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February 4th sees the arrival of the first of this year’s traditional Chinese solar terms, named Lichun, usually translated into English as the “Beginning of Spring.” In ancient times, this particular day was seen as the prelude to a whole host of seasonal activities to welcome the coming spring. Tune into today’s episode to hear more about how the Chinese celebrate Lichun!

During the Chinese New Year, known as Spring Festival in the country, one of the most popular greetings is 恭喜发财，which translates as ‘Wishing you Prosperity and Wealth’. How did this greeting come about? Who is the Chinese God of Wealth? When do Chinese people welcome this propitious God? What stories are told about this deity? Why do Chinese people give red envelopes during the Spring Festival? This episode brings you all the things you need to know about wealth and the Chinese New Year.

With New Year celebrations worldwide done and dusted, attention is now turning to the Chinese New Year, saying goodbye to the year of the roaring tiger and to welcome the year of the tender rabbit. How is the rabbit represented in traditional Chinese culture? Is there a story behind this particular Chinese zodiac sign? Hop over to check out this new edition of A Thousand Whys!

The ancient Chinese bathing culture dates back to 3,000 years ago. For ancient Chinese, taking a bath was not just a personal hygiene issue, it was also considered an art and a lifestyle. So how did people bathe in ancient China? What can you expect in today’s commercial bathing houses in China? Explore this episode for more.

Qipao, or the Cheongsam, is widely regarded as the dress that best brings out the charm of Chinese women. This type of traditional tight-fitting garment has transformed from a gender equality statement to everyday clothing, and now to a fashionable expression of Chinese elegance in the past century. How did Qipao come into being and what stories are behind its cultural connotation? Tune into today's episode and find out!

How come holidays originated from bathing in ancient China? How did the ancient Chinese distinguish between workdays and non-work days? Which dynasty had the longest holiday? Who is the workaholic in Chinese history? In this episode, we will tell you something interesting about holidays in Chinese history.

You probably know that the Spring Festival is one of the most important holidays in Chinese culture, when families get together to welcome another new year. But did you know that over 2,000 years ago, Chinese people actually marked the beginning of a new year on another day? That is, the winter solstice day, better known as Dongzhi in China. Tune in to learn about how Chinese people celebrate the arrival of winter.

How did the love of a princess’s dress almost bring about an environmental disaster in Chinese history? Then how did ancient Chinese people protect wildlife? In this episode of A Thousand Whys, we’ll explore the ancient Chinese wisdom in protecting the environment.

Have you heard of a game called Cuju? This "kick-ball" game was played in China as early as over 2,000 years ago. Well, as the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 reaches its exciting finals, we are going to talk a bit about football games, and try to decode how the ancient Chinese celebrated their love for this unique ball game. Tune in to find out more in this episode!

Winter is coming! In this episode, we tell stories about beauties and daffodils and explore why Chinese people love to describe beauties as ice and snow.

China's traditional tea-making has been added to UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list. As THE most popular drink of the Chinese people, tea boasts a history almost as long as that of the Chinese civilization. It is something like coffee to Westerners that could never be absent or replaced in one's daily life. In this rebroadcast of one past episode, let’s find out how Chinese people love drinking tea and how it has become part of our life.

Besides keeping us hydrated and clean, one of the most important practical uses of water is transportation. The longest canal in the world is in China! But why do some say that its construction caused the fall of a dynasty?

If you’ve ever visited China, you are probably surprised by people drinking boiled water. Some might tell you boiling water removes harmful bacteria that could potentially make you sick. But this doesn't explain the practice of boiling bottled water!

The board game Go is perhaps the most challenging one of all, for human intelligence and for artificial intelligence. In this episode, let's examine this complicated yet charming strategy game.

​Ever seen the dazzling lion dance and wondered what it is about?

If you love flowers, here's a chance to indulge yourself in a sea of blossoms in this early spring. A Thousand Whys invites you to a flower-themed gathering.

In the closing ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, the theme “A Willow Twig” was presented both as a symbol of bidding farewell to the athletes and a remembrance for lost ones in ancient Chinese culture. Do you know why willow branches serve as a symbol of farewell? What exactly do willow trees represent in the Chinese context? Let’s find out in today’s episode!

Jade and silk are two things that are dear to the hearts of Chinese people. It is therefore no surprise that they are part of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. The design of the Beijing 2022 medals is based on Chinese ancient jade pendants while their ribbons are made of silk. The combination of jade and silk symbolizes "peace" – and the medals' design is inspired by a Chinese legend from ancient times. A Thousand Whys tells you more about the beautiful allusion of the duo of jade and silk.

For skiers and snowboarders in China, the Altay Prefecture of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is a dreamland. With a vast area of natural powder snow, Altay is considered by some as the birthplace of skiing that dates back to tens of thousands of years ago. Meet an age-old winter tale in this episode of A Thousand Whys.

What is the first self-constructed railway line in China? How does it relate to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics?