturday, Oct.23, 08:30-19:00

Wesern Qing Tombs is still little visited despite offering considerably more to visitors than tombs of the Ming. The site is rural, more densely forested than the Eastern one, overlapped by orchards and agriculture, and with chickens, goats... >>> more

Songzhuang Contemporary Artists Village Tour
Saturday, Oct.23, 09:00-16:00

Songzhuang Village is China's largest contemporary artist community. It is different with 798 Art Zone crowded with galleries. CCC makes appointments with a handful of artists who will allow you into their farmer's homes or rental studios. >>> more

Day Tour: Rural Beijing Village By the Wall
Sunday, Oct.24, 09:30-16:00

This is a nice walk in rural Beijing to see an "authentic" village of China in the mountains near the Great Wall. The little village is located in a walled castle, where villagers still cut wood and branches in the mountain to build up fire. >>> more

Sleeping on the Great Wall Jinshanling
Sun.3pm - Mon.4pm, Oct.24-25

The hike between Jinshanling and Gubeikou Great Wall gives you a truly authentic wall experience and breathtaking views in relative isolation. Sleeping overnight on the Wall (camping or in the watchtower is the coolest experience ever ! >>> more

Sunshine Bus Tour Of Beijing
Tuesday, Oct.26, 10:00-15:00

Our CCC guide will take you on a 4-5 hours bus tour of the 4 corners of Beijing - you' ll see an overview of the new Beijing and the old -- new buildings and old neighborhood and courtyard houses, willow parks and snack shop and temple. >>> more

Tour: Lama Temple & Lamaism
Tuesday, Oct.26, 14:00-16:30

This is a guided tour to the famous Lama Temple in Beijing. CCC expert (English narration) will explain all the architectural details of the temple and share the knowledge of Lamaism (Tibetan sect of Buddhism). >>> more

Zen Immersion Practice & Retreat in Temple
November 5eve.-7

Experience the calm and peace of life as practiced by Zen Buddhism in the seclusion of our temple courtyard retreat on Red Conch Mountain in the outskirts of Beijing. Our Zen master will show you how to dissolve stress from your life >>> more

Backstreet Beijing Walk: Tongzhou District
Saturday, Nov.6, 09:30-13:30

Get an overview of Tongzhou District east of Beijing ! Drive along the canal to the tallest and oldest pagoda in the city proper. Then check out the mosque and Tongzhou Museum and a church school with old western architecture. >>> more

Erguotou Liquor Factory Tour
Tuesday, Nov.9, 13:00-16:30

Visit the famous Beijing Er Guo Tou Liquor Factory to see the entire traditional production skills such as distilling and fermentation in the gigantic wok; the wine cellar with half-century vintage, and hundred-woman packing line. >>> more

Talks and Lectures

Bazi Destiny Analysis Course (Beginner)
Monday & Wednesday, Oct.18-Nov.10, 10:00-12:00

"Bazi Destiny also know as The Four Pillars - is a technical study on the individual’s destiny, personal characteristics, surrounding circumstances and possible life path. BaZi really is an extremely practical study. The course is in English. >>> more

Talk: All About Chinese Tea
Wednesday, October 20, 10:00-12:00

The lecture will tell almost everything about Chinese tea, from plant variety, production distribution, tea leaves processing, to major types of tea and differentiation of quality, way of steeping and drinking, tea cups and water. >>> more

Talk: The Zen Path & Three Ways of Meditation
Wednesday, Oct.20, 19:30-21:30

Our Buddhist layman will teach three ways of Zen meditation, from its origins in India to localized Chinese Chan, and the Tibetan way. You will also experience Zen for yourself, through guided meditations, to achieve a more balanced mind and life. >>> more

Lecture: All about Laozi and Philosophical Tao
Saturday, October 23, 14:30-16:30

No book other than the Bible has been translated and read more than the Tao Te Ching. Come hear a talk on the core meaning of Tao and other key concepts from the Taoist masterpiece "Tao Te Ching" by the philosopher-sage Lao Zi. >>> more

Talk: Understanding Chinese Cuisine
Wednesday, October 27, 19:30-21:30

Foods plays a central part in Chinese culture. This lecture reveals a tantalizing wide range of foods and flavors in China, philosophy, history, local culture and geography’s impact on food, usages of materials and condiments and cooking varieties >>> more

Talk: Chinese Goldfish Culture
Wed, Oct.27, 10:00-12:00

Goldfish was first domesticated in China more than a thousand years ago. The talk will introduce varieties of domesticated goldfish in China, classification, feeding and behavior, as well as goldfish culture, symbols, goldfish bowl and fengshui. >>> more

Talk: Buddhism & Social Healing
Friday, Oct.29, 10:00-12:00

Our Buddhist layman will take us into Buddha's the core values, principles of action and its interface with social roles. They have the power to help us maintain a better balance with others, and contribute to a more tranquil society. >>> more

Talk: Chinese foot-binding
Sunday, Oct.31, 14:30-16:30

Nicknamed Gold Lilies, bound feet is symbolic erotic fantasy for men. Foot-binding resulted in lifelong disabilities for most of its victims. The talk explores the history, detailed process of binding feet, and the custom and appeal. >>> more

Chinese Medicine Course
Monday & Wednesday, November 1-24, 10:30-12:00

This 8 session course covers the basic philosophy and cosmology underlying Chinese medicine, the varying schools of thought in history, the acupuncture channels and their relationship to illness, the four diagnostic methods, Chinese herbalism. >>> more

Talk: Understanding Buddha & Spiritual Healing
Friday, Nov.12, 10:00-12:00

If you want to enrich your knowledge of Buddhism you must first understand its origin. Who was the Buddha? What was his early life like and why did it change his way of thinking? Join us for the insight into the Buddha by a Buddhist layman >>> more

Live Zen - Practice & Meditation
every Thursdays, 19:30-21:30

Join us each week for an insight into the teachings and practices of Zen Buddhism. We'll be guided on our journey of self-discovery by a Buddhist layman and learn about Zen through its music, its stories, its art, its rituals & martial arts. >>> more

Out-of-Town Tours

Yangtze River Cruise & Dazu Rock Carving
Nov.1-4

The Yangtze, China's longest river, originates on the Qinghai-Tibet-Plateau and flows eastwards. The rushing waters formed the dramatic scenery of the famous Three Gorges. Enjoy the spectacular mountainous landscape of the Yangtze River and its tribu >>> more

Hunan's Zhangjiajie National Forest Park
Nov.5-7

Listed as UNESCO's World Heritage Site in 1992, this scenic area is made up of three adjoining subtropical parklands, with quartzite sandstone peaks and pillars to rival Guilin's scenery. There are stunning views through bamboo, pine, and oak forest. >>> more

Two-day Tour to Datong (Grottoes & Hanging Monastery)
Nov 6-7

Join this weekend tour to see the second-largest of the nearly 51,000 sandstone statues of Buddha in 53 Yungang grottoes. Buddhist cave art began here in Datong, 160 miles west of Beijing, in the fifth century, by Xianbei minority, which ruled North >>> more

Ancient City Xi An (Terracotta Army)
Nov 12 eve.-14

Take 2 days trip to visit the famous Terracotta Warrior Site; Ancient City Wall, Shaanxi Museum; Great Mosque and Muslim Street; Wild Goose Pagoda, etc. >>> more

Shaolin Temple & Luoyang Longmen Grottos
Nov 12 eve.-14

Take a weekend trip to Luoyang to visit the Longmen Grottoes, one of 3 most famous Buddhist grottoes in China and Shaolin Monastery, the birthplace of both kung fu and Zen Buddhism. >>> more

Subtropical Hakka Round Buildings & City Xiamen
Nov 19-21

Get to know Fujian province, the southeastern end of China's mainland facing Taiwan across the strait. Xiamen, beautiful seaport city with Gulangyu Island; then dirve into the villages in the mountains south and west of Fujian for the magical earthen >>> more

Xi'an (Terrecotta Warriors) & Luoyang (Grottos & Shaolin Temple)
Nov 24 eve.-28

The 4-day tour explores some most important heritages and culture of imperial China in the two most ancient capitals of Xi'an and Luoyang. They are located by the Yellow River area, north central mainland of China, and are dubbed the cradle of Chines >>> more

Pingyao - Raise the red lanterns
Nov 26 eve.-28

Listed as UNESCO Heritage Site, this exotic ancient city and city walls bring you back to the history and the atmosphere and environment like the Europeans back to the Middle Age Europe, and the awesome walls and carvings of the Wang Family Residence >>> more