United News of Bangladesh

For children starting at a new school, the first day can bring many worries: Will they know anyone? Who will they sit with at lunch? Who will they play with during breaks? “I’m this much nervous,” said 5-year-old Iman Fair-Seldon, holding her hands about 10 centimetres apart. Iman will begin first grade next month at a new school in southern New Jersey, near Philadelphia. Despite feeling nervous, she is excited about making new friends. Starting at a new school or moving from elementary to middle school can be difficult for children. Parents often want to help but may not know the best way. Experts and students who have experienced such changes offer some simple advice. Arrange playdates and attend partiesParents have a strong influence on young children's social lives, experts say. Taking children to parks, playgrounds, birthday parties and other activities can give them chances to meet others. Parents can also decide when their children are ready for activities such as sleepovers. “Initially, parents have a huge impact when it comes to the friends that children have,” said Dr Asha Barber Sutton, a licensed marriage and family therapist and associate dean of academic affairs at National University in San Diego. Iman’s mother, Amira Fair, said she normally prefers to keep to herself but makes an effort to help her daughter build friendships. “I make it my business to exchange numbers and try to schedule monthly playdates,” she said. She also attended birthday parties at Iman’s previous school to meet other parents and families. Let children build their own friendshipsParents cannot choose or manage every friendship their children have. Instead, they can help children understand what makes a good friend, such as kindness, honesty and being able to feel comfortable around someone. Difficult experiences can also teach children how to deal with disagreements and what qualities they value in friends, Sutton said. Parents can ask questions such as: What do you like about your friends? Who makes you feel comfortable being yourself? Fourteen-year-old Jaiden Journet, who is starting at a new high school in North Carolina, suggested parents ask their children whether they have found anything in common with another student. Encourage children to get involvedJoining clubs, sports teams and other activities can help children meet classmates who share their interests. Parents can encourage shy or nervous children to try something new. Shia Watts, 16, said joining a theater production at Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California, helped her make new friends. “I’d never done that before, but I met so many amazing people,” she said. When Jamir Gonzalez transferred to Uncommon Camden Prep High School in New Jersey last year, he joined the baseball and debate teams. “If you have any hobbies, find out if they have that at your school, and if they do, talk to the people that are there,” said Jamir, now 16. Once children find an opportunity to connect, experts say they can start with a smile, a compliment or a simple question. Iman remembers meeting her best friend after complimenting her shirt. “I think I said, ‘I like your shirt,’ and then she said, ‘Thank you.’ And I said, ‘So what’s your name?’” she recalled. Encourage some screen-free timePhones, headphones and other devices can sometimes make it harder for students to start conversations. Parents can encourage children, especially teenagers, to put their devices away at certain times and interact with people around them. Some teachers and experts also suggest parents avoid constantly texting their children while they are at school. However, parents should avoid imposing overly strict technology rules on older children because this could make them feel socially isolated, Sutton said. Families should instead discuss reasonable limits on phones, social media and gaming and talk about who children interact with online. Technology can also help children maintain friendships when they move away. Video calls, for example, allow children to stay in touch with old friends. One good friendship can be enoughHaving a sense of belonging at school can make an important difference to a child’s well-being. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, students who feel supported by school staff and classmates are less likely to experience poor mental health, substance use or violence. They are also more likely to have better attendance and grades. But children do not need a large group of friends to feel connected. “Even if you only have one really strong friendship or one strong trusted adult, one strong sense of belonging, that can be enough to really positively affect your well-being and your trajectory through school and life,” said Nicole Hockley, co-founder and CEO of Sandy Hook Promise, a nonprofit focused on preventing gun violence in schools. For children who are nervous about starting at a new school, Hockley said it may help to remember that other students are likely looking for friends, too. “There’s also someone else just like you in that same space who’s also saying, ‘I would like to meet someone. I’d like to make a friend,’” she said. Starting a conversation may feel difficult at first, but with practice, making new friends can become much easier.

For generations, the yellow school bus has been a familiar sight across the United States. Although early school buses came in different colors, the distinctive yellow shade eventually became the national standard because it was easy to see on the road. The color was not chosen by Congress. In 1939, transportation officials from all 48 US states selected the yellow shade, which has a slight orange tone, as an early safety measure. At their peak in the 1980s, yellow school buses carried more than 60% of US students to school. The school bus has its roots in rural America. In Georgia, car dealer Albert Luce designed a metal bus to transport cement workers. When his company rejected the idea, he began marketing the vehicle to schools. The timing was right. School districts were replacing small, one-room schools with larger schools located farther away, creating a growing need for school transportation. “I don’t think you could’ve had one without the other,” said Matt Anderson, head transportation curator at the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation in Dearborn, Michigan, which houses Luce’s 1927 bus. School buses later played an important role in desegregating US schools by carrying Black and white children across racial boundaries. However, the practice of using buses for desegregation has largely ended, and many US schools have since become more segregated. Carl Fisher spent 66 years driving school buses before retiring in 2012 at the age of 86. The Guinness Book of World Records recognized him as the longest-serving school bus driver. His first bus was a modified Dodge truck that carried about 20 children in Pleasant Hope, Missouri. A family friend converted the vehicle by adding benches, stools and windows. Over the years, features such as padded seats and folding stop signs became standard, along with other safety improvements. Brad Beauchamp of electric bus maker Blue Bird said school buses remain among the safest forms of road transportation per passenger and mile, even without seat belts. Today, however, driver shortages and other challenges mean many students no longer have access to a yellow school bus. This has put additional pressure on families to find other ways to get their children to school. Jim Oppegard, who drove school buses for more than two decades in Brooklyn Park, a Minneapolis suburb, retired at 94 as the oldest recorded school bus driver. He said the job was rewarding because it allowed him to help children and contribute to the wider community. “You’re helping the kids and helping the overall society,” Oppegard said. “You’re doing an important job.”

Prince Harry and his wife Meghan are preparing to return to the United Kingdom from California within weeks, raising questions about whether Harry can repair his strained relationship with his elder brother, Prince William. The couple have already enrolled their children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, in British schools for the autumn term. The unexpected decision has sparked debate over where the family will live, who will cover their security costs and whether Harry and Meghan could ever return to royal duties. The biggest challenge, however, may be Harry’s relationship with William, heir to the throne. Their ties have deteriorated following Harry and Meghan’s public criticism of the royal family, including allegations of mistreatment by palace staff, racism and problems within the monarchy. Royal experts also say there could be concerns about Harry and Meghan drawing attention away from William and his wife, Catherine, when they are again in Britain. Craig Prescott, an expert on the UK constitution and monarchy at Royal Holloway University of London, said the palace would have to consider how the couple’s return could affect the work of the royal family. Harry wants his children to grow up BritishHarry and Meghan are expected to live in a private home outside London and will not resume their royal duties, which they gave up after moving to California six years ago, British media reported. Their return comes as King Charles III, Harry’s 77-year-old father, continues cancer treatment. Harry has previously spoken about wanting his children to spend more time with their grandfather. Royal historian Ed Owens said several recent developments may have paved the way for the family’s return. Harry has spoken about reconciliation, while he, Meghan and their children reportedly had a positive meeting with Charles at his Highgrove estate in western England last month. Harry has also said he wants his children to grow up British. Owens noted that the UK may also appear safer to the family amid growing divisions in US society. Royal experts expect Charles to forgive HarryOwens said he expects Charles to forgive his younger son, partly because of his position as supreme governor of the Church of England and the Christian value placed on forgiveness. He said William may find it harder to forgive Harry, although he could eventually do so publicly. “Privately William never fully forgives his younger brother” may be possible, Owens told The Associated Press, but traditional Christian values could encourage a public reconciliation. Charles was informed about Harry and Meghan’s plans on Sunday. The issue was not discussed during their recent UK visit. Relations remain strainedHarry and Meghan’s relationship with the royal family has been tense since they stepped down from royal duties and moved to California in 2020 to become financially independent. The rift grew after the couple gave a series of interviews and Harry published his memoir, “Spare.” They said they left Britain because of the pressures of royal life and accused palace officials of failing to support Meghan’s mental health. They also alleged that a member of the royal family had made a racist comment about their unborn child. Meghan has described herself as biracial. In a widely watched 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Harry said the reasons for leaving Britain were “lack of support and lack of understanding.” Security and legal disputes remainHarry’s tensions with the UK media have also added to the difficulties. He has been involved in a long-running legal battle with British tabloid publishers, accusing them of illegally accessing his phone and invading his privacy. Harry and other plaintiffs lost a lawsuit against the publisher of the Daily Mail last month, leaving them facing potentially millions of pounds in legal costs. Associated Newspapers has said its costs were 34.5 million pounds ($47 million). Harry has also challenged a UK government decision not to provide him and his family with police protection whenever they visit Britain. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Thursday that the couple’s security arrangements were a private matter for Harry and Meghan. Harry lost his legal challenge over the security decision in May 2025. At the time, he said he hoped to reconcile with his family but remained critical of those in Britain whom he believed had mistreated him and Meghan. Royal historian Owens said the focus could now shift from the family’s disputes to efforts to rebuild their relationships. “Time is a great healer,” he said, suggesting that reconciliation between Harry and his father could eventually lead to a possible reconciliation between the two brothers.

At 9 a.m. on a scorching Saturday in June, nearly 100 people were already lined up outside Goldee’s BBQ, a small, wooden-shack restaurant. First in line was 30-year-old Thanh Huynh, who had been sitting in a lawn chair on the joint’s rustic porch since 6:30 a.m. “I have, like, a whole list, and I’m going to spend lots of money here. It’ll be worth it,” he said, laughing while rattling off a long order of meats and sides from his phone’s Notes app as a sweet, smoky scent from nearby pits hung in the air. Opened in 2020 by a group of his friends, the restaurant was named the No. 1 barbecue spot in the state by Texas Monthly a year later, and then won a Bib Gourmand award from the prestigious Michelin Guide, given for “great food at a great value.” The restaurant serves classic Texas barbecue like craft pork belly, sausage and ribs. But it also offers halal brisket, turkey and lamb — meat raised and butchered in accordance with Islamic guidelines. At a time when Republican leaders are increasingly targeting the state’s growing Muslim communities, halal barbecue joints like Goldee’s are thriving in Texas. Across the state, Muslim pitmasters are gaining recognition for putting their own spin on one of Texas’ most iconic culinary traditions. At least a dozen barbecue spots now serve halal meats, including Yearby’s Barbecue & Waterice, run by Black Muslim couple CJ and Sabrina Henley, soon-to-be in Plano, and Levant Mediterranean BBQ, a restaurant with locations in Houston and Frisco and whose all-beef menu includes a brisket shawarma sandwich. “Now there are so many options, and for us to have highly rated barbecue, it’s a blessing,” said Haris Ghaffar, who drove an hour from Celina and stood in 90-degree weather for nearly two hours with a friend for the halal options at Goldee’s. Growing up in the 1990s, Ghaffar said a McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish sandwich was one of the few halal meals he could eat while dining out. Back then, halal food was seen as serving a small community. Today, it’s a multibillion-dollar industry that’s part of the American culinary mainstream, said James Beard Award‑winning food writer Farhan Mustafa, who wrote about the rise of American halal barbecue for Bon Appétit magazine in 2025. “Halal food is American food,” said Mustafa, who is based in Seattle. “It belongs on your plate. It belongs in the casual chat. It belongs in hip hop tracks. It’s the most American thing there is.” Mustafa said Muslims are part of a growing list of communities putting their stamp on Texas barbecue. “Whether they’re first, second or third-generation Muslims or Muslim Americans or just Americans, they’re bringing what they know and what excites them,” he said. Texas barbecue is typically defined by salt-and-pepper brisket and pork ribs, but this new crop of halal pitmasters are adding inventive twists, often based on their own family heritages. Zain Shafi, a pitmaster and co-owner of Goldee’s, previously ran Sabar Barbecue, a food truck that offered Pakistani-infused halal dishes, such as brisket with rub that included spices like bay leaf and coriander. He brought tandoori smoked turkey to Goldee’s menu. And sourcing halal cuts, he said, was a natural choice because they are “the highest quality” meats. Goldee’s chef and part owner Nupohn Inthanousay also blends his Laotian heritage, serving a smoked Lao “sai oua” sausage with sticky rice and a fiery, tangy dipping sauce. At Kafi BBQ in Irving, owner Salahodeen Abdul-Kafi brings halal Wagyu beef and Iraqi spices to classic Texas barbecue, challenging what he said is the “traditional old guard of Texas barbecue.” “My goal at Kafi BBQ is to make the best barbecue in Texas,” Abdul-Kafi said. “I have not been shy about that at all, and making the best barbecue in Texas does not necessarily have to include pork.” A former Silicon Valley tech worker, he moved to Texas six years ago in search of a Muslim community. On weekends in his backyard, he smoked brisket for friends. By 2024, he bought a smoker and opened Kafi BBQ. He said he spent months testing and perfecting recipes and finding local producers. Abdul-Kafi attributes his obsession with crafting a stand-out menu to the Islamic concept of “Ihsan”— an Arabic term meaning doing something with excellence for the sake of God. On a Sunday afternoon this summer, the restaurant’s red booths were packed with diners, drawn to menu items like the 13-spice Wagyu brisket, pomegranate-glazed beef belly burnt ends and Iraqi-inspired spicy beef sausage. “That sausage, I’d probably put it at the top sausage I’ve ever had, and we eat barbecue a lot. This place is unique,” said Jonathan Tate, a Fort Worth resident who came to Kafi BBQ with a friend after reading about it on a Facebook foodie group. “I don’t necessarily have to have it halal, but it’s nice to know they took good care of the food, the meat,” his friend Jon Sklar said, before going back in line to order oxtail. Although political rhetoric against Muslims in Texas has become increasingly hostile — some GOP lawmakers even discussed a ban on halal food at a conference this month — pitmasters like Abdul-Kafi see the rise of halal barbecue as an effective counterargument. “It’s an example of exactly the opposite of what the Islamophobes talk about, right?” he said. “They say, ‘oh, Muslims don’t integrate, they stay alone, they don’t help society and all this stuff.’ And it’s like, I’m sitting here contributing to the most well-known cuisine of Texas.” One of the diners at Kafi BBQ, Houston native Muhammad Sohail, 23, said the restaurant reflects who he is — a proud Texan and Muslim. “This place is super important because I can see halal within the culture of Texas, which is my culture at this point,” Sohail said. “We love the food. We love meat. We’re Muslims and we love barbecue.” After finishing a big lunch with 10 relatives, Areeba Ali, a Dallas native of Indian heritage, said the restaurant’s appeal cuts across communities, which she said is evidence that halal barbecue isn’t a niche but resonates broadly with Texans. “If you look around in the restaurant, you see everybody in there — it’s not just one demographic in there,” Ali said. For Mustafa, that success is ultimately a testament to the resilience of Muslim American communities. “No matter how much they try to erase us, our food is here to stay,” he said. “You will see the power of just good food and the fact that most people really seem to understand that this is just as American as anything else.”

Durga Bari Stuttgart, a vibrant cultural and social organisation of the Bengali community living in Stuttgart, Germany, will host its grand Durga Puja 2026 celebration from October 2026 16 to 20 at Martin-Luther-Str. The five-day festival will feature traditional Durga Puja rituals and customary ceremonies conducted in accordance with the Hindu Panjika (almanac), alongside a colourful lineup of cultural programs, authentic Bengali cuisine and Bengali street food, said a media release on Thursday. The popularity of Durga Puja celebration is no longer confined to Stuttgart or the federal state of Baden-Württemberg. Today it is regarded as one of the foremost annual gatherings for the Bengali diaspora across Germany. “Dear members, guests and friends, we extend our warmest greetings to you all. Durga Bari Stuttgart is not merely an organization - it is a true home for our culture, heritage and community. Throughout the year, we organise various festivals and cultural programs that bring people together and encourage cross-cultural exchange,” said Bimal Agarwala, President, Durga Bari Stuttgart. “Engaging the next generation is also one of our special goals - we want young people to become familiar with their cultural roots and carry that heritage forward with new-found enthusiasm. This is how we build a living bridge between the past, present and future. I warmly invite you all to join our event and celebrate the diversity of our culture together with us.” Durga Bari Stuttgart is a vibrant organisation of the Bengali community living in Stuttgart, Germany, which nurtures the heritage and culture of Bengal through religious observances, cultural events and social gatherings, and continues its efforts to pass this legacy on to the next generation.

Prince Harry and his wife Meghan are planning to return to the United Kingdom with their children for an extended stay from this fall, but they will not resume their duties as working members of the royal family, The Associated Press learned Wednesday. Their children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, have enrolled at British schools and are expected to begin classes in September, according to a person close to the Sussexes who spoke on condition of anonymity. The family plans to live at a private residence outside London that is not linked to the royal family. They will keep their home in Montecito, California, as well as their holiday property in Portugal. The Daily Telegraph first reported the development. Asked about the report at an event with US veterans in Washington on Wednesday night, Harry said, "Nothing to say." Harry and Meghan stepped down from royal duties and moved to California more than six years ago. They later signed commercial deals, including with Netflix and Spotify. Their relationship with other members of the royal family has remained strained. However, Harry has recently spoken about wanting to rebuild ties with his father, King Charles III, who is undergoing treatment for an undisclosed type of cancer. Charles was informed about the couple's plans on Sunday. Harry and Meghan also visited the UK last month. Buckingham Palace generally does not comment on speculation involving non-working members of the royal family. A spokesperson for Harry and Meghan also declined to comment. According to a source close to the couple, Meghan will continue to run her company, As Ever, from the UK, while Harry will be able to spend more time working with his UK-based charities. Harry and Meghan's relationship with the royal family has been tense since they moved to a mansion in Montecito. In interviews and Harry's memoir, "Spare," the couple said they left Britain to escape the pressures and restrictions of royal life. They also accused palace officials of failing to properly support Meghan over her mental health and said a member of the royal family had raised concerns about the skin color of their first child before his birth. Meghan has described herself as biracial. Relations were further strained by Harry's legal battles with British tabloid newspapers. He has accused them of illegally accessing his phone and invading his privacy when he was younger. Harry has lost several lawsuits against media organizations, including a case against the publisher of the Daily Mail that ended last month. The latest case could leave Harry facing legal costs running into millions of pounds. The court ruled that he and other plaintiffs were responsible for the publisher's legal fees. Associated Newspapers said its legal costs amounted to 34.5 million pounds ($47 million). Harry has also been involved in a legal dispute with the British government over security arrangements for his family during visits to the UK. He argues that he and his family need armed police protection because of the risks associated with being members of the royal family, even though they are no longer working royals. After losing a court challenge over his security last year, Harry said he wanted to improve relations with his family. "I would love reconciliation with my family. There's no point in continuing to fight anymore," Harry told the BBC, adding that he did not know how much longer his father had. Harry returned to the UK last month for several charity engagements. Meghan and the children joined him for part of the trip, and they met King Charles at his Highgrove estate in western England. It was the first time Archie and Lilibet had seen their grandfather since Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee in 2022. While Harry has recently spent time with his father, there has been little indication of improved relations with his elder brother, Prince William, heir to the throne. Peter Hunt, a former BBC royal correspondent, said the family's return would come as a surprise to William. "In the short term, Harry will be able to deepen his rapprochement with his father," Hunt told Britain's Press Association. "And his presence back home will make it harder for his brother to duck a reconciliation."

Chinese Valentine's Day is about much more than flowers and chocolates. Known as Qixi, the ancient festival combines romance with legends, prayers and traditional cultural practices that continue to be observed today. Qixi is celebrated on the seventh day of the seventh month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which fell on Aug. 19 this year. The festival is also observed in Singapore, Vietnam and several other Asian countries.

Robots are increasingly becoming part of the service industry, from making cocktails and coffee to delivering food. Now, some of them are also asking customers for tips. That is raising a simple question: Who actually gets the money? At The Tipsy Robot bar inside Las Vegas’ Venetian Hotel, two robotic arms prepare automated cocktails. A margarita costs $17, but customers are also asked to pay a 10% service fee. Similar situations are appearing elsewhere. At Artly Coffee in New York, a robotic barista prompted customers for tips. At Newark Liberty International Airport, a self-checkout machine suggested a tip when customers bought a bottle of water from an unstaffed kiosk. In Portland, Oregon, restaurant Top Burmese uses a robot to deliver meals, although human workers take customers’ orders. While customers may willingly tip human servers for good service, tipping a machine can feel different. It is also often unclear who receives the money. Representatives of The Tipsy Robot and Artly Coffee say all tips go to human employees and that their companies do not take any share. Artly has since removed its automatic tip prompts following complaints from customers. But experts say the situation could be more complicated elsewhere. Holona Ochs, an associate professor of political science at Lehigh University and co-author of the book Gratuity, said there is no clear legal standard determining who owns tips given to robots. “We have every reason to believe that some unscrupulous employers are taking the robot tips for themselves,” Ochs said, stressing that the key issue is who benefits and who pays. Tipping has already become a growing source of frustration for consumers, especially in the United States. Digital payment systems increasingly ask customers to choose tip percentages, sometimes even when little or no human service is involved. The issue is particularly important in the US, where tipped workers can legally receive a much lower minimum wage. The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, while the minimum cash wage for tipped workers is $2.13 an hour, provided employers make up the difference when necessary. US law prevents companies, owners and supervisors from taking tips meant for workers. But those rules may not clearly cover money given to robots. Still, robots do not necessarily mean fewer jobs for people. Abigail Smathers, director of content at Artly Coffee, said the company employs people alongside its robots and does not want to replace workers simply to cut costs. She said the company removed tip prompts and increased workers’ pay partly because of customer concerns. She also said robots can help address labor shortages in the service industry without replacing human workers. Katerina Berezina, an associate professor at the University of Mississippi who studies hospitality technology, said it would be unfair to assume that companies use robots only to make more money. She said service fees or tips could help cover the labor, maintenance and technology costs involved in operating robots. However, labor advocacy group One Fair Wage argues that automation could allow restaurants to continue paying workers low wages instead of addressing the underlying problems in the industry. Experts say customers will play an important role in determining whether robot tipping becomes common. Michael Lynn, professor emeritus at Cornell University and author of *The Psychology of Tipping*, said people usually tip to reward good service, help workers with low wages or avoid feeling judged. Those reasons largely do not apply when dealing with a robot, he said. A study found that only about 11% of participants said they would tip a robot bartender. However, people who had previously interacted with robot bartenders were more likely to consider tipping. The same study found that about 42% of participants who initially refused to tip a robot changed their minds when they were told the money would go to human workers. Lynn believes robot tipping is unlikely to become widely accepted. Businesses may introduce the option to increase revenue, but if customers dislike it, they could simply refuse to pay. “There is no god of tipping, no one can make you pay,” he said, arguing that tipping habits are shaped by customers themselves. For now, robot tipping appears to be an experiment whose future may depend largely on how consumers respond. Source: BBC

China’s imperial cuisine, once shaped by elaborate court rituals and the dining traditions of emperors and their households, continues to survive today through restaurants and culinary traditions that preserve dishes from the country’s imperial past. One story associated with Empress Dowager Cixi dates to the final decades of imperial China. It is said that Cixi once dreamed about a pastry and was served the same treat for breakfast the following morning. Delighted, she summoned the chef and rewarded him with a silver ingot. “It was originally called ‘minced pork pancake,’ but because it had fulfilled her dream, it later became known as ‘dream pastry,’” said Zhou Tong, a chef at Fangshan Restaurant in Beijing. Fangshan specializes in imperial cuisine and preserves dishes associated with Cixi as well as other culinary traditions of China’s imperial court. The restaurant was established in 1925 by former Qing Dynasty chefs at Beihai Park, a historic garden where members of several Chinese dynasties rested, conducted government affairs and held ritual ceremonies. “The name Fangshan literally means ‘imitating the imperial cuisine,’” said assistant general manager Di Xin. Several other restaurants in Beijing also offer versions of imperial cuisine, while the Palace Museum preserves Qing Dynasty objects connected to court dining, including molds used to make pastries. Every meal had its own rituals Imperial cuisine included the food eaten daily by emperors as well as elaborate feasts held by the imperial court throughout the year. Each occasion followed specific rituals. At Qing Dynasty banquets, for example, drinking milk tea was an important opening step, said Teng Deyong, a researcher at China’s Palace Museum. During banquets, emperors would present wine or food to princes and government officials. Those receiving the offerings were expected to perform rituals and pay their respects to the emperor before eating or drinking. Sacrificial ceremonies followed a different set of rules and could include offerings of meat. “At the Palace of Earthly Tranquillity, there was the eating of sacrificial pork, which we know was one of the most important rituals of the Qing imperial court,” Teng said. The pork used in the ceremony was boiled without salt. Afterward, it was distributed among guests, and receiving the sacrificial meat was regarded as a significant honor. The practice of serving unseasoned food also has roots in earlier Chinese ritual traditions. Wandi Wang, a professor of Chinese at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, said the “Book of Rites,” a classical text on ceremonies and rituals, describes a meat broth known as “grand stew” that was served without seasoning during sacrificial ceremonies. “The absence of added flavoring was itself meaningful: the unseasoned dish evoked an earlier and simpler way of cooking and thus expressed a ritual ideal of honoring antiquity and remembering cultural origins,” Wang said. Traditional methods preserve imperial pastries Pastries played an important role in imperial cuisine, and the imperial court maintained a specialized institution dedicated to producing them. At Fangshan, Zhou prepares pastries including Cixi’s dream pastry and a small steamed corn bun, using recipes based on imperial court traditions. “When customers visit, our servers often tell them the stories behind these dishes,” Zhou said. “People enjoy them even more because they carry such meaningful history.” Zhou learned traditional pastry-making techniques from a master who had learned them from his own mentor, continuing a craft passed down through generations. Traditional imperial methods require much of the preparation to be done by hand, without blenders or food processors. Beans, for example, are pulverized using sieves, while certain types of flour are prepared in specially made copper pots. “A machine may be more convenient, but the texture is completely different,” Zhou said. “You lose the delicate graininess and sandy mouthfeel that handcrafted pastries are supposed to have.” Fangshan’s popular specialties include pea flour cake and red bean rolls. During peak periods, customers order more than 200 of the cakes each day. Preserving ancient techniques in a changing world When Fan Liangliang joined Fangshan as a kitchen apprentice, he had to relearn much of what he had been taught in culinary school. Instead of using faster techniques, he adopted slower traditional methods that were unfamiliar to him. One such technique is known as “Nizihuo,” which Fan described as mincing ingredients such as fish, shrimp or chicken into a smooth paste and then shaping it into decorative forms such as frogs, birds and flowers. “This is one of the hallmarks of imperial cuisine,” Fan said. “Every dish had to be innovative, visually beautiful, nutritious and worthy of presentation on the imperial dining table.” Some rare ingredients once used in imperial dishes, including bear paws, are no longer served. Fan said modern alternatives are used while attempting to preserve the original character and spirit of the dishes.

A museum exhibition in east China’s Anhui Province is offering visitors a different perspective on the country’s ancient civilization by highlighting its long history of astronomical observation and scientific exploration. Rather than focusing mainly on traditional treasures such as porcelain, calligraphy and ritual vessels, the exhibition features jade cosmological diagrams, ancient star charts and bronze astronomical instruments created by Chinese scholars centuries ago. Titled “Heavenly Questions: The Cosmological Vision of Chinese Civilization,” the exhibition at the Anhui Museum brings together nearly 300 artifacts from 48 institutions across China. It is one of the country’s rare exhibitions dedicated specifically to presenting ancient Chinese views of the universe through cultural relics. Since opening in July, the exhibition has attracted around 350,000 visitors, many drawn by the astronomical instruments once used to observe, measure and understand the cosmos. Among the main attractions is a jade slab dating back 5,800 to 5,300 years and roughly the size of a smartphone. Eight arrows at its center represent the eight directions, while arrows at the four corners appear to correspond with sunrise and sunset positions during the winter and summer solstices. The cosmological diagram may predate Britain’s Stonehenge. Other notable exhibits include China’s oldest equatorial astronomical instrument, a disk bearing the 28 lunar star mansions discovered in the tomb of a marquis dating to 165 BC, and a bronze water clock from the Western Han Dynasty (202 BC-25 AD), the earliest dated water clock ever discovered. The exhibition also features a rubbing of a Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) stone-carved astronomical chart showing more than 1,400 stars. It remains the oldest known all-sky map based on actual astronomical observations. “These ‘hardcore creations’ in ancient astronomy laid the technological foundation for studying the laws of celestial motion,” said Meng Qian, director of the museum’s research department. The exhibition concludes by connecting ancient astronomical achievements with China’s modern space program. Ancient instruments, including globes and gnomons, are displayed alongside models of modern spacecraft such as the Yutu lunar rover and lunar soil samples collected by the Chang’e-6 mission in 2024. Many of China’s major space missions also carry names rooted in ancient Chinese mythology and culture. The country’s lunar exploration program is named after Chang’e, the legendary goddess of the moon. The Mars rover Zhurong takes its name from an ancient fire god, while the space-survey telescope Mozi is named after the philosopher credited with some of China’s earliest optical experiments. The exhibition takes its title from “Tianwen,” or “Heavenly Questions,” an epic poem written more than 2,000 years ago by patriotic poet Qu Yuan. China’s Mars exploration program also carries the name Tianwen. “This exhibition lets ancient astronomy and modern space exploration illuminate and interpret each other,” said Shi Yunli, a professor at the University of Science and Technology of China and an adviser to the exhibition. “When visitors stand between the folded bronze gnomon and the Yutu rover, they see not just two objects on display, but they see a 5,000-year chain of quest,” Shi said. The exhibition will continue through mid-October as China’s space exploration program moves toward new milestones. “We hope this exhibition will let visitors look back at the early lights of our culture, and also see the way forward,” Meng said.