In Malaysia, we are eating tangyuan (汤圆) on the Dong Zhi Festival (冬至) which falls on 22nd December every year. But in China, their practice is different from what we are having here in Malaysia. In China, Tangyuan is a chinese food made from glutinous rice flour. Glutinous rice flour is mixed with a small amount of water to form balls and is then cooked and served in boiling water. Tangyuan can be either filled or unfilled. It is traditionally eaten during Yuanxiao (元宵) , or the Lantern Festival. This name literally means "first evening", being the first full moon after Chinese New Year, which is always a new moon. In Malaysia, we named it "Chap Goh Meh".
A friend of mine from Northern China told me that they named it yuanxiao (元宵) instead of tangyuan (汤圆) and they didn't eat it on Dong Zhi Festival but on Yuanxiao (元宵) or Lantern Festival or Chap Goh Meh (in Malaysia). I was so surprised to knew about it as I thought our tradition supposed to be the same as in China.
I searhed the internet and found out that historically, a number of different names were used to refer to the tangyuan. During the Yongle Emperor (永乐皇帝), the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty (明朝), the name was officially settled as yuanxiao, a name derived from the Yuanxiao Festival, also known as the Lantern Festival.
In Southern China, however, the prevailing names are tangyuan or tangtuan. Legend has it that during Yuan Shikai (袁世凯) 's rule (1912-1916), was a Chinese military official and politician during the late Qing Dynasty ( 清朝) and the early Republic of China. Yuan disliked the name Yuanxiao because it sounded identical to "remove Yuan" (袁削) and so mandated that the name Tangyuan be used instead. This name literally means "round balls in soup". Tangtuan similarly means "round dumplings in soup".
I just knew that China people only eat tangyuan on Chap Goh Meh and not on Dong Zhi Festival. I am wondering how many of you know about this which include our parents and the elders?
5 comments:
Chinese eat dumpling in almost all festivals. There are various varieties such as Shanghai, Beijing and northern dumplings. They even have it for dinners.
In Southern China where our ancestors came from, dumpling is not a usual food. Instead we have "siaw bee" and "pian nit".
Heroes..heroes..dont get excited...China is big and if we really through the history we will probably be confused.
Will has got us right, we are from Southern China (i mean most of our early migrant ancestors...believe running away from poverty...bla..bla.(must ask Wong Nai Siong whether he is selling us or giving a new life ?) are from Fujian province/state)
Your friends are mostly Sichuan or Dali of course may have different practices.
I do not study Chinese's culture/literature(I mean getting a pure degree in it), I believe every season, there is a special festivity for it...
- Spring : Chinese New Year
- Summer : Tuan Wu Chien ?
- Autuum : Mooncake
- Winter : Dong Chi
Importantly, one must celebrate with love..then it counts if not it is just another dinner together..
William/Gr8buds, I agreed with both of you that our ancestors came from Southern China and thats why I was highlighted that there were some differences on the culture, practices etc between Southern & Northern China.
The practices or culture we are having here in Malaysia might not be the same as we have mixed up some of the local Malaysian practices or culture.
Gr8buds, my or our China friends are from various cities and provinces of Southern or Northern China. BTW, Sichuan Province is from Southern China.
Some of our friends are from Northern part such as Shenyang city, Dalian city and Pan Jin city of Liaoning Province and Beijing city.
Those from Southern China are Sichuan Province, Fuzhou city of Fujian Province, Shenzen city of Guangdong Province and Guilin city of Guangxi Province.
Are there a lot of mainland Chinese in Kuching now?
william, yeah, there are quite a number of them who come from China especially those working in the reflexology centres.
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