In America, most men will find another place to stay once they have a family. They are not required to take care of their parents.

In China, most men will take care of their parents and have them living with him, and the wife will also take care of his parents. It also applies to many Asian countries.

Chinese men are seen as the leader of the family, the provider, and the men who can take care of his parents. It has been the tradition, and it is way to show their respect to their parents.

And if the parents are sick, men/young boys are responsible of taking care of his sick parents and feed his younger brothers and sisters. Since some chores required energy, a boy is more preferred as they have more muscles to do heavy duty. Boys must obey their parents, no questions ask.

Now you know why Chinese parents will prefer a boy than a girl. Of course, family now enjoys having a girl too since most work now require less energy. Many women are able to support her own parents without having a brother.

The original cheongsam before the 1900s

If you ask any woman their thought of a cheongsam, they will probably reply you that it is beautiful, sexy and it’s perfect for Halloween. If you were going to ask any man, they will think it as sexy, erotic and seductively revealing.

But cheongsam was being seen as polished and and a status symbol back in the days, and women were covered from neck to toe under it.

Qing Dynasty (Manchu) started ruling China in the 1630s, and all men and women had to change from the old baggy Han clothing into a one piece roomy outfit like the Manchu People. No one can escape the penalty of death if they refuse to change.

The dynasty continued, and it wasn’t until the qi pao became a new fashion item for Han Chinese women/ by socialites and upper class women in 1925.

During the 1949 Communist Revolution, Shanghai tailor escaped China and brought their cheongsam to Hong Kong where it started becoming popular.

In theater, movies like 1960s film, The World of Suzie Wong, introduced the very ordinary Chinese one piece dress with sex appeal to the West. Qi pao keeps being evolved by a lot of designers and the Hollywood starlets. That’s how we see cheongsam as a sexy piece of clothing from China in the modern era.

The Word of Suzie Wong

So everybody in the world knows that it is dragon this year, but what does the year of dragon means to Chinese?

Water dragon is the dragon in 2012, it is the major symbol of good fortune in the Chinese culture, and it promises to bring good business during 2012.  The year of the dragon also plays a big role in having big events in the history, for example,  the last time the water dragon arrives, Elizabeth II became Queen of the United Kingdom in 1952.

The Dragon, interestingly, is related to the spring. If you want to harvest your crop later this year, you must plan and act during the spring time (which is NOW!). If you missed it, you will have to wait 60 more years!

Water flavors wood, for those people who were born in a Wood year will do better than the rest of the other, even when you are in the same animal sign of other people. And on the contrary, Fire year people will do the worst.

Oh well, it is just what the Chinese believe many many years ago, we will be the judge of that when the Dragon year is over.