Shandong folk art greets Olympics
www.chinaview.cn 2008-07-16 13:33:13 Print
Special report: 2008 Olympic Games
BEIJING, July 16 -- Olympic fever has spread to Gaomi city, the renowned birthplace of Shandong folk handicrafts. Local artists from this area of eastern China are sending best wishes to the Beijing Olympic Games through their latest works.
Clay sculptor Li Xiuzhen has just finished 50 sets of clay figurines. Her subjects are the Olympic mascots, the five Fuwa. With her innovative designs and ingenious carving, those mascots are given some pure and even vital spirit.
And the works depicting the Fuwa competing in sports, bring together the ideals of artistry and sports.
The middle aged woman with simple and earnest face is Qi Xiuhua. She's a paper cutting artist who was born in Gaomi. She won her reputation at national and international cultural events for her exceptional technique.
Qi started planing her Olympic greetings at the end of last year. Besides the five mascots, she also incorporated the 28 events of the Beijing Olympics into her creations.
(Source: cctv.com)
2008-07-31
2008-07-30
Beijing Olympics best chance for world to know Chinese calligraphy
Beijing Olympics best chance for world to know Chinese calligraphy
www.chinaview.cn 2008-07-27 08:53:56 Print
Special report: 2008 Olympic Games
ZHENGZHOU, July 27 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese master calligrapher and Beijing Olympic torchbearer said he hoped the country's traditional calligraphy art could spread throughout the world with the Olympic sacred flame.
"I hope the Chinese art could be well accepted and prosper wherever the Olympic flame reaches," said Zhang Hai, Chairman of the Chinese Calligraphers Association.
Zhang run the first leg of the Olympic torch relay in the Luoyang City in the central Henan province. The gray-haired artist waved his hand and raised the torch high.
"The upcoming Beijing Olympic Games is the best chance for the whole world to know the Chinese calligraphy," he said.
"The Olympics in China will amaze the world not only with its high-quality venues, but also the enchanting traditional culture," he added.
Calligraphy, which has remained a potent force in Chinese life up to the present, continued to be a central art of the literati, closely associated both with painting and with the social and cultural life of the educated elite.
Zhang called the Beijing Olympic emblem Chinese Seal a "perfect combination of the Olympic spirit and the traditional Chinese culture".
The emblem artistically incorporates the seal, the Chinese characters and the calligraphy.
"Although only 18 countries and regions attended the 8th International Calligraphic Exhibition that wrapped up days ago, I see a bright future for the art," he said. "More and more countries will attend the exhibition when they understand the beauty of calligraphy in the near future."
www.chinaview.cn 2008-07-27 08:53:56 Print
Special report: 2008 Olympic Games
ZHENGZHOU, July 27 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese master calligrapher and Beijing Olympic torchbearer said he hoped the country's traditional calligraphy art could spread throughout the world with the Olympic sacred flame.
"I hope the Chinese art could be well accepted and prosper wherever the Olympic flame reaches," said Zhang Hai, Chairman of the Chinese Calligraphers Association.
Zhang run the first leg of the Olympic torch relay in the Luoyang City in the central Henan province. The gray-haired artist waved his hand and raised the torch high.
"The upcoming Beijing Olympic Games is the best chance for the whole world to know the Chinese calligraphy," he said.
"The Olympics in China will amaze the world not only with its high-quality venues, but also the enchanting traditional culture," he added.
Calligraphy, which has remained a potent force in Chinese life up to the present, continued to be a central art of the literati, closely associated both with painting and with the social and cultural life of the educated elite.
Zhang called the Beijing Olympic emblem Chinese Seal a "perfect combination of the Olympic spirit and the traditional Chinese culture".
The emblem artistically incorporates the seal, the Chinese characters and the calligraphy.
"Although only 18 countries and regions attended the 8th International Calligraphic Exhibition that wrapped up days ago, I see a bright future for the art," he said. "More and more countries will attend the exhibition when they understand the beauty of calligraphy in the near future."
2008-07-29
painting of bamboo
Li Kan was a Chinese poet famous for his \'Book of the Bamboo\' where he described with enthusiasm a great many qualities of bamboo and other plants. He was also known for his painting of bamboo.
Amateur painters, from Su Shi and his friends on, had favored painting bamboo in ink monochrome, in part at least because those skilled in the use of the brush for calligraphy could master these genres relatively easily. Bamboo, plum, orchid, pine, and other plants had over the centuries acquired a rich range of associated meanings, largely from poetry. In Song and especially Yuan times, scholar painters began to systematically exploit these possibilities for conveying meaning through their pictures. Bamboo, because it is flexible and can withstand storms without breaking, is a symbol of survival in adversity.
Although bamboo leaves could be painted with single, calligraphic strokes, of the sort Wu Zhen used above, some literati painters also did bamboo with outline and fill techniques associated more with professional and court painters. Li Kan wrote a treatise on bamboo painting in which he criticized amateurs who thought that they could skip step-by-step learning and simply release their momentary feelings with their brush. Li Kan himself did both bamboo in ink monochrome in broad brushstrokes, and, like this one, in outline and fill manner, using colored washes.
This large monochrom ink bamboo scroll was executed with fluid brush stroks without outline. A large seal of Li Kan\'s studio " Xi Zhai" and the outstanding elegance links this work to Li Kan.
2008-07-28
The Lion Dance
The Lion Dance is another important tradition in Chinese festival, usually performed with the dragon dance on auspicious occasions. A good performance is believed to bring good fortune and happiness.
The Lion Dance is a form of traditional dance in Chinese culture, where performers mimic the lion’s movements in a lion costume. The lion costume is operarted by a pair of dancers. They spring about while energetically moving and shaking the head while operating the jaw and eyes. The pair of dancers, forming the front and back legs of the beast, are seen perfecting the dance in the exhibitions of Chinese acrobats. With the two dancers forming a team, they move as a single animal. The dance is traditionally accompanied by gongs and drums, representing the descent of good luck.
Chinese folk artists look to Olympics for revival
Chinese folk artists look to Olympics for revival
www.chinaview.cn 2008-07-27 23:01:24 Print
By Xinhua Writer Lou Chen
BEIJING, July 27 (Xinhua) -- Painter Zhang Xing carefully dabbed black pigment onto a ladle, accentuating a part that would be a melancholy eye of a female Peking Opera singer. He expects attention to his work, but is taking all the time he needs.
The 40-year-old painter is among 27 Chinese folk artists selected to demonstrate their skills in the Olympic Village, the athletes' compound for the Beijing Olympics.
From ancient times, the ladle masks, usually made of willow woods, were used to exorcise evils and pray for auspice and safety. Along with other traditional Chinese arts like shadow plays, embroidery, clay sculpture and kite-making, the ladle masking became windows to showcase the folk arts that have become rarities.
"I'm not sure if the overseas friends in the village can identify with this kind of art, but this is part of the culture that I grew up in, and I am glad to share with them," said Zhang, who is from in Baoji, northwest China's Shaanxi Province.
Zhang learned the painting skills from her mother who was skilled in making folk crafts. He only turned to the ladle painting for a career when he sensed a trend of returning to the traditions.
"Interest in folk art have been revived in recent years, and it would be great if more people could learn and appreciate my works," he said.
The Chinese Traditional Arts and Crafts Show, located in the international area of the village, is part of the efforts to offer the delegation members a full experience with Chinese culture.
"The village is a place where the athletes can unwind and get to know Chinese culture. I am sure they will find the culture and arts very interesting," said Deng Yaping, a four-time Olympic table tennis champion and the village spokeswoman.
At another table near Zhang Xing's, clay sculptor Zhang Hongyue sprayed water onto a chunk of clay as he began making it into a male figurine. "The air conditioning is too strong, and the clay gets dry easily," he explained.
Zhang is the fifth generation of a family from the port city Tianjin who had a century's experience of making exquisite clay figurines. "If the athletes like, I can also do clay sculpture of them right here. It just takes more time," he said.
Yu Zhihai, deputy chief of the show center, said the Olympics provided a great opportunity for overseas visitors to engage with Chinese folk art.
"It's a great chance to revitalize the fading Chinese traditions, and it's also an opportunity of cultural sharing among people from countries probably the furthest apart," he said.
Akuele Ayeletelawson-hellu, Togo's chef de mission, said she has only seen art works in the Chinese mission in her country, and was amazed to see the artists actually making the crafts.
Besides the show center, other Chinese motifs punctuate the village, located in the northern part of Beijing near the main Bird's Nest stadium.
Village secretary-general Wu Jingmi said it was built according to IOC (International Olympic Committee) rules, but elements of Chinese culture have been woven into its design and decoration, making it not just any other village.
The village mayor's office itself was transformed from a dragon king's temple which served from the 16th century as a place to pray for ample rainfall needed by a bumper harvest.
In the village's recreation area, clusters of red lanterns lined up garden paths, while apartments in the residential area were connected by Chinese courtyard features like wooden bridge and lilyponds. Other Chinese elements include using colors of Beijing's grey brick walls, white stone balconies and paper-cuts.
Chinese acupuncture and martial arts shows, which village officials said will be made available to athletes, will only reinforce the cultural experience.
The village was officially opened on Sunday morning with a Chinese ceremony, with a red mahogany gate set up at the center stage. Rosa Maria Calaf, Asia-Pacific bureau chief of the Television of Spain said the red gate design was very impressive and creative.
www.chinaview.cn 2008-07-27 23:01:24 Print
By Xinhua Writer Lou Chen
BEIJING, July 27 (Xinhua) -- Painter Zhang Xing carefully dabbed black pigment onto a ladle, accentuating a part that would be a melancholy eye of a female Peking Opera singer. He expects attention to his work, but is taking all the time he needs.
The 40-year-old painter is among 27 Chinese folk artists selected to demonstrate their skills in the Olympic Village, the athletes' compound for the Beijing Olympics.
From ancient times, the ladle masks, usually made of willow woods, were used to exorcise evils and pray for auspice and safety. Along with other traditional Chinese arts like shadow plays, embroidery, clay sculpture and kite-making, the ladle masking became windows to showcase the folk arts that have become rarities.
"I'm not sure if the overseas friends in the village can identify with this kind of art, but this is part of the culture that I grew up in, and I am glad to share with them," said Zhang, who is from in Baoji, northwest China's Shaanxi Province.
Zhang learned the painting skills from her mother who was skilled in making folk crafts. He only turned to the ladle painting for a career when he sensed a trend of returning to the traditions.
"Interest in folk art have been revived in recent years, and it would be great if more people could learn and appreciate my works," he said.
The Chinese Traditional Arts and Crafts Show, located in the international area of the village, is part of the efforts to offer the delegation members a full experience with Chinese culture.
"The village is a place where the athletes can unwind and get to know Chinese culture. I am sure they will find the culture and arts very interesting," said Deng Yaping, a four-time Olympic table tennis champion and the village spokeswoman.
At another table near Zhang Xing's, clay sculptor Zhang Hongyue sprayed water onto a chunk of clay as he began making it into a male figurine. "The air conditioning is too strong, and the clay gets dry easily," he explained.
Zhang is the fifth generation of a family from the port city Tianjin who had a century's experience of making exquisite clay figurines. "If the athletes like, I can also do clay sculpture of them right here. It just takes more time," he said.
Yu Zhihai, deputy chief of the show center, said the Olympics provided a great opportunity for overseas visitors to engage with Chinese folk art.
"It's a great chance to revitalize the fading Chinese traditions, and it's also an opportunity of cultural sharing among people from countries probably the furthest apart," he said.
Akuele Ayeletelawson-hellu, Togo's chef de mission, said she has only seen art works in the Chinese mission in her country, and was amazed to see the artists actually making the crafts.
Besides the show center, other Chinese motifs punctuate the village, located in the northern part of Beijing near the main Bird's Nest stadium.
Village secretary-general Wu Jingmi said it was built according to IOC (International Olympic Committee) rules, but elements of Chinese culture have been woven into its design and decoration, making it not just any other village.
The village mayor's office itself was transformed from a dragon king's temple which served from the 16th century as a place to pray for ample rainfall needed by a bumper harvest.
In the village's recreation area, clusters of red lanterns lined up garden paths, while apartments in the residential area were connected by Chinese courtyard features like wooden bridge and lilyponds. Other Chinese elements include using colors of Beijing's grey brick walls, white stone balconies and paper-cuts.
Chinese acupuncture and martial arts shows, which village officials said will be made available to athletes, will only reinforce the cultural experience.
The village was officially opened on Sunday morning with a Chinese ceremony, with a red mahogany gate set up at the center stage. Rosa Maria Calaf, Asia-Pacific bureau chief of the Television of Spain said the red gate design was very impressive and creative.
2008-07-27
Chinese language and History of Standard Mandarin
Main articles: Chinese language and History of Standard Mandarin
Spoken Chinese has consisted of a number of Chinese dialects and languages throughout history. In the Ming Dynasty standard Mandarin was nationalized. Even so, it wasn't until the Republic of China era in the 1900s when there was any noticeable result in promoting a common unified language in China.
The ancient written standard was Classical Chinese. It was used for thousands of years, but was mostly reserved for scholars and intellectuals. By the 20th century, millions of citizens, especially those outside of the imperial court were illiterate[1]. Only after the May 4th Movement did the push for Vernacular Chinese begin. This allowed common citizens to read since it was modeled after the linguistics and phonology of a spoken language.
2008-07-24
About Bamboo carving
Bamboo carving usually uses the natural blue bamboo or boxwood as material. It reflects Chinese painting skills through thread carving, relief, and hollow out carving on different topics such as mountains, rivers, gardens, birds, flowers, and human figures. The large variety of items carved include tea caddy, vase, pencil vase, smoking set, bamboo chopsticks, bamboo crabstick, and folding screen, etc. Bamboo Carving is well known for its precise carving technique, remote artistic concept, and the match between the object and the abstract, boasting of high artistic value.
2008-07-23
chinese tea history
In the process of Chinese ancient civilization, The Tea Road is the most famous and important road as the cultural route that communicated extensively with other countries in the world, which still affects people’s life style and behavior yet.
China is the earliest country which found and makes use of tea tree in the world, which is honored “the motherland of tea”. According to the document record in the Shi Jing and Er Ya, 3000 years ago, Chinese began to plant and drink tea which gets around in the world in Han Dynasty. The fashion of planting and drinking tea is all originated from china and Chinese tea as well as the tea pot became the symbol of china. Although the British Major Mr. R. Bruce found the wild tea trees in the north of India in 1824, the knowledge and use of tea was influenced by Chinese tea culture afterwards. Presently, there are about 50 countries planting tea trees which distribute over the wide regions between the north latitude 45°and south latitude 34°, and the rite of drinking tea spreads all over the world.
China is the earliest country which found and makes use of tea tree in the world, which is honored “the motherland of tea”. According to the document record in the Shi Jing and Er Ya, 3000 years ago, Chinese began to plant and drink tea which gets around in the world in Han Dynasty. The fashion of planting and drinking tea is all originated from china and Chinese tea as well as the tea pot became the symbol of china. Although the British Major Mr. R. Bruce found the wild tea trees in the north of India in 1824, the knowledge and use of tea was influenced by Chinese tea culture afterwards. Presently, there are about 50 countries planting tea trees which distribute over the wide regions between the north latitude 45°and south latitude 34°, and the rite of drinking tea spreads all over the world.
2008-07-22
China Silk Museum
China Silk Museum
Company Add: No. 73-1 Yuhuangshan Road, Hangzhou, directly accessible by Bus 38 and Travel 3.
China Silk Museum, located at the foot of Yuhuangshan on the south bank of Hangzhou West Lake, opened on Feb 26, 1992, is a national level professional museum and also largest silk museum in the world. It covers an area of 5 hektares, a building area of 8000 square meters and a display area of 3000 square meters. Inside the hall, there are five parts basically for exhibition, prefacing hall summarizing the history of silk and the road silk, telling audience that silk have rooted in China and been spread globally by voluminous history; historic relics hall showing 5000-year long silk culture and lofty production techniques with numerous silk relics and pictures of past dynasties; silkworm hall revealing the mystery of mulberry planting, sericiculture and filature. Whenever in season of sericiculture, you can listen to silkworms biting mulberry leaves with the sound of“Shasha” and watch the process of them spinning and cocooning; And the dyeing hall displaying folk dyeing processes of different historic periods in a number of buildings of unique local and nationality colors. If only you’re interested, you can pick up shuttles before the antiquated loom to experience the hardship of hand weaving in person, or make tiedyeing and hand drawing craftworks with needles, threads and brushes; And modern achievement hall, as a reduction of silk industry of New P.R. China, displaying resplendence accomplished by China on silk production, research and trading. And mobile halls are also available for helding of various different exhibitions. China Silk Museum boasts a powerful research team and has established Inspection and Protection Center of China Ancient Textile.
It has graceful surroundings around and elaborate and elegant construction styles. Inside the museum, mulberry garden, lawn, small bridge and running water let people admire great sceneries of the nature. And it also sets up auxiliary facilities including silk marketplaces, stores and tearooms, therefore being excellent place for leisure time.
Company Add: No. 73-1 Yuhuangshan Road, Hangzhou, directly accessible by Bus 38 and Travel 3.
China Silk Museum, located at the foot of Yuhuangshan on the south bank of Hangzhou West Lake, opened on Feb 26, 1992, is a national level professional museum and also largest silk museum in the world. It covers an area of 5 hektares, a building area of 8000 square meters and a display area of 3000 square meters. Inside the hall, there are five parts basically for exhibition, prefacing hall summarizing the history of silk and the road silk, telling audience that silk have rooted in China and been spread globally by voluminous history; historic relics hall showing 5000-year long silk culture and lofty production techniques with numerous silk relics and pictures of past dynasties; silkworm hall revealing the mystery of mulberry planting, sericiculture and filature. Whenever in season of sericiculture, you can listen to silkworms biting mulberry leaves with the sound of“Shasha” and watch the process of them spinning and cocooning; And the dyeing hall displaying folk dyeing processes of different historic periods in a number of buildings of unique local and nationality colors. If only you’re interested, you can pick up shuttles before the antiquated loom to experience the hardship of hand weaving in person, or make tiedyeing and hand drawing craftworks with needles, threads and brushes; And modern achievement hall, as a reduction of silk industry of New P.R. China, displaying resplendence accomplished by China on silk production, research and trading. And mobile halls are also available for helding of various different exhibitions. China Silk Museum boasts a powerful research team and has established Inspection and Protection Center of China Ancient Textile.
It has graceful surroundings around and elaborate and elegant construction styles. Inside the museum, mulberry garden, lawn, small bridge and running water let people admire great sceneries of the nature. And it also sets up auxiliary facilities including silk marketplaces, stores and tearooms, therefore being excellent place for leisure time.
2008-07-21
Bone carvings and artwork
Bone carvings and artwork have a very special feel about them, unlike anything else you will ever experience. Their milky white appearance and soft flowing lines are just the start. They are soft and warm to the touch yet the finish is like polished glass, they seem to blend with your body and become a part of you, especially when worn as a pendent against your skin. Over a period of time bone carvings absorb oils from your skin and change colour to a very light honey gold. The Maori believe this to be the carving taking on some of your spirituality or essence and thus truly becoming a part of the wearer.
These very stylised fish hook bone carvings or pendants represent prosperity,abundance, fertility and strength. They are also seen as good luck charms, particularly for those traveling over water. Hei-Matau are symbols of power and authority which are held in great reverence by the Maori people. Some also incorporate inlays of beautiful rainbow coloured Paua shell.
These very stylised fish hook bone carvings or pendants represent prosperity,abundance, fertility and strength. They are also seen as good luck charms, particularly for those traveling over water. Hei-Matau are symbols of power and authority which are held in great reverence by the Maori people. Some also incorporate inlays of beautiful rainbow coloured Paua shell.
The bone carving from china
The Bone Art Place is dedicated to the art of genuine hand crafted China and Pacific bone carving, jade carving and pearl shell carving in its many forms, from the very traditional Maori carving styles to the more contemporary designs for gifts and jewelry.
Some are set into sterling silver mounts, some are in the form of delicate earrings and others are unique gifts such as key rings, framed artworks or free standing sculptures.
We specialize in only the highest quality craft work from the very best of local artists.
2008-07-20
Bamboo Carving
Bamboo, pine and plum, which called "three good friends in the cold years", are always popular among the people, including the poets, artists and handicraftsmen, etc. The common bamboo gives us a super beauty sense. Therefore, collecting the arts of bamboo carving is the hobby of Chinese people since long time ago.
It was few bamboo carving came down before the Ming dynasty. But since the middle of Ming dynasty, the bamboo carving became a professional type in the industrial arts and more and more artists began this work, which made the character changed from its practice to a kind of artwork for people's enjoying. Jiading and Jinling area which teemed of bamboo were the two centers of the bamboo carving arts in the Ming and Qing dynasties. The Jiading faction has the representative of Zhuhe, Zhuying, Zhu Zhuizheng, three generations. They were all good at the techniques of painting, embossment and round carving, among which the embossment consists of bass and high embossment. They had high culture with the crambo skill, painting, calligraphy and seal cutting technique, so all of the characters on the bamboo were carved vividly. Under the effort of Family Zhu, Jiading faction became the biggest branch in the world at that period with another outstanding person such as Hou Xiaozeng, Shen Dasheng, Wang Yongfang, Wang Zhiyu, Wangzhi, Wu Zhifan, Shi Tianzhang, Zhoupo and Gu Zhangyu. Jinling faction had another style, which paid no attention to the exquisite carvings, pursued the nature taste with little cut and polish. The main technique is the concave carving in the bamboo, which the excellence was more sentiment could be embodied with not only the line, but also the side inlay on the carving of the landscape. Jinling faction set up in the middle of Ming dynasty, Pu Zongqian was the founder. Actually, it was extremely pity that no one of his relation continued the artworks after he died.
The other two carving of "peel then carve" and "carve then peel" appeared on the basis of the Ming dynasty. The first one was saw the bamboo into bamboo tube, remove the burl and the green surface, then glue and inlay the wood and bamboo after cooking, basking and pressing, finally, polish the surface and carve the pattern on it. Oppositely, the second one was that keep the green surface to carve the pattern on it, then remove the surface out of the pattern, the real bamboo body appeared. It set up in the middle of Qing dynasty.
2008-07-17
All About Chinese Tea Cups
As you all know, the Chinese are so meticulous when it comes tea wares. Perhaps this is due to the fact that tea wares like the Chinese tea cups and tea pots play a very important role in the tea preparation. A tea ceremony would not be successful without the use of tea wares. As many people said, the true essence of a Chinese tea ceremony would not be felt if tea wares are lacking.
One of most necessary item in a typical Chinese tea set is the Chinese tea cup. Well, tea cups come in different designs and forms these days. They even differ according to their uses. In this article, I will mention three of the most well-known and highly purchased Chinese tea cups these days. Note that these tea cups are now available in the market and you can even found them online, particularly at
Consider the following varieties of a Chinese tea cup:
Filtering Tea Cups
As the name implies, filtering tea cups or mugs are used by tea drinkers to primarily filter the tea. Most of this kind of Chinese tea cup are designed and crafted with internal filters. Here are few samples of filtering tea cups:
- Yixing Clay Filtering Mug - This tea mug is made in Jiangsu province, an area situated 120 miles northwest of Shanghai China. For centuries, the Yixing wares are known to be the best vessels for tea. They were made in purple clay and are said to absorb the aroma and flavors of the Chinese tea. These Chinese tea cups are also said to have the ability to withstand high temperatures and are slow to conduct heat. Therefore, the handle remains comfortably cool even when enjoying very hot tea. And, to enhance the practical usage, this Chinese tea cup has an internal filter.
- Poet Filtering Tea Cup - This Chinese tea cup is actually a porcelain mug which is deemed as a perfect companion for enjoying loose tea leaves. It comes with its own lid and an internal porcelain filter, allowing room for tea leaves to expand and provide full infusion of the leaves. Today, this variety of Chinese tea cup depicts a picture of a Tang dynasty poet inspired by outdoor beauty.
Cast Iron Tea Cups
- Black Cast Iron Tea Cup - This item has long been considered as perfect for enjoying tea. It can serve as a great companion for any cast iron teapots and being a classical teapot, it is made from sturdy iron and has enamel coating on the interior to prevent rusting. It is worth noting that this Chinese tea cup now comes in different color.
Specialty Tea Cups
- Small Peony Flower Gaiwan - As the name implies, this porcelain Gaiwan has a lovely peony flower design. Gaiwan actually originated from Ming Dynasty and became popular during the Chine Dynasty in China. Accordingly, this Chinese tea cup is large enough to accommodate tea brewing, yet small enough to be held comfortably for drinking.
- Four Season Character Tea Cup - This is but an exquisite porcelain tea cup. It has four season calligraphy character at all sides, so the name bears it.
One of most necessary item in a typical Chinese tea set is the Chinese tea cup. Well, tea cups come in different designs and forms these days. They even differ according to their uses. In this article, I will mention three of the most well-known and highly purchased Chinese tea cups these days. Note that these tea cups are now available in the market and you can even found them online, particularly at
Consider the following varieties of a Chinese tea cup:
Filtering Tea Cups
As the name implies, filtering tea cups or mugs are used by tea drinkers to primarily filter the tea. Most of this kind of Chinese tea cup are designed and crafted with internal filters. Here are few samples of filtering tea cups:
- Yixing Clay Filtering Mug - This tea mug is made in Jiangsu province, an area situated 120 miles northwest of Shanghai China. For centuries, the Yixing wares are known to be the best vessels for tea. They were made in purple clay and are said to absorb the aroma and flavors of the Chinese tea. These Chinese tea cups are also said to have the ability to withstand high temperatures and are slow to conduct heat. Therefore, the handle remains comfortably cool even when enjoying very hot tea. And, to enhance the practical usage, this Chinese tea cup has an internal filter.
- Poet Filtering Tea Cup - This Chinese tea cup is actually a porcelain mug which is deemed as a perfect companion for enjoying loose tea leaves. It comes with its own lid and an internal porcelain filter, allowing room for tea leaves to expand and provide full infusion of the leaves. Today, this variety of Chinese tea cup depicts a picture of a Tang dynasty poet inspired by outdoor beauty.
Cast Iron Tea Cups
- Black Cast Iron Tea Cup - This item has long been considered as perfect for enjoying tea. It can serve as a great companion for any cast iron teapots and being a classical teapot, it is made from sturdy iron and has enamel coating on the interior to prevent rusting. It is worth noting that this Chinese tea cup now comes in different color.
Specialty Tea Cups
- Small Peony Flower Gaiwan - As the name implies, this porcelain Gaiwan has a lovely peony flower design. Gaiwan actually originated from Ming Dynasty and became popular during the Chine Dynasty in China. Accordingly, this Chinese tea cup is large enough to accommodate tea brewing, yet small enough to be held comfortably for drinking.
- Four Season Character Tea Cup - This is but an exquisite porcelain tea cup. It has four season calligraphy character at all sides, so the name bears it.
2008-07-16
Oriental Philosophy
Oriental Philosophy
Whenever the terms Buddhism and Taoism are mentioned, one tends to invoke the vision of temples, idol worships, incense sticks, fortune telling etc.. Unfortunately, like many other systems of philosophy and religion that had deviated from their origins; corrupted by clerics and usurped by religious leader for purposes of their own; Buddhism and Taoism started not as a religion, but rather, as a philosophy.
Contrary to the superstitious versions of Buddhism and Taoism that come with a multitudes of gods, the original Buddhist and Taoist philosophy considered the concept of god as irrelevant.
In Buddhism, the ultimate goal is to reach a state free from earthly pains and sorrows. This state could be attainable by following certain ways of getting rid of earthly attachments and desires. Buddhist believed in that anxiety is a result of desire. By getting rid of your desires, you release yourself form all anxieties. "Buddha" is not a god but a "state of being" to strive for.
The central idea in Taoism is the harmony of nature and the need for man to be part of that harmony. Everything we know is encompassed in nature. The universe, and all things in it, run according to the "Tao" . The concept of a rewarding and punishing god is considered to be ludicrous.
"Nature holds no prejudice and cares for all things the same.
It views everything as so many straw dogs, neither loving nor hating them." Lao-Tzu , Tao, Chapter 5
About 25 years ago, during an incident involving 5 unwanted baby cats put away for
euthanasia by the SPCA , I came to the conclusion that the universe is "indifferent". The universe runs on in its own merry way without taking notice. It is us who created god in our own image: a god whose attributes are nothing but a mere extension of our view of an all-seeing, all rewarding, all punishing parent.
Some years later, I came across a presentation of Lao Tzu's book in a format that I can understand and I found the passage about nature holds no prejudices etc.. and I felt justified.
Although I do not agree with everything that is presented by the Taoist and Buddhist, I think many parts of their philosophy do have a lot of merit.
Many religions have God as the creator of the universe and left it at that. Everything is assumed to be concrete. There is no discussion about space, time, reality , perception etc.. These religions are more concern with how men and women should behave in order to please god and how god must be glorified and worshiped. In other words, men and women are created so that there is some one around to glorify the work of god. I strongly believe that if there is a god that have the ability to create all the universe and the wonders in it, he/she would be beyond this pettiness of needing someone to constantly chanting about how great he/she is.
In Buddhism and Taoism, there is a considerable part of their doctrine devoted to the search for an understanding of the concepts of space, time, real reality and perceived reality.
In Quantum Mechanics we talk about a measured quantity as being the result of an interaction between the measuring instrument and the quantum states of a system. The true quantum state cannot be measured without having the state being altered. In Buddhism, the world of our perceptions is the result of the interaction between our senses and the true world. The reality we perceive is but a distorted image of the true world; a construction of our sensory perception. Of course, this idea is not unique. Plato talked about the shadows in the caves and Immanual Kant talked about noumenal and phenomenal world. I once heard some one said," Philosophy is a continuous process of re-discovering past illuminations."
It is sad to see that Buddhism, Taoism and even Confucism have degenerated to become religions of idols and incense burning. But then, so are all the other religions: One version for the hierarchy and one "concessional " version for the masses.
If you are interested in finding out more about Buddhism and Taoism and is baffled by the cryptic and metaphorical language that most texts are written in, I recommend a series of books written by a Taiwanese Comic Strip writer which have been translated into English by Brian Bruya. Each book is composed of a series of comic strip style illustrations along with text quoted from major Buddhist and Taoist works. For the bilingual reader (Chinese and English), let me warn you ahead of time that not all the Chinese text on the side of the comic strips are in synchronization with the English Translation in the strip itself.
If you are in the Montreal (Quebec, Canada) area, you will find 6 titles of Tsai's books in the Frazer Hickson Library in NDG. If you are associated with an institution (educational ones, not mental ones) , check with their library. McGill has one title and Vanier college has 6.
Whenever the terms Buddhism and Taoism are mentioned, one tends to invoke the vision of temples, idol worships, incense sticks, fortune telling etc.. Unfortunately, like many other systems of philosophy and religion that had deviated from their origins; corrupted by clerics and usurped by religious leader for purposes of their own; Buddhism and Taoism started not as a religion, but rather, as a philosophy.
Contrary to the superstitious versions of Buddhism and Taoism that come with a multitudes of gods, the original Buddhist and Taoist philosophy considered the concept of god as irrelevant.
In Buddhism, the ultimate goal is to reach a state free from earthly pains and sorrows. This state could be attainable by following certain ways of getting rid of earthly attachments and desires. Buddhist believed in that anxiety is a result of desire. By getting rid of your desires, you release yourself form all anxieties. "Buddha" is not a god but a "state of being" to strive for.
The central idea in Taoism is the harmony of nature and the need for man to be part of that harmony. Everything we know is encompassed in nature. The universe, and all things in it, run according to the "Tao" . The concept of a rewarding and punishing god is considered to be ludicrous.
"Nature holds no prejudice and cares for all things the same.
It views everything as so many straw dogs, neither loving nor hating them." Lao-Tzu , Tao, Chapter 5
About 25 years ago, during an incident involving 5 unwanted baby cats put away for
euthanasia by the SPCA , I came to the conclusion that the universe is "indifferent". The universe runs on in its own merry way without taking notice. It is us who created god in our own image: a god whose attributes are nothing but a mere extension of our view of an all-seeing, all rewarding, all punishing parent.
Some years later, I came across a presentation of Lao Tzu's book in a format that I can understand and I found the passage about nature holds no prejudices etc.. and I felt justified.
Although I do not agree with everything that is presented by the Taoist and Buddhist, I think many parts of their philosophy do have a lot of merit.
Many religions have God as the creator of the universe and left it at that. Everything is assumed to be concrete. There is no discussion about space, time, reality , perception etc.. These religions are more concern with how men and women should behave in order to please god and how god must be glorified and worshiped. In other words, men and women are created so that there is some one around to glorify the work of god. I strongly believe that if there is a god that have the ability to create all the universe and the wonders in it, he/she would be beyond this pettiness of needing someone to constantly chanting about how great he/she is.
In Buddhism and Taoism, there is a considerable part of their doctrine devoted to the search for an understanding of the concepts of space, time, real reality and perceived reality.
In Quantum Mechanics we talk about a measured quantity as being the result of an interaction between the measuring instrument and the quantum states of a system. The true quantum state cannot be measured without having the state being altered. In Buddhism, the world of our perceptions is the result of the interaction between our senses and the true world. The reality we perceive is but a distorted image of the true world; a construction of our sensory perception. Of course, this idea is not unique. Plato talked about the shadows in the caves and Immanual Kant talked about noumenal and phenomenal world. I once heard some one said," Philosophy is a continuous process of re-discovering past illuminations."
It is sad to see that Buddhism, Taoism and even Confucism have degenerated to become religions of idols and incense burning. But then, so are all the other religions: One version for the hierarchy and one "concessional " version for the masses.
If you are interested in finding out more about Buddhism and Taoism and is baffled by the cryptic and metaphorical language that most texts are written in, I recommend a series of books written by a Taiwanese Comic Strip writer which have been translated into English by Brian Bruya. Each book is composed of a series of comic strip style illustrations along with text quoted from major Buddhist and Taoist works. For the bilingual reader (Chinese and English), let me warn you ahead of time that not all the Chinese text on the side of the comic strips are in synchronization with the English Translation in the strip itself.
If you are in the Montreal (Quebec, Canada) area, you will find 6 titles of Tsai's books in the Frazer Hickson Library in NDG. If you are associated with an institution (educational ones, not mental ones) , check with their library. McGill has one title and Vanier college has 6.
2008-07-15
Chinese Writing
Writing
The Chinese use a very different writing system to English.
English words are made up of a collection of letters that each has its own sound. The Chinese use logograms - where a symbol represents a meaning or a word.
Jade bi from Shang dynasty.
The inscription is from
the 18th century A.D.
Good examples of logograms that you might use everyday are numbers. If you see '2' written, you know that it means 'two'. A French person looking at the same symbol would say it meant 'deux'.
The basic principles behind Chinese writing have remained unchanged for thousands of years. Each character consists of a number of strokes or lines set inside an imaginary square. Thousands of bones from the Shang dynasty have been unearthed with writing on them. Many of the characters on these bones still exist (in a slightly altered state) today.
The Chinese use a very different writing system to English.
English words are made up of a collection of letters that each has its own sound. The Chinese use logograms - where a symbol represents a meaning or a word.
Jade bi from Shang dynasty.
The inscription is from
the 18th century A.D.
Good examples of logograms that you might use everyday are numbers. If you see '2' written, you know that it means 'two'. A French person looking at the same symbol would say it meant 'deux'.
The basic principles behind Chinese writing have remained unchanged for thousands of years. Each character consists of a number of strokes or lines set inside an imaginary square. Thousands of bones from the Shang dynasty have been unearthed with writing on them. Many of the characters on these bones still exist (in a slightly altered state) today.
2008-07-14
This article is about 2008 Beijing Olympic Games Mascots.
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This article is about 2008 Beijing Olympic Games Mascots. For other uses, see Fuwa District, Gifu.
Fuwa
The Fuwa
Chinese: 福娃
Literal meaning: dolls of blessing
[show]Transliterations
Mandarin
- Hanyu Pinyin: Fúwá
Yue (Cantonese)
- Jyutping: fuk1 waa1
The Fuwa (Chinese: 福娃; pinyin: Fúwá; literally "good-luck dolls"), are the mascots of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. The designs were created by Han Meilin, a famous Chinese artist.[1] The designs were publicly announced by the National Society of Chinese Classic Literature Studies on November 11, 2005 at an event marking the 1000th day before the opening of the games.
names
There are five fuwa: Beibei, Jingjing, Huanhuan, Yingying, and Nini. Each of the five names is designed to look like a plausible name for a little child, while also achieving a more complex task: when the first syllable of each name is put together, it sounds nearly identical to the phrase "北京欢迎你", Běijīng huānyíng nǐ which means "Beijing welcomes you". Originally named 'The Friendlies', they were promoted as 'Fuwa'
2008-07-13
Classification of Chinese Traditional Painting
Classification of Chinese Traditional Painting
Traditional Chinese painting has its special materials and tools, consisting of brushes, ink and pigments, xuan paper, silk and various kinds of ink slabs. Based on different classification standards, Chinese traditional painting can be divided into several groups, as follows:
1. Techniques
According to painting techniques, Chinese painting can be divided into two styles: xieyi style and gongbi style. Xieyi, or freehand, is marked by exaggerated forms and freehand brushwork. Gongbi, or meticulous, is characterized by close attention to detail and fine brushwork. Freehand painting generalizes shapes and displays rich brushwork and ink techniques.
2. Forms
The principal forms of traditional Chinese painting are the hanging scroll, album of paintings, fan surface and long horizontal scroll. Hanging scrolls are both horizontal and vertical, usually mounted and hung on the wall. In an album of paintings the artist paints on a certain size of xuan paper and then binds a number of paintings into an album, which is convenient for storage. Folding fans and round fans made of bamboo strips with painted paper or silk pasted on the frame. The long, horizontal scroll is also called a hand scroll and is usually less than 50 centimeters high but maybe up to 100 meters long.
3. Subjects
Traditional Chinese paintings can be classified as figure paintings, landscapes and flower-and-bird paintings. Landscapes represent a major category in traditional Chinese painting, mainly depicting the natural scenery of mountains and rivers.
The range of subject matter in figure painting was extended far beyond religious themes during the Song Dynasty (960-1127). Landscape painting had already established itself as an independent form of expression by the fourth century and gradually branched out into the two separate styles: blue-and-green landscapes using bright blue, green and red pigments; and ink-and-wash landscapes relied on vivid brushwork and inks. Flower-and-bird painting deviated from decorative art to form its own independent genre around the ninth century.
Traditional Chinese painting, poetry, calligraphy, painting and seal engraving are necessary components that supplement and enrich one another. "Painting in poetry and poetry in painting" has been a criterion for excellent works. Inscriptions and seal impressions help explain the painter's ideas and sentiments and also add beauty to the painting.
2008-07-12
Chinese Calligraphy
During the thousands of years old history of the Chinese language, you can clearly see how the tools and materials used for writing have affected the looks of the characters. The oldest traces of Chinese writing consist of pottery and bones with inscriptions where the characters are carved with sharp angles – almost like the Nordic runes.
When the Chinese first invented the book, it consisted of bamboo sticks sewn together side by side. Columns of characters were written on each stick with a brush, which worked quite well with the Chinese way of writing columns of characters from right to left. Writing with a brush also made some new freedom in the form of the characters – especially the day that paper was invented!
The oldest bamboo-books have not survived to current times, but there may be copies of some works – and also quite a lot of ancient metal objects with cast-in characters. Further more there are paintings, seals and many other types of objects with inscription that help us to give proves for the development of the Chinese system of writing.
Today Chinese is written with all sorts of pens and papers, but if you want to make something really nice, it's of course still most proper to use an ink brush and rice paper. For daily training, I personally like to write Chinese characters with jell-ink ballpoint pens, since it gives me the feeling of having a "swoop" similar to the result you'll get with brushes. Try finding what pen will suit you best. Do keep in mind that you may very well prefer one type of pens for writing in English, while a different choice may show more suitable for Chinese!
Avoid writing Chinese with red ink, since that may give an unwanted message to possible readers... Sure, I can agree that Chinese see red colour as a symbol for luck, and use red ink for their seals, but Chinese are also know to write with red ink when firing personnel or cancelling friendship!
When the Chinese first invented the book, it consisted of bamboo sticks sewn together side by side. Columns of characters were written on each stick with a brush, which worked quite well with the Chinese way of writing columns of characters from right to left. Writing with a brush also made some new freedom in the form of the characters – especially the day that paper was invented!
The oldest bamboo-books have not survived to current times, but there may be copies of some works – and also quite a lot of ancient metal objects with cast-in characters. Further more there are paintings, seals and many other types of objects with inscription that help us to give proves for the development of the Chinese system of writing.
Today Chinese is written with all sorts of pens and papers, but if you want to make something really nice, it's of course still most proper to use an ink brush and rice paper. For daily training, I personally like to write Chinese characters with jell-ink ballpoint pens, since it gives me the feeling of having a "swoop" similar to the result you'll get with brushes. Try finding what pen will suit you best. Do keep in mind that you may very well prefer one type of pens for writing in English, while a different choice may show more suitable for Chinese!
Avoid writing Chinese with red ink, since that may give an unwanted message to possible readers... Sure, I can agree that Chinese see red colour as a symbol for luck, and use red ink for their seals, but Chinese are also know to write with red ink when firing personnel or cancelling friendship!
2008-07-11
Chinese name
Chinese name seems very popular now. I often get emails asking for a Chinese name based on his/her English name. So I have put together a list of popular English names and their corresponding Chinese names by gender. The Chinese names are mainly translated by the pronunciation of the English names. The English names here are mainly first names. If you have a question about Chinese names, please check out Questions About Chinese Names. If you are looking for a last name, please go to the Chinese Names from Western Family Names. Click one of the letters below to see a list of names.
2008-07-10
Popular Chinese prints
Popular Chinese prints are commonly known in the Western hemisphere as Chinese New Year prints. The Western term is a bit misleading. These nianhua - New Year pictures - were by no means restricted to the celebration of the New Year.
Chinese New Year Prints
2008-07-09
chinese bamboo art
China,home of bamboo,makes extensive use of the plant as a material for articles of daily use and interior decoration.
In many southern provinces like Human and Sichuan which abound in bamboo groves,the local people build housed,suspension bridges and fishing rafts with bamboo.In their spare time,rural women weave its strips into baskets of various sizes and different descriptions to be sold at fairs and markets.
No part of bamboo is wasted.The leaves make broadbrimmed country hats and rain capes,or are used for the roofing of small boats.Southern households,needless to say,use bamboo chopsticks for eating,many of which are burnt with paterns and pictures.
Furniture made of the plant may look very distinctive,elegant and even classic in taste.Beds,couches,chaires,sofas,tables,desks and baby carriages can all be made of bamboo.
Bamboo can also be the material for a long list of other handicraft articleso screens,paintings,animal figures,fruit boxes,smoking sets,tea boxes,etc.o which are either interior decorations or articles of practical use or serve both purposes at the same time.Their exquisite appearance,together with their moderate price and light weight,puts them in high favour with Chinese and foreign buyers.
Some sculptors like to split sections of thick bamboo sticks lengthwise in two and engrave on the surfaces a couplet of Chinese poetry or a set of pictures for hanging on the walls of studies or studios.They make interor decorations of pastoral simplicity and refinement.
Bamboo is also an important raw material;the branches can be processed into fibres for the manufacture of high-quality paper and artificial silk.
The tender shoots of bamboo are a delicacy often found at a Chinese banquet.They may be used fresh or canned,or dried for longer storage.Dried bamboo shoots should be soaked in water for a few days before use.
A well-known Chinese drink called zhuyeqing(bamboo-leat-green)is made of bamboo leaves mixed with other materials. here you can know more about.
In many southern provinces like Human and Sichuan which abound in bamboo groves,the local people build housed,suspension bridges and fishing rafts with bamboo.In their spare time,rural women weave its strips into baskets of various sizes and different descriptions to be sold at fairs and markets.
No part of bamboo is wasted.The leaves make broadbrimmed country hats and rain capes,or are used for the roofing of small boats.Southern households,needless to say,use bamboo chopsticks for eating,many of which are burnt with paterns and pictures.
Furniture made of the plant may look very distinctive,elegant and even classic in taste.Beds,couches,chaires,sofas,tables,desks and baby carriages can all be made of bamboo.
Bamboo can also be the material for a long list of other handicraft articleso screens,paintings,animal figures,fruit boxes,smoking sets,tea boxes,etc.o which are either interior decorations or articles of practical use or serve both purposes at the same time.Their exquisite appearance,together with their moderate price and light weight,puts them in high favour with Chinese and foreign buyers.
Some sculptors like to split sections of thick bamboo sticks lengthwise in two and engrave on the surfaces a couplet of Chinese poetry or a set of pictures for hanging on the walls of studies or studios.They make interor decorations of pastoral simplicity and refinement.
Bamboo is also an important raw material;the branches can be processed into fibres for the manufacture of high-quality paper and artificial silk.
The tender shoots of bamboo are a delicacy often found at a Chinese banquet.They may be used fresh or canned,or dried for longer storage.Dried bamboo shoots should be soaked in water for a few days before use.
A well-known Chinese drink called zhuyeqing(bamboo-leat-green)is made of bamboo leaves mixed with other materials. here you can know more about.
Chinese Traditional Art
Chinese Traditional Art
China's traditional arts command a great part of the country's rich heritage. Since ancient time, Chinese society has cherished excellence in its arts. Over centuries, Chinese arts have developed its own unique styles and forms. Singing, sculpture, calligraphy, painting, carving and others are the timeworn forms of expression in Chinese arts.
China's traditional arts command a great part of the country's rich heritage. Since ancient time, Chinese society has cherished excellence in its arts. Over centuries, Chinese arts have developed its own unique styles and forms. Singing, sculpture, calligraphy, painting, carving and others are the timeworn forms of expression in Chinese arts.
2008-07-07
Chinese Papercuts
Chinese Papercuts
Papercut is an art form originally created in China. Around the first century A.D., the Chinese invented that most flexible, versatile and adaptable of materials -- paper. The first papercut can be traced date back to the period known as the Northern and Southern Dynasties (A.D. 386-581). In the T'ang Dynasty (A.D. 618-906) papercuts are the subject of a poem by the poet Ts'ui Tao-yung and from other sources of this period they are described as being used to decorate plants and worn by ladies in their hair in form of butterflies and flowers. Here are some sample of Chinese Papercuts.
Papercut is an art form originally created in China. Around the first century A.D., the Chinese invented that most flexible, versatile and adaptable of materials -- paper. The first papercut can be traced date back to the period known as the Northern and Southern Dynasties (A.D. 386-581). In the T'ang Dynasty (A.D. 618-906) papercuts are the subject of a poem by the poet Ts'ui Tao-yung and from other sources of this period they are described as being used to decorate plants and worn by ladies in their hair in form of butterflies and flowers. Here are some sample of Chinese Papercuts.
2008-07-06
Feel China: A Tour to Central Europe
Source: CCTV.com
07-06-2008 10:36
The large-scale cultural exchange program "Feel China: A Tour to Central Europe", that opened in the Czech Republic last week, moved to Slovakia on Thursday. The opening performance was presented to glamorously dressed guests at the stately National Theatre in Bratislava, the capital city of the Slovak Republic.
An audience of eight hundred, including local celebrities and diplomats, turned up for "My Dream", by the China Disabled People's Art Troupe.
These handicapped actors kept the audience captivated with perfectly synchronized movements in an expression of artistry. They also performed the "Thousand-armed Goddess of Mercy" dance, and the reinterpretation of the classic love story "Butterflies."
The audience showed their enthusiasm as the artists chorused two Slovakian folk songs.
Jozef Lang, State Secretary of Slovak Ministry of Culture said "For people in Slovakia, this cultural exchange event is rather appealing. They are glad to see the best performing art from China, through which they get a better understanding of Asian culture."
At the end of the performance, the artists were greeted with thunderous applause.
Michal Kovac, the former President of the Slovak Republic, attended the show with his wife.
Michael Kovac, Former President of Slovak Republic said "I was deeply touched by these handicapped artists. They and their performance show tenacious spirit, respect and harmony rooted in Chinese tradition and culture. "
The exchange campaign "Feel China: A Tour to Central Europe" is organized by the State Council Information Office. The local media has praised the event.
Editor:Xiong Qu
07-06-2008 10:36
The large-scale cultural exchange program "Feel China: A Tour to Central Europe", that opened in the Czech Republic last week, moved to Slovakia on Thursday. The opening performance was presented to glamorously dressed guests at the stately National Theatre in Bratislava, the capital city of the Slovak Republic.
An audience of eight hundred, including local celebrities and diplomats, turned up for "My Dream", by the China Disabled People's Art Troupe.
These handicapped actors kept the audience captivated with perfectly synchronized movements in an expression of artistry. They also performed the "Thousand-armed Goddess of Mercy" dance, and the reinterpretation of the classic love story "Butterflies."
The audience showed their enthusiasm as the artists chorused two Slovakian folk songs.
Jozef Lang, State Secretary of Slovak Ministry of Culture said "For people in Slovakia, this cultural exchange event is rather appealing. They are glad to see the best performing art from China, through which they get a better understanding of Asian culture."
At the end of the performance, the artists were greeted with thunderous applause.
Michal Kovac, the former President of the Slovak Republic, attended the show with his wife.
Michael Kovac, Former President of Slovak Republic said "I was deeply touched by these handicapped artists. They and their performance show tenacious spirit, respect and harmony rooted in Chinese tradition and culture. "
The exchange campaign "Feel China: A Tour to Central Europe" is organized by the State Council Information Office. The local media has praised the event.
Editor:Xiong Qu
2008-07-02
Chinese Arts - Handicrafts Wooden Objects
This oldest example of wooden art seems to be the modernest one. It is an ape, unearthed from a Warring States period 戰國 tomb. Although the monkey seems to eat something that he holds with his hand, he looks like a philosophing man.
Chinese artists like to integrate the natural shape of things into the art objects. Using this concept, this Ming time 明 brush container looks very crude and clumsy, but the cut out pine tree and crane give it also an interesting surface. The artist has cut in his name: Zhu He 朱鶴, called Songlin 松鄰 "Pine neighbor".
Also a very natural shape has his cow with her calf. As a contrast to the very light wood, the base is made of an almost black material.
The peach is the symbol of longevity in China (don't ask, why) and occurs very often in Chinese art. Made of wood, the surface of this peach is decorated with small peaches. For objects like this, the dark wooden base is especially made and adjusted at the main object.
Although it seems to be made of a couple of bamboo canes, cut some 12 cms above the earth, this brush container is made of wood. The artist has given it the shape of a handful of curved bamboos. The object is very detailed, showing even smallest leaves and every nodium of the bamboo.
Decorated with a historic scene, the upper rime part of this brush container made of light wood is added with a ring of dark wood. It was made by Wu Zhifan 吳之璠 at the beginning of the Qing Dynasty 清 and is standing on a dark wooded base, a good counterpart to the upper ring.
This is a cosmetic box with many drawers containing everything a woman could need. Opening the two doors, a mirror can be put on the top of the box.
Made of five storable layers, this container with a handle can be transported around. Inside the flower-shaped layers, one finds small metal cups for drinking wine.
Here another example of a closet shaped cosmetic box from the Qing Dynasty.
Bats are a very common motif in Chinese art because the Chinese word for "bat" fu 蝠 sounds equal to the word for "luck" fu 福. But the shape of the Chinese art bats is very similar to a flower or some leaves and cannot be recognized at the first glance. This bats are cut into the back of a chair.
Crowned by a lotus flower, this three storied pagoda is made of wood. It is made during the Republican era. The different stories and the flower are painted.
The artist that made this peach kernel motifs must have had a calm hand and a good eye to form a Guanyin 觀音 Boddhisattva (see Buddhism) into such a small object.
Mongolian art uses great amounts of silver to decorate cups, spoons, music instruments and weapons. This picture shows three silver covered bowls of root wood.
Communist art (see People's Republic) does not stop at traditional materials in China, like this female soldier holding her gun.
A round fan made of woven reed grass with a wooden handle.
Chinese artists like to integrate the natural shape of things into the art objects. Using this concept, this Ming time 明 brush container looks very crude and clumsy, but the cut out pine tree and crane give it also an interesting surface. The artist has cut in his name: Zhu He 朱鶴, called Songlin 松鄰 "Pine neighbor".
Also a very natural shape has his cow with her calf. As a contrast to the very light wood, the base is made of an almost black material.
The peach is the symbol of longevity in China (don't ask, why) and occurs very often in Chinese art. Made of wood, the surface of this peach is decorated with small peaches. For objects like this, the dark wooden base is especially made and adjusted at the main object.
Although it seems to be made of a couple of bamboo canes, cut some 12 cms above the earth, this brush container is made of wood. The artist has given it the shape of a handful of curved bamboos. The object is very detailed, showing even smallest leaves and every nodium of the bamboo.
Decorated with a historic scene, the upper rime part of this brush container made of light wood is added with a ring of dark wood. It was made by Wu Zhifan 吳之璠 at the beginning of the Qing Dynasty 清 and is standing on a dark wooded base, a good counterpart to the upper ring.
This is a cosmetic box with many drawers containing everything a woman could need. Opening the two doors, a mirror can be put on the top of the box.
Made of five storable layers, this container with a handle can be transported around. Inside the flower-shaped layers, one finds small metal cups for drinking wine.
Here another example of a closet shaped cosmetic box from the Qing Dynasty.
Bats are a very common motif in Chinese art because the Chinese word for "bat" fu 蝠 sounds equal to the word for "luck" fu 福. But the shape of the Chinese art bats is very similar to a flower or some leaves and cannot be recognized at the first glance. This bats are cut into the back of a chair.
Crowned by a lotus flower, this three storied pagoda is made of wood. It is made during the Republican era. The different stories and the flower are painted.
The artist that made this peach kernel motifs must have had a calm hand and a good eye to form a Guanyin 觀音 Boddhisattva (see Buddhism) into such a small object.
Mongolian art uses great amounts of silver to decorate cups, spoons, music instruments and weapons. This picture shows three silver covered bowls of root wood.
Communist art (see People's Republic) does not stop at traditional materials in China, like this female soldier holding her gun.
A round fan made of woven reed grass with a wooden handle.
2008-07-01
Chinese literature
Main article: Chinese literature
The extensive collection of books that have been preserved since the Zhou Dynasty demonstrate just how advanced the intellectuals were at one time. Indeed, the era of the Zhou Dynasty is often looked to as the touchstone of Chinese cultural development. The Five Cardinal Points are the foundation for almost all major studies. Concepts covered within the Chinese classic texts present a wide range of subjects including poetry, astrology, astronomy, calendar, constellations and many others. Some of the most important early texts include I Ching and Shujing within the Four Books and Five Classics. Many Chinese concepts such as Yin and Yang, Qi, Four Pillars of Destiny in relation to heaven and earth were all theorized in the dynastic periods.
Notable confucianists, taoists and scholars of all class have made significant contributions from documenting history to authoring saintly concepts that seem hundred of years ahead of time. Many novels such as Four Great Classical Novels spawned countless fictional stories. By the end of the Qing Dynasty, Chinese culture would embark on a new era with Vernacular Chinese for the common citizens. Hu Shih and Lu Xun would be pioneers in modern literature.
The extensive collection of books that have been preserved since the Zhou Dynasty demonstrate just how advanced the intellectuals were at one time. Indeed, the era of the Zhou Dynasty is often looked to as the touchstone of Chinese cultural development. The Five Cardinal Points are the foundation for almost all major studies. Concepts covered within the Chinese classic texts present a wide range of subjects including poetry, astrology, astronomy, calendar, constellations and many others. Some of the most important early texts include I Ching and Shujing within the Four Books and Five Classics. Many Chinese concepts such as Yin and Yang, Qi, Four Pillars of Destiny in relation to heaven and earth were all theorized in the dynastic periods.
Notable confucianists, taoists and scholars of all class have made significant contributions from documenting history to authoring saintly concepts that seem hundred of years ahead of time. Many novels such as Four Great Classical Novels spawned countless fictional stories. By the end of the Qing Dynasty, Chinese culture would embark on a new era with Vernacular Chinese for the common citizens. Hu Shih and Lu Xun would be pioneers in modern literature.
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