Search Results for: blog adventures by disney china

Saving on Travel Down Under

Have you been watching Matt Lauer’s daily travel adventures on the “Today” show? Tomorrow is Day 4 of “Where in the World is Matt Lauer” and I’m not even going to bother guessing where the morning show co-host is going to be reporting live from. No, I have my eyes set on Matt’s final day abroad. Unless there was an announcement that I missed about him not visiting this country I have no doubt that Lauer will wrap up his world travels in China. After all, NBC is televising the Summer Olympic Games and what better way to plug the … Continue reading →

Pekingese

For a month that comes in like a lion, I thought it a good idea to take a look at a dog that looks like a lion: the Pekingese! This little Chinese dog is bold, courageous, and independent — and comes with a long history. The breed was considered sacred in ancient China. Those Foo Dogs we looked at earlier this month? You can find Foo Dog representations that might just be Pekes. The imperial family kept the oldest, purest bloodlines; Imperial Dog Books were used as breed standards. Legend says that a lion fell in love with a marmoset … Continue reading →

Foo Dogs Aren’t Dogs… Are They?

Perhaps you’ve heard of foo dogs — also known as fu dogs, fo dogs, or Chinese lions? These works of art may be called dogs, but are they really dogs? First, a little history: animal imagery is an important element in Chinese art. During the Shang dynasty, stylized animal faces were placed on vessels in tombs and engraved onto weapons. For some, the animal faces served as fierce guardians or symbols of royal power. During the Han dynasty, we saw the first appearance of the lion in Chinese art. Outside of royal gifts, China had no lions of its own; … Continue reading →

Mickey and Minnie Go High Fashion

My 3-year-old daughter will be the first to remind any one that Mickey is a mouse—-not a rat. As such, he should never be confused with Remy, the rat from Ratatouille (despite the fact that the people who made Remy—-Disney PIXAR–are the same ones who breathe life into his popular bi-coastal rodent cousin). My daughter’s rodent lecture came about when I shared with her the news that Mickey and Minnie Mouse just got “new, fancy clothes for Chinese New Year.” I should have just stopped there. But I made the mistake of adding that according to the Chinese Zodiac, 2008 … Continue reading →

Teaching Survival Skills to Pandas

Less than a year ago, China released a five year old panda into the wild. Why is this news? He was the world’s first artificially bred panda to be released. Unfortunately, Xiang Xiang didn’t survive. Scientists believe the panda fell from a height after a fight with wild animals (possibly other pandas) over food or territory. This is a terrible loss for the Wolong giant panda breeding center. But the loss of Xiang Xiang is inspiring scientists to work on better preparing future pandas for life in the wild. China has been making a serious effort to save the giant … Continue reading →

Mulan II

Mulan (Ming-Na)has just returned from her adventures conquering the Huns and is a hero. All the girls in the village admire and respect her, thinking they want to be just like her. Mushu (voiced this time by Mark Moseley) is in Guardian Heaven. All the other Guardians agree that he has earned back his pedestal, and he is making the most of his moment in the sun. Li Shang comes to the Fa home to propose to Mulan, and the family couldn’t be more delighted. Mushu, however, is very upset. When Mulan gets married, her husband’s ancestors will start watching … Continue reading →