1. How does the weather in Shanghai (or China generally)influence Shanghainese/ Chinese art? Emma Sproul S6

One thing that this blog has continually reinforced is the fact that China is a very vast country. To put it in comparison, its total land area of 3,855,100 square miles surpasses even the United States (with Alaska included). Keeping in mind this diversified geography, one can appreciate that China’s climate is not monolithic and its weather climate is different for each region.

Southern regions that are closer to the equator are warmer, while northern regions suffer from much harsher winters. We’ve talked about how traditional paintings derive a lot of inspiration from the environment and the natural landscape. So naturally, how weather affects the scenery also shows itself in how certain regions are painted.

Check these two paintings out. Both are done in traditional 国画 (guó huà, or “native,” or “national painting”) style, but still mange to project totally different atmospheres:

Both paintings show a river in the centre. The first painting, a night time scene, portrays an almost cold serenity to the northern weather, utilising the white space to depict the snowy ground. In contrast, the second painting by artist Li Gemin, who was from the southern province of Guangdong, is much more active and full of greenery.

2. Given the huge size of China, how does the weather affect China’s businesses in the different regions? Hannah Barr S6

As mentioned above, China’s large land mass means that weather patterns are regionalised. Even during the same season, different regions in China will have different climates because of the country’s extensive and complex geography.

Northern regions of China suffer from very harsh winters. Because of the relative longer distance from the coast than its southern neighbours, northern winds are comparatively drier and less humid. Even for Beijing, which is in the southern portion of the northern region, winter temperatures can drop to -20C at night.

Because of this adverse weather, agricultural business is not as abundant as the south. Instead, northeast China is the country’s traditional industrial base, with major industries in equipment, steel, automobile, shipbuilding and aircraft manufacturing, as well as petroleum refining industries.

Also important to note is that there is no pre-defined geographical marker when we speak of northern or southern regions. This division is cultural, and does not follow any provincial or geographic boundaries, (although some would say that the Yangtze River acts as a divisor between the north and south – but this is a cultural preconception and in no way formalised). At best, these regionalisations are cultural stereotypes that are heavily generalised.

Located in between the northern and southern regions, the area along the Yangtze River is known for its hot summers, created by the mountainous valley regions which trap warm fronts within the basin.

Southern and coastal regions of China offer more temperate climates, and existing waterways are more conducive to trade. Indeed, compared to its northern neighbours, these regions witness more commerce.

Check out this interesting map by chinasignpost.com, with data provided by the World Bank. It compares each province’s individual GDP and puts it in perspective by showing the foreign country equivalent.

Notice how the GDP of coastal and southern regions are equivalent with relatively richer countries while interior and more arid regions in China have a lower GDP.

3. How well-equipped are the different areas of China in dealing with extreme weather conditions? Elizabeth Pickering S6

This year has seen many drastic changes in the weather throughout China; blizzards have frozen transportation this winter and flash floods are causing tens of thousands to relocate. I would say many people in the nation, regardless of region, are ill-prepared for these extreme conditions.

It’s not really a matter of ineptness, but rather that the extreme weather conditions faced this year were inconceivable only several years ago. I’ve spent close to a decade in Shanghai now, and I’ve only seen it snow here only a handful of times in all these years, and yet this year alone we’ve had a blizzard and snowfall on many occasions. Just last month, over 30,000 travellers were stranded in the city’s airports because of heavy snow.

Here are a couple of pictures from Shanghai Daily and Chinanews of the extreme weather conditions in Shanghai just this year:

With regards to how prepared locals are in dealing with extreme weather – well, this picture just about says it all:

But as with most things in life though, children seem to be able to see the silver lining in every situation:

4. What idioms do the Chinese have that relate to weather? (For example ‘raining cats and dogs’ in English) Emma Hay S6

After talking so much about adverse weather, let’s look at a couple of easy Chinese idioms that describe fair weather and clear skies:

风和日丽, fēng hé rì lí. If we break down the individual words: 风means “wind;” 和means “and;” 日can have several connotations, in this case meaning the “sun;” and 丽 means “beautiful.” So when we put it all together we get “beautiful wind and sun,” an idiom which is used to describe fair weather.

Here’s another one:

万里无云, wàn lǐ wú yún. Here’s the meaning of the individual words: 万means the number “10,000;” 里in this case refers to an antiquated Chinese unit of measurement called “Li,” which is roughly equal to about a third of a mile; 无 means “nothing,” or “having none;” and 云 means “cloud.” If we put it all together, we get a descriptive idiom that roughly translates to “10,000 miles without a cloud,” usually used to talk about clear blue skies without any chance of rain.

Thanks for all your questions Queen Anne, more to come!