Introspecting Chinese culture through iconic films
After a golden year of fortune and prosperity, it’s finally time to bid farewell to the Year of the Monkey and usher in the Year of the Rooster. Revered as the most significant in Chinese culture, the new year is also a special time for families, relatives and friends to get together and commemorate their vibrant heritage. Apart from its rich history and flavorful cuisine, China has distinguished itself from its Asian neighbors for its culturally insightful and entertaining cinema. Here’s a brief rundown of iconic Chinese films that have captured the hearts of viewers across the globe.
To Live (1994)
Set during a tumultuous period ( 1940s to 1970s) in China’s 20thcentury history, To Live follows the life Xu Fugui, a wealthy, compulsive gambler who loses his family home and fortune to the roll of the dice, consequently causing his wife to take their children and leave. Soon after, Fugui and his family become entangled in a difficult political struggle as they fight to find peace. Critics have praised the film for depicting the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution that so many older members of Chinese society had onced lived through.
Chunyun is a Chinese term describing the massive movement across China during the Spring Festival season, as every Chinese travels home to celebrate with their families. No matter how far, everyone travels the distances and looks forward to tuan yuan fan or the reunion dinner.
In Manila, some Filipino-Chinese families celebrate the start of the Lunar Year with a breakfast of sweet tea and cakes then, later on, they gather round for the intimate reunion dinner. To cap the night, elders give ang paos ( hong bao) to kids and kids at heart and the whole family watches a fireworks display.
While most prefer the old charm of watching the lion and dragon dance in Binondo, some families book a stay at posh hotels to receive Chinese New Year blessings from renowned Chinese masters and partake of exquisite Spring Festival feasts. While waiting for the reopening of Mandarin Oriental Manila in 2020, here’s a list of Chinese New Year festivities from some favored hotels in the metro.
City of Dreams Manila
Crystal Dragon, one the luxury integrated resort’s premium restaurants, serves exclusive Chinese New Year-themed a la carte and set menus until Feb. 11, while 24-hour casual Chinese dining at Noodl8 offers sumptuous dishes for all of January and February. Themed gift items perfect for the festive occasion are likewise available at Café Society.
At The Shops at the Boulevard on the upper ground level, a Year of the Rooster festival showcases a variety of fun-filled Chinese New Year-themed activities and performances as well as a God of Fortune spreading gifts and good cheer to guests while roaming around the integrated resort.
For evening entertainment, guests can head to City of Dreams KTV’s elegant themed-rooms and sing to their heart’s content with special Chinese New Year a la carte dishes and unlimited Tsing Tao beer included in the package.
Crimson Hotel
Book direct and use the promo code CNY2017 to avail of the Lucky Rooster Room Package. Stay today and enjoy a special rate inclusive of buffet breakfast for two, complimentary Feng Shui Guide for 2017 by Feng Shui Expert Joseph Chau, complimentary tickets for two to the Chinese New Year Brunch celebration and late checkout at 6 p.m. tomorrow. Book the Lucky Rooster Room Package and get a chance to win an overnight stay for two in an Executive Club room.
From Jan. 27 to Feb. 4, guests can also look forward to a bounty of Chinese culinary favorites at Café Eight. Guest chef Adrian Lim creates sumptuous specialties such as suckling pig, longevity noodles, jellyfish in peanut sauce and assorted dim sum. Buffet rates include free-flowing beverages such as wine, beer, juice and sodas.
Diamond Hotel
Enjoy Corniche’s Chinese New Year lunch and dinner buffet from Jan. 23 to 29 and get a chance to pick a prize and win from the Prosperity Tree for a minimum spend. Also, get a free 10-minute feng shui consultation from Angel Macalino for a minimum spend at the Corniche lunch buffet today.
Join in on the festivities and witness the lion and dragon dance by the Philippine Ling Nam Athletic Federation at 11 a.m., and performances by Chinese musicians Kim Hwa Ensemble at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Marriott Manila
Man Ho Chinese restaurant invites everyone to make the New Year celebrations more memorable with a lavish 11-course feast. Choose from two set menus:
The Good Fortune includes marinated radish and black fungus as starters, assorted barbecued meat combination with a covetous suckling pig, braised dried oyster with garlic and vegetables, braised fish lip soup with sea cucumber and black mushroom, sautéed clam meat and sliced chicken with celery chili sauce, steamed live tiger garoupa fish, deep fried crispy chicken, stir-fried
kai-lan with ginger sauce, fried rice cooked in Fujian style, and desserts like sweetened red bean cream with dumplings, custard bun with egg yolk, and coconut pudding with red bean.
The Infinite Happiness Set includes appetizers like smoked fish and Japanese cucumber, roasted goose in Hong Kong style (a rare and first in Manila), roasted suckling pig, braised conpoy with dried oyster and vegetables, braised fish maw soup and shredded duck, sautéed scallops with asparagus in XO sauce, steamed live pink Garoupa fish, poached seasonal vegetables with salty egg and preserved egg, fried rice with diced chicken and salty fish, sweetened red bean cream with dumplings, steamed custard bun with egg yolk, and coconut pudding with red bean.
Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila
Usher in the Lunar New Year with a bountiful feast prepared by Spiral’s culinary artisan, Chinese chef Michael Tai. The featured menu showcase recipes from China’s Guangdong (Canton) and Sichuan province and select dishes from Taiwan.
The Cantonese menu showcases the luxurious abalone braised in superior sauce; steamed fish Hong Kong style; braised dry mussel with sea moss; golden prawn in salted egg yolk; sautéed scallop with sweet walnut in XO sauce; and Marmite crab.
For the Hakka selection, enjoy featured dishes including: Hakkastyle pork knuckles; braised pork belly with preserved vegetable; Hakka deep-fried pork organ; Hakka-style salt and baked chicken; treasure fried rice in lotus leaf; and the basin dish called poon choi.
The Szechuan cuisine features chang qing la ji chicken, cumin lamb, home-made noodle ( zha jiang mian), beef ( rou jia mo) Chinese hamburger, braised sea cucumber in Szechuan sauce and kung pao squid with cashew nuts.