Strength Master is a fantastic treadmill brand that has rapidly emerged and established itself as a manufacturer of top quality fitness equipment in every corner of the world. The quality fitness equipment includes treadmills produced by Strength Master which are extremely innovative, packed with very useful features, and available at affordable prices to meet the demands of a growing market.

Located in the Asia, specifically Taiwan, Strength Master was founded in 1994, specialising in the design, development and production of consumer fitness and exercise equipment. Since then the manufacturer has gone from strength to strength and has proven their expertise and potential in what is a competitive market. In recognition of their effort, StengthMaster has earned global awards, certificates and commendations. This has paved the way for Strength Master to compete well in the worldwide market.

With their treadmill range Strength Master have shown great product innovation. They produce treadmills with great specifications while being able to keep the costs low. Two prime examples of quality treadmills in their range which meet the demands of consumers are the MI-411 and MI-611. These treadmills are essentially the same, with the MI-611 a more powerful version.

The Strength Master MI-611 is the biggest and most powerful in the range. It has done an excellent job as it meets the needs of the entry-level fitness enthusiast as well as the trained athlete. This is a well-built, sturdy and reliable treadmill that is semi-commercial. Strength Master has really paid attention to detail in every aspect. There is a big running track and fantastic features that are sure to motivate anyone, including a built-in screen, which can play TV, DVD and MP3!

The Strength Master MI-411 and MI-611 both have great specifications. This includes controls to adjust both the speed and incline, including feedback such as distance, speed and calories. With 16 programmes including user-defined programmes and a body fat calculator, these treadmills aim to provide consumers with powerful features to help them achieve their goals.

Specifically in the aforementioned treadmills, there is also a 7-inch TFT-LCD TV screen that is sure to keep any user entertained and motivated during workouts. This screen can be connected to an MP3 player and includes a TV aerial socket. Composite video inputs mean a DVD can be easily connected. You can also adjust how the screen shows, such as the colour and brightness. Strength Master treadmills are easy to use, so you can play around the screen while adjusting your workout. There is no excuse for getting bored while running on the treadmill, Strength Master have made sure their treadmills are fit for this century.

Another fantastic feature that these treadmills have is that they have a hydraulic folding system and wheels so are easy to fold and can be moved around with ease. This is great for most consumers as they are manoeuvrable, and practical for home use where space can be limited.

There are good reasons why Strength Master treadmills are sold over the world, they are very consumer orientated, packed with features and are priced extremely well especially in comparison to other treadmills with similar features. Strength Master is a reliable and trustable brand in the world of treadmills, as they continue to grow. For anyone wanting good quality treadmills at a reasonable price, Strength Master really are recommended.

Dunlop squash racks are just a small part of the portfolio of products designed and produced by globally renounced sports company Dunlop. The company also supplies high quality equipment for tennis, golf and badminton with the addition of sportswear to compliment the equipment. Dunlop has a highly qualified reputation in the industry and has a 90% share in squash ball sales worldwide, helping to establish the company as a brand leader.

Dunlop Sport is a British owned company with various divisions of the company being run around the world with the brand as a whole being predominately owned by SRI Sports in Japan, Taiwan and South Korea.

Dunlop squash racks are at the forefront of developing technology and are constructed from composite materials such as graphite. Individual racks can be designed and build to focus on different specifications to ensure maximum performance for players at different levels of the game. Luckily the competitive nature of the sports racket industry means that the cost to the consumer always remains competitive which helps to keep prices affordable – great news for attracting and retaining new players and lower barriers to get into the game at the ground level.

Nick Matthew, who has enjoyed sustained periods at the top of the men's world squash rankings using a Dunlop squash racket. Nick sees the benefit of numerous technological developments that have gone into the Dunlop Biometric Ultimate racket. It has a strong string pattern, a widened throat and long handle to help give the player the ultimate amount of control and feel. The oversized head, a must in the modern game, also helps to generate maximum power. The racket itself benefits from Dunlop's Biometric technology. This is inclusive of HM6 carbon which improves the racket feel, Aeroskin technology helps the aero dynamics by delivering a reduction in drag and is faster through the air and the Gecko-Tac grip keeps your hand and arm in perfect unison with the racket.

Dunlop continues to be a major player in the racket sports industry and a trusted name with players at all levels of the game from the recreational player, to the enthusiastic amateur and right through to the professional tour players. It is testament to the quality of the racks that many of the worlds top players, both past and present have chosen a Dunlop squash racket. Innovation and a commitment to quality will continue to drive the company successfully forwards.

As a Beach Cruiser enthusiast I’m often ask about the difference between an Aluminum Beach Cruiser and a Steel Beach Cruiser. This article will highlight the differences in various beach cruisers and make some recommendations.

Years ago most bicycles were made in the United States. Beach Cruisers by Schwinn, Electra, Nirve and many others held a strong presence in the United States Beach Cruiser Market. Those days are gone.

Almost all bicycles are made in either China or Taiwan. The same plant that is making baby buggies today may be retooled and making beach cruisers tomorrow. This has had two dramatic effects on the USA Beach Cruiser Market. First, the price of Beach Cruiser Bicycles has fallen dramatically over the last thirty years when adjusted for inflation. Unfortunately so has quality. Today’s market is very much a “buyer beware” type of market and is full of bicycles that years ago would not have passed quality control standards. Part of this is due to the throw away nature of our society. Few people anticipate keeping their bike more than 1-2 bicycle seasons. Most beach cruisers will see a usable life cycle of 1-2 seasons and then set in the back of the garage or carport until discarded.

However, for those looking for quality I suggest two approaches. First, examine the welds on the bicycle. Cheaper bicycles show weld puddles at the joints and do not have the smooth fine welds made on your quality models. Second, (and maybe this is just me) I have observed that bicycles produced in mainland China do not have the same quality controls implemented as beach cruisers produced in Taiwan. Although, controversial as to the reasons I have attributed this to the relatively new introduction of the mainland Chinese to free enterprise markets. Hopefully, in a few years Chinese manufactures will implement quality controls so that all “runs” of beach cruiser bicycles will be quality controlled and not just a few. For now buyer beware.

As to the difference in steel and aluminum beach cruisers you can expect to pay slightly more for an aluminum beach cruiser. If you are looking for a light weight beach cruiser that will be rust resistant then aluminum beach cruiser may be exactly what you are looking for. People living on the beach or who take their beach cruiser to the beach regularly will benefit from this technology. The downside is that most manufactures have a far wider selection of steel beach cruisers than aluminum beach cruisers. As a result most customers who have a limited life expectancy for their beach cruiser will be happier with the greater selection of steel beach cruisers.

Couples that are looking for something very different from their usual surroundings are now considering the option of a destination wedding package. Part of this package includes the services of a professional photographer. In the west these photographs are usually taken on the day during the ceremony, be it in a 13th century gothic church or a shimmering white sandy beach in Australia.

In Asia the phenomenon known as destination wedding photography has a slight twist. Instead of the photographs were taken on the wedding day they are usually taken weeks or months in advance of the big day. This fashion of shooting pre wedding photographs in exotic locations is more popular in Asian countries like Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Japan and Malaysia than anywhere else in the world.

Many Asian couples are looking for exciting romantic fairytale European towns and cities to have their pre wedding destination photographs taken.

Central and Eastern Europe offer an unparallel choice of romantic fairytale settings. With centuries of history behind them cities like Budapest in Hungary, Prague in the Czech Republic, Vienna in Austria and Krakow in Poland have magnificent castles and cathedrals which provide the perfect backdrop for pre wedding photographs. Budapest in particular is a fantastic city at the heart of Eastern Europe; Known as the Paris of the east it has an amazing array of architectural styles including gothic, baroque and art nouveau.

Aside from the photographer and assistant most overseas pre wedding photography packages include the services of a professional makeup artist. The makeup artist plays an essential role in insuring that the couples look their very best for their pre wedding photographs. Usually the bride and groom bring their own wedding dresses of choice for the shoot although some photography packages also include the option of hiring wedding dresses and suits from a local wedding specialist. However in the end it's the professional photographer who's the dream maker creating memories the couple will look back on and treasure for a lifetime.

I have recently begun shooting overseas pre wedding photographs mainly for the Asian market in Budapest Hungary and surrounding Central European countries. Budapest in particular offers couples unparallel opportunities to shoot their dream like photos in numerous fairytale settings around the city such as at the Buda Castle, Fishermen's Bastion, the Chain Bridge, the Parliament and the Freedom monument just to name a few. Couples who have had their pre wedding destination photographs shot in Budapest have all agreed that this beautiful city far exceeded their wildest expectations.

You may have heard that you cannot Import small quantities of products, and that you have to wait many weeks, even months for the goods to arrive. Also, you may have heard of the Customs problems.

Well, this is all wrong! We have been doing this for years! It is so simple that it amazes me. It is all a matter of knowing how to deal with these companies in Hong Kong, Taiwan, China and South Korea. It is very refreshing dealing with them. I have never been ripped off by any of them!

Even the companies that only state in their advertising their minimum quantities, like a container load, will ship small quantities. The trick is calling your request a SAMPLE ORDER! Now, you might not know it, but these companies will accept whatever quantities you request prices for in your Sample Order. Their hope is that you come back and submit a large order. Also, you can get Sample Order shipments over and over.

Some companies are set up to ship small quantities without the Sample Order routine. You can tell by their price lists if they show small quantities. Otherwise, you ask them if they will ship a small Sample Order so that you can introduce their products to your customer base. They have no idea how big your company is.

It is important to have the appearance of a successful firm. Use letterheads, not hand written correspondence. If you do not have a computer, you better get one quick. Join the crowd, or you will not be on the same playing field. Email makes all of this work very well. You can actually email these companies real time, when they are in the office in Hong Kong, or anywhere. Late night here, is morning there.

This means instant communications, and instant action. You can request a Quotation via email, and they will email you everything you need to proceed. They usually send you what is called a Proforma Invoice, which is just an Invoice in advance. You will be expected to wire the funds electronically. This is easily done by your bank.

You can go to their website and see all the products and specs. Very often, if you don’t see what you want, they will give you a price on it. You can never tell, always compare prices. Some firms in the Orient represent other firms in the Orient. You want to buy from the Prime Source, the manufacturer.

If I were to request a price quote, it may look like this:

Greetings:

My firm is in the business of distributing Security & Safety Products throughout the United States. I am very interested in obtaining prices from your most esteemed company.

Your product line is beautiful, and I hope to be offering your quality products in my country.

Please give me prices for a Sample Order of 10 each of the following items.

Thank You for your help.

Very Truly Yours,

Robert Nelson,

Vice President

This is all it takes to get the ball rolling. But, a computer is a must. No company worth a dime does not communicate at least partially with email. Especially when the companies you will be dealing with are overseas. It takes too long for letters to go back and forth. When you learn about a new product, time is of the essence.

These people you will be dealing with are very honorable. They appreciate your showing respect, and they will respond in a kind way. Even if they do not want to ship small quantities, they very often will do so if you suggest that you understand and are willing to pay a little extra for each item. Your costs will still be a fraction of what you are paying now.

Let’s talk about shipping. You can ship very heavy stuff, like Monitors, via Steamship. This is a pain in the ass because you have to use a Freight Forwarder, who will get it through Customs. It usually takes up to 90 days. We found it more cost effective to buy Monitors in this country. We did buy small 5″ B&W Monitors from Taiwan and had them shipped Air Freight because they are small and light enough to make it cost effective.

Normally, you will request shipping via DHL, FedEx, UPS or EMS. EMS is usually the cheapest, and is an extension of the US Postal Service. All of these methods are Air Freight, and will deliver right to your door! No Customs hassles! It is easy to go online and open an account with all of them.

Remember, a Sample Order can be one or 100 or any amount. It is a Sample Order because you are calling it a Sample Order. Don’t be afraid to wire the funds up front. Remember, these countries are not Democracies, plus they rely strongly on foreign trade. If you were to report one of these companies to their government for ripping you off, they could be jailed for life, or worse! Everything they do is scrutinized by their government agencies. We have wired as much as fifteen thousand dollars at a time.

The first time you attempt to Import some stuff. Make it a small sample order just to get your feet wet.

The popularity of traditional tea is one that is not going to go away anytime soon. This is because of the health benefits associated with it and the different types available for consumers to choose from. Oolong tea and black tea are ranked among the popular options and while they have distinct characteristics, they offer almost the same health benefits. Some of the things you did not know include the following:

• They originate from the tea plant Camellia sinensis. However, they have to go through fermentation and processing and this is what determines what they become in the end.
• The leaves have to be plucked and bruised in order to ensure they are broken. This is for the purpose releasing oil and they can be processed anywhere from 10% to 70% depending in the variety. While this is the case, it is ideal to note that Oolong goes through the broadest fermentation process.
• They contain polyphenols which aid in weight loss. It is for this reason that they have been used for thousands of years and continue to be used in diet plans. Both are seen as great calorie burners.
• Oolong is grown in 2 main countries which include Taiwan and China. China variety is known to deliver a brand that is darker and with a higher woody taste while the Taiwanese delivers a lighter and floral taste brew.
• Though there are several varieties to choose from, each is known to offer the consumer full flavor, distinct characteristics and several health benefits. Some of these health benefits include decreasing blood pressure levels, strengthening of the immune system, fighting of free radicals, prevention of tumor growth and fighting free radicals.
• For these to be well prepared, it is advisable to use whole leaves. This is for the purpose of ensuring that it provides superior aroma and the benefits stated above.

The importance of preparing this type of tradition tea using whole leaves is one that cannot be overly stressed and especially, if you intend to have a flavorsome and wonderful cup.

Black Tea

This is allowed to oxidize in order to ripen and as such, it creates a rich, deep and robust flavor. The uniqueness of this varies in accordance to the grower’s skill and knowledge. It is for this reason that when buying the same, you need to consider the expertise of the grower and whether it has all the features that make it an appealing choice.

Oolong Tea

This falls in between black tea and green tea and is also influenced by the duration the leaves are left to oxidize. There are two terms used to describe this and these include amber and green though amber oxidizes at a quicker pace.

There is a saying:

“When we walk past and rub shoulders with someone in the street, consider the number of people we have walked past in comparison to those whom we have never walked past. The number of years of affinity that we have with the people whom we walked past in the streets and may never speak to, is about three hundred years. For us to be in the same room and on the similar spiritual path of Tao, it is likely that we have at least three thousand years of affinity and affiliation with each other.”

We do not know about our past lives and what happened to us before. For two persons to be together, be it husband and wife, brothers and sisters, a family etc is not something that just happened. For better or worse, it has something to do with the past. There is a lineage of Tao with a history of 5,000 years and all Tao predecessors made considerable sacrifices. Their selfless giving and the heavenly knowledge passed on by them deserve great reverence and respect. We can see in their books, great sayings and works done by them for our sake. My Grandmaster Han (Lao Qian Ren) is one of the most important Tao predecessors and briefly this is his story:

Lao Qian Ren was one of the eighteen (18) main disciples under my Heavenly Teacher JiGong (64th Patriarch) during the 1940s. Upon his departure and return to Heaven in year 1995, his Heavenly title is “Pai Sui Sean Ti” conferred by God (Lao Mu). “Pai Sui” means “Plain Water”, “Sean” means “Saint or Immortal” and “Ti” means God or Emperor. Millions of Tao devotees bow, get down on their knees and offer respect to him daily because of his great sacrifice. He was the one who was given the responsibility of taking Tao out of China and during that time (in the late 1940s) China was facing turbulent period. There were rapid social and political changes and war occurring between the Communist, Japanese and Dr Sun Yat Sun.

Lao Qian Ren was instructed by his master to pioneer Tao in Taiwan. He was a family man who ran a very prosperous business. He owned a dye factory and was living a mundane life with a promising career and family just like most people. Although he was doing very well, he chose to leave everything behind in China to pioneer Tao in Taiwan. At that time Taiwanese spoke Hokkien which is a different vernacular from Lao Qian Ren’s native language, Mandarin. He was not able to communicate effectively, but, however he was not deterred. With great faith in Heaven, he would ask for divine guidance during his every morning daily prayers.

In the hope that he would find people with whom he may have affinity, he traveled in the general direction indicated by the smoke from the burning incense. He would walk and speak to people along his journey. Eventually he succeeded in not only introducing some of these people to Tao but they also became the core of the Tao movement in Taiwan. Once he walked for forty miles in the rain to speak to a person who was not only disinterested but also shut the door on his face. His persistence, endurance and determination eventually bore fruits as can be seen in Taiwan today and all over the world with thousands of Tao temples. In Malaysia alone there are more than 2,000 Tao temples under him. His big temple in Taiwan can accommodate more than a hundred buses.

During his funeral in 1995, his eldest son on his knees confessed that “father when you left us, all of us cannot forgive you, but father you are right.” His longing to be with his family and his homesickness was understandable. When writing about his return trips to the mainland, he expressed the pain and the temptation to reunite each time the train passed his hometown. He knew very well that, if he should stop and visit, it would be very difficult for him to leave his family again. That would have been the end of his Tao pioneering work in Taiwan. He put the spiritual interest of others before his self-interest. It is not because he was a heartless person but rather the spiritual wellbeing of other people to be more important. It was also known that he kept all his letters from home unopened under his pillow and his pillow was wet with tears. He knew he would not be able to control his emotion if he opened the letters.

With his great sacrifice, thousands or millions of people received elevation and the true understanding and realization of Tao all over the world. With just over 50 years after his arrival in Taiwan, the world sees more vegetarians than any other spiritual paths. At least 90% of the Chinese vegetarian shops in Malaysia are operated by devotees of Tao and there are more than 800,000 devotees. He was indirectly responsible for those with affinity in Malaysia including myself to receive Tao and continue to cultivate its essence today.

Tao propagation is the combined effort and partnership between human and divinity. The divine dictates the general direction of its propagation and humans actually carry out the main effort and put into action. Tao is the universal essence of the spirit which has always existed since the beginning of time. It needs the sincerity of the heart to be able to ignite it. It has to be done with true heart and it is not something that we can gain from studying a book or seeking to understand it with our rationale and intellect. The 5,000 years of Tao lineage is also called the Golden Thread and this is the saying of my Heavenly Teacher JiGong:

“For those who have sought Tao (received the seal of the living God) and obtained the Pointing-Out from the Bright Master (master with Heavenly decree to transmit Tao), the spiritual Hole or Door of the soul has already been opened. As long as they remove all delusions (deceptive within the mind) and practise the heavenly virtues that are inborn within their original nature, and as long as they benefit the multitude and preach Tao for Heaven, then they are linked with the Golden Thread.”

Author: T.A Chew

In the years I have worked as an acupuncturist, I have treated many cases of scoliosis. Although conventional medicine sees this as a condition that is difficult to correct without the use of a brace or without surgery, I have found many cases to be very responsive to acupuncture. Generally speaking, the condition is often due to an imbalance in the strength of the left side and the right side of the back. There may also be an imbalance in the hips that the spine has to compensate for.

The general method for treating patients with scoliosis is to strengthen the weaker side of the back, and to relax the tighter, stronger side of the back. Points along the Urinary Bladder Meridian, Huatuojiaji points, and points along the Du Meridian are used. There is also a Japanese protocol that balances out both sides of the hip using magnets that I have found to be very effective.

Certain herbs can also improve outcomes by helping to strengthen the back. Chinese herbs that are focused on clearing stagnation and tonifying the Kidney energy are very helpful. The western herb Solomon’s Seal in tincture form is also very good at balancing out the tendons and ligaments on both sides of the back while strengthening the spine.

I have seen both C shaped and S shaped curvatures respond well to treatment. The curves actually diminish over time, often quite rapidly, in the majority of clients I have worked with. People also see improvements in terms of a reduction of pain and discomfort as well. In my practice I have seen curves as severe as 45 degrees improve within a few weeks of treatment. I have frequently seen major improvements in the angle of curvature after even one session.

There was one recent study from Taiwan on the use of acupuncture for scoliosis.

The Journal of Alternative Complementary Medicine published a study in 2009 about adult degenerative scoliosis treated by acupuncture. The researchers found that after six weeks of treatment, the angle of curvature of the spine was reduced by ten degrees in a patient with a 35 degree curve. This was after two years of conventional treatment that had failed to stop the patient’s progression of curvature.

In order for people to see the best results from acupuncture treatment for scoliosis, it is important to strengthen the weaker side of the back by using it for weight bearing activity, and to regularly stretch out the stronger side of the back in order to relieve stored tension. Eventually, the body develops greater symmetry and the spine has the capacity to correct itself to a great degree.

Reference:s

J Altern Comp Med 2009 Aug;15(8):935-7. Adult degenerative scoliosis treated by acupuncture. Liu CT, Chen KC, Chiu EH. Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

If you’ve been studying Chinese for a while and are considering moving on to learning to write Chinese characters, you’ve probably already realized that there is not one but two ways to write Chinese.

When China became a communist country, the new leadership faced a number of problems within the country. They had to modernize, to build international relationships, and to combat a tremendously high rate of illiteracy. Chinese peasants across the country lacked the ability to read and write. The Chinese government decided to simplify a number of characters in order to make learning to read and write in Chinese easier. The result is “simplified Chinese”. Most of the characters are exactly the same, but a number of commonly used characters have been reduced and made simpler to facilitate literacy education in China.

The counterpoint to this is traditional Chinese, still widely used in Taiwan and in some other countries with Chinese populations. Traditional Chinese should not be confused with “classical Chinese”, which a much older and more complex form that only scholars take the time to learn. Traditional Chinese is very similar to the simplified form, except that obviously some commonly used words are more difficult to write than in the simplified form.

If you’ve decided that you want to read and write in Chinese, you have to make a choice. You can either learn traditional Chinese, or the modern simplified form. There are a couple of things to consider before you make your final decision.

If you’re traveling, your destination might make the decision for you. Travelers to Taiwan would be well advised to learn traditional Chinese because it is widely used there. If you plan to visit China, you can learn simplified Chinese and read it everywhere there.

If you have a serious scholarly interest in reading Chinese, it might be a better idea to make the extra effort to learn traditional Chinese. If you want to read any Chinese that was written before the People’s Republic of China was formed, you’ll need to learn traditional Chinese. If, for a masochistic or heroic reason you want to tackle classical Chinese, knowing the traditional characters will help you as well.

Finally, if you’re still not sure which form you’d like to learn, consider this. If you learn traditional Chinese, it’s fairly easy to switch over to the simplified form. The characters you’re learning will always be easier to write than in the traditional form. If you learn simplified Chinese, it will take a significant amount of time and effort to learn traditional Chinese. You lay a better foundation when you learn traditional chinese first, but you do put slightly more time into it.

Consider your options, but don’t worry to much about the writing system you start learning. Some commonly used characters are different, but many many characters are exactly the same in both forms. It’s not like you need to start over from scratch should you need to switch later on.

Friends and people from other countries will often be amazed when I tell them that I can speak and write fluently in a few languages and dialects. I have to thank Malaysia for its multiracial population consisting of the Malays, Chinese, Indians and other minority races. As a Chinese school student in Malaysia, we’re taught three languages from primary education – Malay, English and Chinese, hence giving us the solid foundation and knowledge about the languages. Although Malay is the official language, English and Chinese are widely used and spoken in every day’s life. Thus we have the privilege of being able to communicate fluently and with ease in all of them.

Mandarin or Chinese is fast becoming the language of business. It is spoken in countries like China, Taiwan Singapore, and Malaysia. An estimated 1.3 billion people worldwide speak the language, which are equivalent to one-fifth of the world’s population. As China’s economic power grows and the increasingly important role that it plays in the world’s economic system, learning and knowing the Chinese language can be rewarding in many ways.

Knowing it means opening up of more opportunities. Any person who wants to do business with China will certainly have more advantage if he or she is fluent in the Chinese language. It also means enhanced career growth opportunity as you will have an edge over others who don’t know the language. And if you want to travel to Asia, particularly China and Taiwan, your trip will definitely be more rewarding and enjoyable if you speak and understand the local language.

If you’re determined to learn the Chinese language, here are three tips that I would like to share with you:

1) Learn the Chinese pronunciation with the help of Hanyu Pinyin

Hanyu means the “Chinese language” and pinyin means “spell” and “sound”. Basically it means “the spelling and sound of the Chinese language”. Or to make it simpler, it is the “pronunciations of the Chinese language using Roman letters according to pinyin system”. It is also known as the scheme of the Chinese phonetic alphabet. It’s easier for a non-Chinese speaker to remember the pronunciation of the Chinese characters using the pinyin system. The pinyin system will also illustrate the four tones of the Chinese language as below.

a) The first tone is a (Flat or High Level Tone) with the symbol e.g. dā;

b) The second tone is a (Rising or High-Rising Tone) with the symbol e.g. dá;

c) The third tone is a (Falling-Rising or Low Tone) with the symbol e.g. dǎ;

d) The fourth tone is a (Falling or High-Falling Tone) with the symbol e.g. dà.

The examples above show words with the same pinyin but with four different tones. They have very different meanings respectively, as below.

a) Use something as a means of transport. E.g. take the bus, train, plane, taxi, boat, etc;

b) Answer;

c) Beat;

d) Big, huge or large.

That’s the reason why correct pronunciation is so important in the Chinese language. A slight mispronunciation will mean a very different meaning in what we want to convey. Taking the above example, for instance we want to say “I can answer you”, but a slightly lower tone would mean “I can beat you”! See that?

Once you have a good grasp of the basics of the Hanyu Pinyin, with the help of a good English Chinese dictionary with pinyin, you would be able to read any Chinese character marked with Pinyin!

2) Listen and watch

Listen to Chinese songs and radio station, watch Chinese movies with subtitles. Sing along and repeat after the lines of dialogues by the actors and actresses, and try to repeat them as exactly as possible. Practice and memorize common Chinese vocabulary and simple sentences. Review vocabulary from time to time to refresh your memory and you can use post-it notes to write down the pinyin and stick them on the objects you want to learn and remember.

3) Speak and practice

Practice, practise and practise. The more you practise, the easier it will be for you and the more fluent you will become. Of course you will learn even faster if you can practise with someone who can correct you when you make mistakes. Practice makes perfect!

I hope the above sharing are helpful and can make your learning process easier and more enjoyable. Remember, learn the pronunciation with the help of hanyu pinyin, listen to Chinese songs and watch Chinese movies, and speak and practise as much as you can!