Chinese Folk Art: kashi,a pearl on the old sill road

Chinese Folk Art: kashi,a pearl on the old sill road

Master artist Chen Wei

Chen Wei: An Introduction

Master artist Chen Wei, founder of the Hailang Institute of Chinese Painting, is internationally known for his landscape painting, particularly the painting of ocean waves. He created the "Pomazou Technique", which combines the techniques of both Chinese and western artists. His paintings are characteristic of vigor, boldness and simplicity, thus possessing a unique style.


Chen Wei's paintings are among the collections of former US president George Bush, China's Beijing People's Great Hall and art galleries and museums throughout the world. His paintings have also been exhibited and been highly praised in a dozen of cities including Tokyo, Moscow, Hong Kong, Beijing, and Shenzhen.

His works have been published in two major books: "A Collection of Paintings by Chen Wei" (in Chinese, English, Russian, French, German, and Spanish,) and "Biography of Contemporary Painter Chen Wei". More than one hundred print and broadcast media outlets have featured his works, including Perspective Magazine, the People's Daily, China Central Television, and numerous international television programs and newspapers.

Chen Wei was born in Fuzhou, Fujian in 1944.

kashi,a pearl on the old sill road

kashi,a pearl on the old sill road

This is a narrow, quiet lane. The road is lined with houses of one or two storied built of adobe or red brick. It is Saturday. A group of Uygur children are playing, bringing a joyful atmosphere to the quiet bane. At the end of the lane, a sign reading "Vegetable Bazaar Lane" reminds people of its past. The bazaar no longer exists, and people can only imagine the brisk scene here in the old days.
In the old districts of Kashi, many streets have "bazaar" as part of their names. Although most of the bazaars have ceased to exist except in name, there are still some that are still in use. From the names of these streets people can imagine the past glory of this ancient trading city on the Old Silk Road.



The animal market at the Sunday Bazaar.
Kashi, located in the southwestern part of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, has a history of more than 2,000 years. It has occupied an important position in northwestern China since ancient times. Situated at the juncture of the southern and northern routes of the Old Silk Road, it attracted merchants from many parts of the world to trade here . So Kashi became a famous trading city, called a bright pearl on the Old Silk Road. Meanwhile, Kashi is also a sacred place of Islam. Atigar Mosque, the largest mosque in Xinjiang, situated on Atigar Square in the center of the city, is more than 500 years old. The city has produced many famous figures throughout its history.

Kashi is divided into two parts: the new district and the old district, the streets are wide and lined with high-rise buildings, little different from other cities in China ; in the old district, the streets are narrow and most houses are low brick or adobe one.

In fact, today's Kashi has preserved the old traditions. On streets one can find markets selling various commodities, such as vegetables, fruits, food, garments, tools and handicrafts.

Kashi's markets differ from markets in other places in that most of the commodities on sale are made by the vendors themselves. Here tourists can see the handicrafts actually being made in the workshops. Wandering along an ancient street in Kashi, it is as if one has traveled back in time. At the shoes and caps market, the caps and boots on sale are made on the spot.

Going ahead, one can hear the clanging of blacksmiths' hammers. If you hear the sound of an electric saw, then you can go and see carpenters making furniture and kitchen utensils. If you smell the fragrance of baked cakes, you will soon find an eating place serving nang, the staple food of the Uygur people. The nang is broken into small pieces and dipped in soup. It is said nang can be kept for weeks without going stale.



Abahuoga Mazar. It is said that the Fragrant Imperial Concubine of the Qing Dynasty is buried here.
These markets are open every day. The famous Sunday bazaar has been operating since ancient times, and the scale has become larger and larger, attracting merchants from all over Xinjiang and neighboring countries such as Pakistan and Kirghizstan.

Farmers from the suburbs of Kashi come to the bazaar early in the morning, using various means of transportation, such as bicycles, motorcycles, tractors, trucks and donkey-drawn carts. The highways leading to Kashi are crowded with these vehicles and pedestrians on Sunday mornings, as well as with flocks of sheep.

On Sunday the whole city becomes a big market. It is hard to tell the markets from the ordinary streets. Of the 20 markets, some are comprehensive ones, and some are specialized markets selling local produce, arts and crafts, garments, knives, timber, coal or animals. Among them, the animal markets are the largest. Each day, more than 1,000 head of cattle, horses, sheep and camels are traded here.

October is the best season to visit Kashi, as the weather is pleasant and the autumn harvest makes the markets more brisk. In autumn, many types of fruit are on sale, such as grapes, watermelons, Hami melons and figs. Other local products include Xinjiang knives and carpets, which make good souvenirs for tourists.

Uygur people make up most of Kashi's inhabitants. On the streets, one can seldom see people of other ethnic groups except foreign tourists and tourists from other parts of China.

On the ancient streets of Kashi everywhere there are men wearing Uygur skullcaps and women wearing brown veils. The Uygur language is universally spoken by the local people.

After visiting Kashi's Sunday bazaar, people will understand the saying" without visiting Kashi, one cannot say he has visited Kashi. If you have a chance to visit Kashi, don't miss the chance to visit its Sunday Bazaar.

Chinese New Year Prints-Honour, Wealth and Glory

Chinese New Year Prints-Honour, Wealth and Glory



Good Fortune, Official Salary, and Longevity represent the ingredients of a happy life, and are represented in popular culture by a trinity of star gods. Fortune often appears holding a baby boy - male heirs being a great blessing and a sure sign that fortune smiled upon the family. Official Salary stands tallest with his official cap and tablet of office, and Longevity takes the form of an elderly immortal with an extended forehead and a peach of longevity (these attributes may also be perceived as symbols of fertility).

Fortune and Longevity have a more or less universal appeal and most cultures honour them in some way. The logic of 'Official Salary', however, may not be so apparent to readers not familiar with Chinese history. To understand why this attainment was so highly valued one must understand that the late-imperial Chinese state had created a system in which social prestige was closely linked to the civil service. There were many ways to become wealthy, but unless one had an official posting or title they would never be truly 'rich'.

Scholarship was thus highly regarded, and the figure of the successful scholar was widely celebrated. As elsewhere, scholarly achievement was measured in degrees, and among these degrees it was the highest jinshi, or 'metropolitan' degree that was most coveted. The scholar who finished first in that category was given the title of zhuangyuan or 'optimus'. Nianhua often depict the triumphant scholar returning home after having won this honour through the state civil service examinations. The scholar's family and locality have good reason to celebrate, since it was expected that the benefits of officialdom would ultimately return to them not just in terms of prestige, but also in terms of political influence and remittances drawn from the scholar-official's substantial earnings.

The value placed on scholarship should not cloud the fact that raw material wealth also had its attractions. The God of Wealth was a central deity in the Chinese pantheon, and nianhua of the late 19th and early 20th century abound with representations of gleaming jewels and precious metals. More subtle references to wealth are also suggested by rebuses (visual puns) such as a fish, which in spoken Chinese sounds like 'surplus'.

Mazu and Mazu Culture

Mazu and Mazu Culture



The Statue of Mazu at the Meizhou Bay
Over 1,000 years ago, a beautiful young firl by the name of Lin Mu was born at the Xianliang Port of Meizhou Bay in Putian, Fujian Province. Clever, brave and kindhearted, Lin Mu could forecast the weather and was happy to help fishermen in distress at sea. She encouraged the people to conquer nature and defeat evil, so she was much loved and esteemed by the people in her hometown. Unfortunately she died an early death at only 28. As the legend goes, she ascended to heaven and became an immortal at Meizhou Bay located opposite to the Xianliang Port.
For more over 1,000 years, she has been living, with a composed and tender smile, in the hearts of the people. The people pay homage to her, respectfully calling her fairy, the daughter of dragon, goddness, the mother or Mazu ( a title of respect for an aged woman): rulers of past dynasties upheld her and granted her the titles of "Lady", "Heavenly Queen" and "Holy Mother"; the times have bestowed her a series of loveable and respected names such as "Goddess of the Sea", "Goddness of the the Straits" and "Goddess of Peace of the Straits".

She is none other than the world-renowned Mazu, goddess of the sea, of Fujian, China.


The hairstyle of Mazu
The respect for Mazu has turned into a wide-spread belief with the passage of time. Following the footprints of sea merchants and overseas Chinese, Mazu went out of Putian, out of Fujian and out of China, making her presence in many corners of Asia, America, Australia and Europe. Consequently, over 1,500 Mazu temples are found all over the world, where Muzu from Meizhou are consecrated. The belief in Mazu has become a sort of transnational folk belief with more than 100 million worshippers. However, different from a religion in the ordinary sense, is a special kind of ideology connected with thropology, religion, folklore, sociology as well as the history of sea commnication overseas Chinese, culture and the development of Fujian and Taiwan. This is the culture of Mazu which has aroused an extensive interest and great attention of Chinese and foreign scholars and is now under integral part of the culture of the Chinese nation and a part of the brilliant civilization of China.

In recent years, there are a number of academic groups, experts and schoolars working on research of Mazu and published special works on the subject in Taiwan, Hongkong and Macao regions and in such countries as Japan, the United States, France, Singapore and Malaysia. The research on the Mazu culture has a great appeal and cohesive force to the Chinese both at home and abroad. Now the achievements in the research on the Mazu culture have become valuable material in the research on the history of navigation, science, overseas Chinese, development of off-shore islands and economic and cultural exchanges with foreign countries as well as the history of folklore and religion of ancient China.

For geographical and historical reasons, the belief in Mazu at Taiwan has turned out to be a popular belief. According to statistics, around two-thirds of the population in Taiwan believe in Mazu, and more than 500 Mazu temples are scattered on the island. In the wake of improving relations between both sides of the Straits, tens of thousands of Taiwan compatriots swarmed to the Meizhou Island to dedicate their piety at Mazu temples to fulfil their sincere wish which they had cherished for decades. The unique Mazu Pilgrim Tour will undoubtedly breakthrough the artificial hedge standing between the people on both sides of the Straits.

The Darma Festival

The Darma Festival

The Darma Festival is a well-known festival in Gyangze, with a history of more than 500 years. Now one of the most popular folk festivals in Tibet, it has a long story. It is said that after the death of Palba Sangpo, Prince of Dharma of Gyangze of the Sagya Kingdom, his disciples, lamas and the public would hold sacrificial rites each year to his memory, which was later stopped due to social turmoil. In 1408, Raodain Gongsang, son of Palba Sangpo, took the position of Prince of Dharma of Gyangze, who restarted the sacrificial activities that were held from April 10 to 27 on the Tibetan calendar, in addition to entertainment, such as exhibitions of Tangka painting scrolls, religious _chammo dance,_ horse-racing and _Dagor Myigor_ (sword-playing of ancient knights). By 1447, when Zhazi Rabdain became Prince of Dharma of Gyangze, more entertaining activities had been added, such as shooting on horseback, Tibetan Opera, song and dance. Thus, the Darma Festival was born. Another story says that the festival originated in the celebration of the completion of the Palkor Monastery. Today, the Darma Festival starts with Buddha painting unfolding festival on April 15 on the Tibetan calendar as a prelude every year, and officially opens on April 18. The 19 townships in the Gyangze County gather to celebrate the festival, which also attracts people from everywhere. Today, the Darma Festival is not only a folk festival but an exchange with a theme of _promoting economy through cultural activities._ During the festival, besides traditional sport items such as shooting on horseback, there are other contemporary pastimes such as ball games and track events. Around the sports ground are tent shops where trade takes place, and tents of farmers and herdsmen who come from afar. During the festival, farmers will drive their horse carts to bring their families to the annual festival. Some are fond of races, some like to watch performances, while still others will set up stands to sell home-made sweet milk dregs and other products. But most people will stay in their own tents and enjoy themselves until nightfall. The Darma Festival usually lasts seven to 10 days

Yangling Zhanshui Noodles

Zhanshui noodles are a favourite of people in Yangling and Wugong. The fresh vegetable and various sauces can be put into the cooking liquor of the noodles in summer, so it is a good choice to prevent heatstroke; the cooking liquor, with egg, chilli oil, ginger, garlic and vegetables, can also be heated in winter, so it is a slap-up feed to keep warm. It is a favorite of the old and the children.

The noodles of the northwest enjoy different characters. However, the features of Yangling Zhanshui noodle can be summarized in 20 Chinese characters: the noodles are white, thin and sticky; the soup with garlic and chilli oil is delicious; the noodles and soup are put into different basins; the more the noodles are chewed, the more delicious the noodles are. As a typical lical dish of Guanzhong(the middle part of Shaanxi Province) food, the Yangling Zhanshui noodles becomes more and more popular with people.