The Hungarian-Chinese Cultural Association was founded in December 2015 as a non-profit organization, part of it is the weekly Hungarian magazine “Új Szemle” and Diamond Cultural Media Ltd..

The aim of the Hungarian-Chinese Cultural Association is to promote further good relations between Hungarian and Chinese cultural partners: the Hungarian Presidential Palace, the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Economy, the Hungarian Police and the Association of Journalists. The Association has gathered a lot of cultural, artistic and personal resources to create a solid foundation for developing various activities in China and Hungary.

In response to the rapid implementation of China’s “One Belt One Road, OBOR” initiative and the implementation of the Hungarian “eastern opening policy”, the Hungarian-Chinese Cultural Association actively promotes the role of Hungary as a bridge between Europe and China, using the media as a carrier. In addition, it seeks to strengthen cultural, economic and commercial relations, to promote the recovery and development of Chinese cultural industries abroad.

Alpine Way of Life

Many young people are bucking the trend and not moving to the bright lights of the city but rather choosing to stay in the mountains – or to return home to them.

Slowing down, a sense of a community, a sustainable lifestyle

Perhaps it’s the freshness of a new day, when the first light of dawn teases the horizon and the world has not yet become hurried, that offers an inkling of what this alpine sense of life means. In cities and towns, the air is already ripe with the sounds of cars, the horns, the sirens, and even before you’ve got out of bed you know what’s in store for you: stop-and-go traffic, crowded public transport, haste, stress and a racing heartbeat. It’s different in the mountains.

Time to stop, take a pause

In the mountains, the day begins differently. The gentle twittering of birds in the trees behind the house and the chime of a church bell; the fragrance of forest and meadows wafting in through the open window, and the knowledge that out here there will always be opportunities to stop and take time out for yourself. Whether it’s a friendly chat with the postman as he cycles by as you calmly make your way to work, the view of the glistening glacier through the window by your desk or the sudden smell of freshly cut hay during your lunch break – all these things are conducive to a feeling of peace and clarity.

That alpine feeling

So what exactly is this alpine sense of life? An attitude? Of course. A lifestyle? Most definitely. The certainty of being in the right place here and now? Naturally. Something inside you that wells up as you enjoy nature and the mountains? Absolutely! You’ll hear a variety of answers if you talk to people who have chosen to live in the Alps, whether those who have returned from the city because they missed the peace and clarity of the Alps, or those who never left. These are people who value the sense of community a village has to offer. Who, at the end of a day’s work, prefer cycling home across fields than through an industrial estate. Who revel in the might of the mountains, the pure, clear air and the silence of the forest, and who, on the weekend, don’t want to drive somewhere to experience what they can have on their own doorstep. People who want to breathe freely. And find peace. And be themselves.

In Austria’s Alps…

• 4,000,000 people live in the Alps. Innsbruck is the second largest city in the Alps.
• 4,500 different plant species grow here.
• 731 mountain peaks are over 3,000m high.
• 7,000 farmers look after 51,000 dairy cows, 265,000 cattle, 9,000 horses, 114,000 sheep, 40,000 ibex and 10,000 goats.
• 30 glaciers cover a surface of 450km², which is almost the size of Andorra.
• 3,798m is the height of Mount Grossglockner, Austria’s highest peak.
• 290 – 350 million years is how old the Alps are – and some parts are considerably older.
• 54,000km² is Austria’s share of the Alps. Altogether they cover an area of 200,000km².
• 25 registered mountain guides let interested visitors into the secrets of the Alps.
• 480 thousand billion tonnes is how much the Alps weigh.

Kazakhstan is the 9th largest country in the world, a smaller part of it is in Europe, but most of it is located in Central Asia. It shares borders with Russia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. It is almost 30 times larger than Hungary, but its population density is very low. It is a multinational country. They have been independent since 1991, they speak Kazakh and Russian.

The largest city is Almaty (Alma-Ata) with 1.7 million people, which used to be the capital, but nowadays Nur-Sultan is the new one, with a population of just under 700,000.

In Kazakhstan the climate is continental, ie dry, warm summer and terribly cold winter. In summer the temperature is around 30 degrees Celsius while in winter it can be as low as -40 degrees. Summer is the best time to travel even though there is a large fluctuation in temperature between days and nights, but it is not rainy. It is a fantastic sight and experience to roam the contrasting eastern Kazakh landscape and the endless steppes in the west, as well as the huge mountains in the southwest, for example in the Charyn canyon.

The legendary Kazakh-Hungarian friendship is close to the hearts of the locals, who welcome the guests with great love. For example, our common word is alma (apple).

Kazakh women often dress up elegantly, stylishly, high heels are a must for a casual look in everyday life. When people greet each other, they give them two hands.

Kazakh gastronomy has changed interestingly, the original nomadic migrant lifestyle began to change to settling down. Until then, it was based on the use of meat and milk, such as horsemeat, lamb, cow, sheep, cow, and camel cheese.The technique of smoked-salted and smoked-cooked semi-finished products has been perfected during constant migration. Interestingly, it is understandable that, as a result of lifestyle, cereals and vegetables have barely appeared in food, and later the millet became the most popular garnish. National food today is samsa (meat pie cooked), manti (meat pie steamed), beshbarm (cooked meat noodles sprinkled with parsley and coriander)

The most honorable Kazakh holiday is Nauryz (03.22), one of the oldest celebrations of the mankind which praises spring, rebirth, love and friendship.
The Kazakhs love literary arts. The Akyn (national poets) are singing improvisations and follow their songs on the national string instruments (koboz or domb).

Kazakhs have a particular talent in music. There are beautifully singing or music-playing members in almost every family. Their musical instruments evoke the sounds of the steppes.

Baku, Eurovision Song Contest, former Soviet state, oil, tea and spices!

Lets discover the special and diverse world of the Republic of Azerbaijan!

In 2012, the world’s music lovers watched Azerbaijan because Baku hosted the Eurovision Song Contest in connection with the victory of Azerbaijani Ell and Nikki.

The country is the largest in the Eurasian Caucasus region. It is bordered by the Caspian Sea, Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Turkey and Iran. Its territory and population are similar to Hungary’s, but under the country there are huge oil and natural gas fields, which are making it more economically higher than it was a Russian state. They call the country the land of flames.

Baku is the capital, which has become a rapidly developing metropolis in recent years. Its symbol is a skyscraper forming flame tongues. In the city centre you can see the most famous brands in the shop windows, and you can find the world’s largest KFC restaurant there.

There’s no garbage anywhere in the city, no graffiti. Characterised by incredible shapes and sizes, such as the Baku Carpet Museum, which itself molds a rolled up carpet. Next to there is a boating lake that evokes Venice.

Inevitable tea!

The tradition of consuming strong black tea reveals a centuries-old ceremony. In the streets, you can visit traditional tea houses everywhere. The Azerbaijani are proud of their many teas, and the saying goes: when a man drinks tea, he does not count the cups.

Azeri women!

The ladies have to be allowed to go first by the door by the men, and they have to “sit” on the bus – except for the back row because it is for men. Ladies are elegant and almost all of them have long hair.

Their cuisine is fantastic: they use a variety of spices, vegetables and grilled meat. Plov is one of the best known and most important Azeri dishes for which rice is cooked and steamed in a pot lined with a dough.

It is an ancient, traditional meat dish that can be made with a variety of green herbs, so it is different for each region. They are making it with freshly baked, thin slices of ginger plants, sauces or fruits (cherries, pomegranates, plums).

Azerbaijan is a special place, it has a well-developed capital city with giant skyscrapers along the former silk road, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site of ancient rock paintings in Gobustan National Park.