Ding Ding Dang (Wenzhou Dialect)
by Christine from Wenzhou
English Translation:
Ding Ding Dang
Hear “Ding ding dang,” Hear “ding ding dang”
Hear “lou lou lai,” outside the haven door at the foot of the mountain.
Hear “lou lou lai,” at Xian Ren Jing on Songtai Mountain.
It’s the great bell in Miaoguo Temple.
Eating Huntun (Wenzhou Dialect)
by Christine from Wenzhou
English Translation:
Eating Huntun
Children, listen a little. Mom will teach you how to eat huntun.
Huntun soup, drink it all.
Dumpling fillings, eat with congee.
Dumpling dough, eat with sweet potato.
Huntun bowl, turn upside down when you’re finished.
Share Pancakes (sponge cakes)(Wenzhou Dialect)
by Christine from Wenzhou
English Translation:
Share Pancakes (sponge cakes)
I’m going to share pancakes with my uncle.
Pancakes are thick, I’ll share with uncle.
Pancakes are thin, without sharp angles.
Pancakes are solid, and can welcome the Buddha.
Pancakes are fluffy, I’ll share with my great uncle.
Pancakes are hot, they’re hard to store.
Pancakes are cold, they’re hard to shape.
Pancakes are wet, I’ll share with my father.
Pancakes are dry, I’ll use them to pray to the kitchen God.
Pancakes are like powder, I’ll share with my aunt.
Pancake leftovers are too little, so I won’t serve them.
The more pancakes my uncle eats, the more thirsty he becomes.
Wenzhou is a Great Place (Wenzhou Dialect)
by Christine from Wenzhou
English Translation:
Wenzhou is a Great Place
Wenzhou is a great place, with beautiful mountains, water and scenery.
We have Yandang Mountain to climb, and the freezing Nanxi River.
We have the Jiangxin Temple, and can bathe in the Taishun radon hot springs.
We can vacation and fish in Dongtou District happily, and, in June, keep busy swimming on Nanji Island.
We can hear poems recited in the Chishang Building. In Zhou Yuan, there are many renowned schools.
Ou Opera is one of the best operas. It shows the elegance of Southern Opera.
We have famous performances of Gu Ci (drum lyrics), and traditional folksongs.
It is happy to play, look and listen. You have to come and explore.
Wenzhou is a great place. Our four seasons and eight holidays are all meaningful.
On the Chinese New Year, people send souvenirs with Wenzhou’s special packaging. The streets are filled with festivities, with parades and spectacles.
On the Qingming Festival, people picnic and eat rice cakes. On the Dragon Boat Festival, people race dragon boats.
On July 7th, people celebrate Valentine’s Day (Qixi Festival). On the Mid Autumn Festival, people celebrate by gazing at the moon and walking on Mahang Street.
12 Months (Wenzhou Dialect)
by Christine from Wenzhou
English Translation:
12 Months
In January, we have lanterns. In February, we have kites.
In March, we make flutes (xiao) from wheat stem.
On April 4th, we perform Yongjia Opera.
On May 5th, we celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival.
On June 6th, we dry out our clothes.
On July 7th, we celebrate Valentine’s Day (Qixi Festival).
On August 8th, we celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival by eating mooncakes with sesame.
On September 9th, we celebrate our elders on the Double Ninth Festival by sharing rice cakes.
At the end of October, the ice-cold water freezes our bones with winter’s coming.
In November, we celebrate Dong Zhi by eating tang yuan (sweet dumplings).
In December, we make rice cakes decorated with characters to wish for success.