Each year of the Chinese calendar is associated with one of the twelve animals of the Chinese Zodiac. Use the form below to determine the Chinese Zodiac animal for your birth year.
Learn more about personality ,health, career, relationships and dating compatibility by click the animal of the year you borned.
Rat 1900 1912 1924 1936 1948 1960 1972 1984 1996 2008 2020
OX 1901 1913 1925 1937 1949 1961 1973 1985 1997 2009 2021
Tiger 1902 1914 1926 1938 1950 1962 1974 1986 1998 2010 2022
Rabbit 1903 1915 1927 1939 1951 1963 1975 1987 1999 2011 2023
Dragon 1904 1916 1928 1940 1952 1964 1976 1988 2000 2012 2024
Snake 1905 1917 1929 1941 1953 1965 1977 1989 2001 2013 2025
Horses 1906 1918 1930 1942 1954 1966 1978 1990 2002 2014 2026
Goat 1907 1919 1931 1943 1955 1967 1979 1991 2003 2015 2027
Monkey 1908 1920 1932 1944 1956 1968 1980 1992 2004 2016 2028
Rooster 1909 1921 1933 1945 1957 1969 1981 1993 2005 2017 2029
Dog 1910 1922 1934 1946 1958 1970 1982 1994 2006 2018 2030
Pig 1911 1923 1935 1947 1959 1971 1983 1995 2007 2019 2031
Chinese Silk
As is known to all silk is a unique invention of China. For a long period of time, China was the only country in the world which produced and used silk.
Among the myths and legends of Chinese history, Lei Zu, a Concubine of the Chinese ancient Emperor Xuanyuan, is recognized as the ancestor of sericulture and silk spinning.
There is a beautiful story telling how Lei Zu was drinking in a wild mulberry bush when some wild cocoons fell in her bowl. When she tried to fish out the cocoons, she found it stretched in a never-ending line. Then she began to rear wild silkworms and spun to knit. Afterwards, she was worshipped as “Goddess of Silkworms” by Chinese people.
Even today, there is an old tradition kept in Huzhou city of Zhejiang Province that Lei Zu is worshiped every Qingming Festival (around April 5th every year) for her contribution for bringing silk into people’s life.
Chinese silk is not only famous for its exquisite design, but also for its lightness and thinness.
There is an interesting story in Sulayman’s Journey to the East.
An Arabian merchant visited an official of Tang Dynasty（AD 618-907）, he found a black mole in the official’s chest. He could hardly believe it, so he stared at his chest for quite a while. Until the official asked that he thought there was something wrong with his eyes, because he could see the mole under two layers of clothing! He told his doubt to the official and the official burst into a great laughter. After being showed the silk costume, the merchant finally realized how thin the silk was and became crazy about this amazing textile.
Silk History in China
According to some archaeological data, the exact time that silk was put into practical use is earlier than Lei Zu’s era of 4,600 years ago.
In 1958, some silk products of 4,700 years ago were excavated in Yuhang City of Zhejiang Province, including silkfadeno, ribbons, silk ropes and some silk pieces. Although these objects had been carbonized, the clear identification of latitude and longitude of silk is a powerful proof of the master handicraft of that time.
Till the Han dynasty （206 BC- AD 220），the handicraft of silk spinning has been improved to such a high level that every silk thread was composed of 14-15 silk fibers, which can be found from the brocade excavated in Mawangdui Tombs of Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD24) in Hunan Province. With the improvement of silk spinning handicraft, the finished silk products were more powerful to convey kind of poetic imagery.
All in all, in the rich cultural heritage, the unique style of silk texture has gradually become a symbol of Oriental aesthetic spirit. In other words, it is because silk that the Chinese costume shows kind of ethereal beauty and elegance; it is because of silk that the figure in Chinese painting shows a life-like image of verisimilitude.
Among the myths and legends of Chinese history, Lei Zu, a Concubine of the Chinese ancient Emperor Xuanyuan, is recognized as the ancestor of sericulture and silk spinning.
Even today, there is an old tradition kept in Huzhou city of Zhejiang Province that Lei Zu is worshiped every Qingming Festival (around April 5th every year) for her contribution for bringing silk into people’s life.
Chinese silk is not only famous for its exquisite design, but also for its lightness and thinness.
There is an interesting story in Sulayman’s Journey to the East.
An Arabian merchant visited an official of Tang Dynasty（AD 618-907）, he found a black mole in the official’s chest. He could hardly believe it, so he stared at his chest for quite a while. Until the official asked that he thought there was something wrong with his eyes, because he could see the mole under two layers of clothing! He told his doubt to the official and the official burst into a great laughter. After being showed the silk costume, the merchant finally realized how thin the silk was and became crazy about this amazing textile.
Silk History in China
According to some archaeological data, the exact time that silk was put into practical use is earlier than Lei Zu’s era of 4,600 years ago.
In 1958, some silk products of 4,700 years ago were excavated in Yuhang City of Zhejiang Province, including silkfadeno, ribbons, silk ropes and some silk pieces. Although these objects had been carbonized, the clear identification of latitude and longitude of silk is a powerful proof of the master handicraft of that time.
All in all, in the rich cultural heritage, the unique style of silk texture has gradually become a symbol of Oriental aesthetic spirit. In other words, it is because silk that the Chinese costume shows kind of ethereal beauty and elegance; it is because of silk that the figure in Chinese painting shows a life-like image of verisimilitude.
Forbidden City of china
What strikes one first in a bird's -eye view of Beijing proper is a vast tract of golden roofs flashing brilliantly in the sun with purple walls occasionally emerging amid them and a stretch of luxuriant tree leaves flanking on each side. That is the former Imperial Palace, popularly known as the Forbidden City, from which twenty-four emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties ruled China for some 500 years——from1420 to 1911. The Ming Emperor Yong Le, who usurped the throne from his nephew and made Beijing the capital, ordered its construction, on which approximately 10,000 artists and a million workmen toiled for 14 years from 1406 to 1420. At present, the Palace is an elaborate museum that presents the largest and most complete ensemble of traditional architecture complex and more than 900,000 pieces of court treasures in all dynasties in China.
Located in the center of Beijing, the entire palace area, rectangular in shape and 72 hectares in size, is surrounded by walls ten meters high and a moat 52 meters wide. At each corner of the wall stands a watchtower with a double-eave roof covered with yellow glazed tiles.
The main buildings, the six great halls, one following the other, are set facing south along the central north-south axis from the Meridian Gate, the south entrance, to Shenwumen, the great gate piercing in the north wall. On either side of the palace are many comparatively small buildings. Symmetrically in the northeastern section lie the six Eastern Palaces and in the northwestern section the six Western Palaces. The Palace area is divided into two parts: the Outer Court and the Inner Palace. The former consists of the first three main halls, where the emperor received his courtiers and conducted grand ceremonies, while the latter was the living quarters for the imperial residence. At the rear of the Inner Palace is the Imperial Garden where the emperor and his family sought recreation.
The main entrance to the Palace is the Meridian Gate(1), which was so named because the emperor considered himself the "Son of the Heaven" and the Palace the center of the universe, hence the north-south axis as the Meridian line going right through the Palace. The gate is crowned with five towers, commonly known as the Five-Phoenix Towers(2), which were installed with drums and bells. When the emperor went to the Temple of Heaven, bells were struck to mark this important occasion. When he went to the Ancestral Temple, it was the drums that were beaten to publicize the event.
Beyond the Meridian Gate unfolds a vast courtyard across which the Inner Golden Water River runs from east to west. The river is spanned by five bridges, which were supposed to be symbols of the five virtues preached by Confucius——benevolence, righteousness, rites, intelligence, and fidelity(3).
At the north end of the courtyard is a three-tiered white marble terrace, seven meters above the ground, on which, one after another, stand three majestic halls; the Hall of Supreme Harmony(4), the Hall of Complete Harmony(5), and the Hall of Preserving Harmony(6).
The Hall of Supreme Harmony, rectangular in shape, 27 meters in height, 2,300 square meters in area, is the grandest and most important hall in the Palace complex. It is also China's largest existing palace of wood structure and an outstanding example of brilliant color combinations. This hall used to be the throne hall for ceremonies which marked great occasions: the Winter Solstice, the Spring Festival, the emperor's birthday and enthronement, and the dispatch of generals to battles, etc. On such occasions there would be an imperial guard of honor standing in front of the Hall that extended all the way to the Meridian gate.
On the north face of the hall in the center of four coiled-golden dragon columns is the "Golden Throne", which was carved out of sandalwood. The throne rests on a two-meter-high platform with a screen behind it. In front of it, to the left and right, stand ornamental cranes, incense burners and other ornaments. The dragon columns entwined with golden dragons measure one meter in diameter. The throne itself, the platform and the screen are all carved with dragon designs. High above the throne is a color-painted coffered ceiling which changes in shape from square to octagonal to circular as it ascends layer upon layer. The utmost central vault is carved with the gilded design of a dragon toying with pearls. when the Emperor mounted the throne, gold bells and jade chimes sounded from the gallery, and clouds of incense rose from the bronze cranes and tortoises and tripods outside the hall on the terrace. The aura of majesty created by the imposing architecture and solemn ritual were designed to keep the subjects of the "Son of the Heaven" in awe and reverence.
The Hall of Complete Harmony is smaller and square with windows on all sides. Here the emperor rehearsed for ceremonies. It is followed by the Hall of Preserving Harmony in which banquets and imperial examinations were held.
Behind the Hall of Preserving Harmony lies a huge marble ramp with intertwining clouds and dragons carved in relief. The slab, about 6.5 meters long, 3 meters wide and 250 tons in weight, is placed between two flights of marble steps along which the emperor's sedan was carried up or down the terrace. It is the largest piece of stone carving in the Imperial Palace. Quarried in the mountains scores of kilometers southwest of Beijing, this gigantic stone was moved to the city by sliding it over a specially paved ice road in winter. To provide enough water to build the ice road, wells were sunk at very 500 meters along the way.
The three halls of the Inner Palace are replicas of the three halls in the front, but smaller in size. They are the Palace of Heavenly Purity(7), the Hall of Union(8), and the Palace of Earthly Tranquility(9).
The Palace of Heavenly Purity was once the residence of the Ming emperors and the first two of the Qing emperors. Then the Qing Emperor Yong Zheng moved his residence to the Palace of Mental Cultivation and turned it into an audience hall to receive foreign envoys and handled the state affairs. The promotion and demotion of officials were also decided in this hall. After the emperor's death his coffin was placed here for a 49-day period of mourning.
The Palace of Union was the empress's throne room and the Hall of Earthly Tranquility, once a private living room for the empress, was partitioned. The west chamber served religious purposes and the east one was the bridal chamber where the newly married emperor and empress spent their first two nights after their wedding.
The Imperial Garden was laid out during the early Ming dynasty. Hundreds of pines and cypresses offer shade while various flowers give colors to the garden all year round and fill the air with their fragrance. In he center of the garden is the Hall of Imperial Peace, a Daoist temple, with a flat roof slightly sloping down to the four eaves. This type of roof was rare in ancient Chinese architecture. In he northeastern corner of the garden is a rock hill, known as the Hill of the Piled-up Wonders, which is topped with a pavilion. At the foot of the hill are two fountains which jet two columns of water high into the air. It is said that on the ninth night of the ninth month of the lunar calendar, the empress would mound the hill to enjoy the autumn scene. It is also believed that climbing to a high place on that day would keep people safe from contagious diseases.
The six Western Palaces were residences for empresses and concubines. They are kept in their original way for show. The six Eastern Palaces were the residences for them too. But now they serve as special museums: the Museum of Bronze, the Museum of Porcelain and the Museum of Arts and Crafts of the Ming and Qing dynasties. In the northeastern-most section of the Inner Palace are the Museum of Traditional Chinese Paintings and the Museum of Jewelry and Treasures where rare pieces of imperial collections are on display.
Now the Forbidden City is no longer forbidding, but inviting. A visit to the Palace Museum will enrich the visitors' knowledge of history, economy, politics, arts as well as architecture in ancient China.
Notes: 1. the Meridian Gate 午门
2. the Five-Phoenix Towers 五凤楼
3. benevolence, righteousness, rites, intelligence, and fidelity 仁、义、礼、智、信
4. the Hall of Supreme Harmony 太和殿
5. the Hall of Complete Harmony 中和
6. the Hall of Preserving Harmony 保和殿
7. the Palace of Heavenly Purity 乾清宫
8. the Hall of Union 交泰殿
9. the Palace of Earthly Tranquility 坤宁宫
Located in the center of Beijing, the entire palace area, rectangular in shape and 72 hectares in size, is surrounded by walls ten meters high and a moat 52 meters wide. At each corner of the wall stands a watchtower with a double-eave roof covered with yellow glazed tiles.
The main buildings, the six great halls, one following the other, are set facing south along the central north-south axis from the Meridian Gate, the south entrance, to Shenwumen, the great gate piercing in the north wall. On either side of the palace are many comparatively small buildings. Symmetrically in the northeastern section lie the six Eastern Palaces and in the northwestern section the six Western Palaces. The Palace area is divided into two parts: the Outer Court and the Inner Palace. The former consists of the first three main halls, where the emperor received his courtiers and conducted grand ceremonies, while the latter was the living quarters for the imperial residence. At the rear of the Inner Palace is the Imperial Garden where the emperor and his family sought recreation.
The main entrance to the Palace is the Meridian Gate(1), which was so named because the emperor considered himself the "Son of the Heaven" and the Palace the center of the universe, hence the north-south axis as the Meridian line going right through the Palace. The gate is crowned with five towers, commonly known as the Five-Phoenix Towers(2), which were installed with drums and bells. When the emperor went to the Temple of Heaven, bells were struck to mark this important occasion. When he went to the Ancestral Temple, it was the drums that were beaten to publicize the event.
Beyond the Meridian Gate unfolds a vast courtyard across which the Inner Golden Water River runs from east to west. The river is spanned by five bridges, which were supposed to be symbols of the five virtues preached by Confucius——benevolence, righteousness, rites, intelligence, and fidelity(3).
At the north end of the courtyard is a three-tiered white marble terrace, seven meters above the ground, on which, one after another, stand three majestic halls; the Hall of Supreme Harmony(4), the Hall of Complete Harmony(5), and the Hall of Preserving Harmony(6).
The Hall of Supreme Harmony, rectangular in shape, 27 meters in height, 2,300 square meters in area, is the grandest and most important hall in the Palace complex. It is also China's largest existing palace of wood structure and an outstanding example of brilliant color combinations. This hall used to be the throne hall for ceremonies which marked great occasions: the Winter Solstice, the Spring Festival, the emperor's birthday and enthronement, and the dispatch of generals to battles, etc. On such occasions there would be an imperial guard of honor standing in front of the Hall that extended all the way to the Meridian gate.
On the north face of the hall in the center of four coiled-golden dragon columns is the "Golden Throne", which was carved out of sandalwood. The throne rests on a two-meter-high platform with a screen behind it. In front of it, to the left and right, stand ornamental cranes, incense burners and other ornaments. The dragon columns entwined with golden dragons measure one meter in diameter. The throne itself, the platform and the screen are all carved with dragon designs. High above the throne is a color-painted coffered ceiling which changes in shape from square to octagonal to circular as it ascends layer upon layer. The utmost central vault is carved with the gilded design of a dragon toying with pearls. when the Emperor mounted the throne, gold bells and jade chimes sounded from the gallery, and clouds of incense rose from the bronze cranes and tortoises and tripods outside the hall on the terrace. The aura of majesty created by the imposing architecture and solemn ritual were designed to keep the subjects of the "Son of the Heaven" in awe and reverence.
The Hall of Complete Harmony is smaller and square with windows on all sides. Here the emperor rehearsed for ceremonies. It is followed by the Hall of Preserving Harmony in which banquets and imperial examinations were held.
Behind the Hall of Preserving Harmony lies a huge marble ramp with intertwining clouds and dragons carved in relief. The slab, about 6.5 meters long, 3 meters wide and 250 tons in weight, is placed between two flights of marble steps along which the emperor's sedan was carried up or down the terrace. It is the largest piece of stone carving in the Imperial Palace. Quarried in the mountains scores of kilometers southwest of Beijing, this gigantic stone was moved to the city by sliding it over a specially paved ice road in winter. To provide enough water to build the ice road, wells were sunk at very 500 meters along the way.
The three halls of the Inner Palace are replicas of the three halls in the front, but smaller in size. They are the Palace of Heavenly Purity(7), the Hall of Union(8), and the Palace of Earthly Tranquility(9).
The Palace of Heavenly Purity was once the residence of the Ming emperors and the first two of the Qing emperors. Then the Qing Emperor Yong Zheng moved his residence to the Palace of Mental Cultivation and turned it into an audience hall to receive foreign envoys and handled the state affairs. The promotion and demotion of officials were also decided in this hall. After the emperor's death his coffin was placed here for a 49-day period of mourning.
The Palace of Union was the empress's throne room and the Hall of Earthly Tranquility, once a private living room for the empress, was partitioned. The west chamber served religious purposes and the east one was the bridal chamber where the newly married emperor and empress spent their first two nights after their wedding.
The Imperial Garden was laid out during the early Ming dynasty. Hundreds of pines and cypresses offer shade while various flowers give colors to the garden all year round and fill the air with their fragrance. In he center of the garden is the Hall of Imperial Peace, a Daoist temple, with a flat roof slightly sloping down to the four eaves. This type of roof was rare in ancient Chinese architecture. In he northeastern corner of the garden is a rock hill, known as the Hill of the Piled-up Wonders, which is topped with a pavilion. At the foot of the hill are two fountains which jet two columns of water high into the air. It is said that on the ninth night of the ninth month of the lunar calendar, the empress would mound the hill to enjoy the autumn scene. It is also believed that climbing to a high place on that day would keep people safe from contagious diseases.
The six Western Palaces were residences for empresses and concubines. They are kept in their original way for show. The six Eastern Palaces were the residences for them too. But now they serve as special museums: the Museum of Bronze, the Museum of Porcelain and the Museum of Arts and Crafts of the Ming and Qing dynasties. In the northeastern-most section of the Inner Palace are the Museum of Traditional Chinese Paintings and the Museum of Jewelry and Treasures where rare pieces of imperial collections are on display.
Now the Forbidden City is no longer forbidding, but inviting. A visit to the Palace Museum will enrich the visitors' knowledge of history, economy, politics, arts as well as architecture in ancient China.
Notes: 1. the Meridian Gate 午门
2. the Five-Phoenix Towers 五凤楼
3. benevolence, righteousness, rites, intelligence, and fidelity 仁、义、礼、智、信
4. the Hall of Supreme Harmony 太和殿
5. the Hall of Complete Harmony 中和
6. the Hall of Preserving Harmony 保和殿
7. the Palace of Heavenly Purity 乾清宫
8. the Hall of Union 交泰殿
9. the Palace of Earthly Tranquility 坤宁宫
China Acupuncture
Chinese Acupuncture
Acupuncture and massage have become more and more accepted within the medicine field of the world. What fascinates people is that fine needles and the gentle strength can make you healthy without taking lots of pills. Now these two, complementary medicines, are the major representatives of Chinese medicine in the west.
Acupuncture (Zhen Jiu)
Acupuncture is the experiential summary undergoing the long-term struggle by the Chinese people. Actually it consists of two parts: operations with needles and ones with fire, both of them are essential and correlative during curing. We will come to each respectively:
Operations with Needles
This field features the pricks of needles on acupuncture point (acupoint for short) to adjust the organic functions and clear the energy channels of obstruction in our body.
It is said that as early as the Stone Age, an ancestor whose hands ached might touch a stone by chance during work, then he felt better. Over time they improved the shape of stone to be sharp enough to knead; their blood circulation became more smooth and hastened recovery.
In ancient China, it was called 'Bian Shu', a treat method with stone needles which then evolved into the bone, bamboo, and metal. Now it is popular to use stainless steel and silver needles among the doctors of Chinese medicine. They are so fine that the length is 15 - 125 millimeters and the diameter is 0.28 - 0.45 millimeters.
After thousands of years' clinical practice and summaries, complete theoretical systems came into being, like therapeutics, which effectively conduct the operation. Acupoint or Shu Xue in Chinese is exclusive to Chinese medical science. According to the records, it is on the passages named Jing Luo through which vital energy circulates around the whole body. If the passages like a network are blocked, doctors will prick acupoints to dredge them. Now these questions have been raised to be the hot point of international science, and someone have said it is the fifth great invention of China. (See the Four Great Inventions in. On the passages, there dispersed hundreds of acupoints. Once the needle enters into the acupoints, deep or shallow, lifted or entwisted, inserted in different frequency, all according to the techniques of experienced doctors, the miraculous effect will appear.
The indications to the acupuncture are quite wide, including the frequently-occurring diseases of internal medicine, surgical medicine, paediatrics, gynaecology, dermatology, etc. In 1958, acupuncture anaesthesia began to be used in clinical cure, adding new content to the anaesthetics. This kind of treatment does not do any harm to the body nor has any side effect. Doctors handling the needle freely, it is rather convenient and comfortable because it needs no special condition or facilities, except the small and thin needles. So it is easy for patients to accept. In 1982, Chinese ministry of Public Health had appraised the achievements of this method. After that, operations of lung removal, uterectomy, and others of difficulty have been successfully conducted with acupuncture anaesthesia, which shook up the medical world - World Health Organization has declared 47 instances of it to date.
Operations with Fire
In Chinese language from the linguistic angle, the character Jiu that represents this kind of operations - moxibustion, has a pictographic element of fire, that is to say, this method of treatment must have a close relation with fire.
Its origin can also be dated back to the Eolithic age. People have supposed that, it is possible when a cooking housewife approached fire and found lenitive at the ache. Gradually it developed and added the medical herbs to fume and reach the physical health.
The methods in common use are moxibustion with moxa cone and cupping. For people who want to have a try with moxibustion, they are really worthy of praise for their courage. The principle of cupping lies in that, when the fire in the jar is burnt, heating power ejects the air out, and the negative pressure makes the jar stick to the skin, which causes the stasis of blood to stimulate and adjust the organ functions, the moxa cone can also have this effect.
The manipulation of moxibustion with moxa cone goes like this: to enkindle a moxa cone by one end, position this end above a certain acupoint 2-4 cm away and fumigate, avoiding the skin being burnt. The other ways also varied to add pieces of ginger and mashed garlic which can be utilized as medicinal herbs, that is, to put them on the acupoint and the burnt moxa cone on them, then cure with fire indirectly.
The cupping operation needs more apparatus and techniques: the cupping jar should be of the appropriate size, with a thick and clean brim. Smear little Vaseline on the spot where treatment is required. Light a ball of cotton dipped with alcohol in the jar and quickly remove after several seconds. Cover the skin as soon as possible for 15 - 20 minutes, and when doctors take the jar away, you will find the recovery.
Besides these traditional methods of moxibustion, people have now improved them to be more convenient and efficient. Such as microwave needle moxibustion, electronic needle moxibustion, acupoint injection, acupoint magnetotherapy, and so on.
Acupuncture and massage have become more and more accepted within the medicine field of the world. What fascinates people is that fine needles and the gentle strength can make you healthy without taking lots of pills. Now these two, complementary medicines, are the major representatives of Chinese medicine in the west.
Acupuncture (Zhen Jiu)
Acupuncture is the experiential summary undergoing the long-term struggle by the Chinese people. Actually it consists of two parts: operations with needles and ones with fire, both of them are essential and correlative during curing. We will come to each respectively:
Operations with Needles
This field features the pricks of needles on acupuncture point (acupoint for short) to adjust the organic functions and clear the energy channels of obstruction in our body.
It is said that as early as the Stone Age, an ancestor whose hands ached might touch a stone by chance during work, then he felt better. Over time they improved the shape of stone to be sharp enough to knead; their blood circulation became more smooth and hastened recovery.
In ancient China, it was called 'Bian Shu', a treat method with stone needles which then evolved into the bone, bamboo, and metal. Now it is popular to use stainless steel and silver needles among the doctors of Chinese medicine. They are so fine that the length is 15 - 125 millimeters and the diameter is 0.28 - 0.45 millimeters.
After thousands of years' clinical practice and summaries, complete theoretical systems came into being, like therapeutics, which effectively conduct the operation. Acupoint or Shu Xue in Chinese is exclusive to Chinese medical science. According to the records, it is on the passages named Jing Luo through which vital energy circulates around the whole body. If the passages like a network are blocked, doctors will prick acupoints to dredge them. Now these questions have been raised to be the hot point of international science, and someone have said it is the fifth great invention of China. (See the Four Great Inventions in. On the passages, there dispersed hundreds of acupoints. Once the needle enters into the acupoints, deep or shallow, lifted or entwisted, inserted in different frequency, all according to the techniques of experienced doctors, the miraculous effect will appear.
The indications to the acupuncture are quite wide, including the frequently-occurring diseases of internal medicine, surgical medicine, paediatrics, gynaecology, dermatology, etc. In 1958, acupuncture anaesthesia began to be used in clinical cure, adding new content to the anaesthetics. This kind of treatment does not do any harm to the body nor has any side effect. Doctors handling the needle freely, it is rather convenient and comfortable because it needs no special condition or facilities, except the small and thin needles. So it is easy for patients to accept. In 1982, Chinese ministry of Public Health had appraised the achievements of this method. After that, operations of lung removal, uterectomy, and others of difficulty have been successfully conducted with acupuncture anaesthesia, which shook up the medical world - World Health Organization has declared 47 instances of it to date.
Operations with Fire
In Chinese language from the linguistic angle, the character Jiu that represents this kind of operations - moxibustion, has a pictographic element of fire, that is to say, this method of treatment must have a close relation with fire.
Its origin can also be dated back to the Eolithic age. People have supposed that, it is possible when a cooking housewife approached fire and found lenitive at the ache. Gradually it developed and added the medical herbs to fume and reach the physical health.
The methods in common use are moxibustion with moxa cone and cupping. For people who want to have a try with moxibustion, they are really worthy of praise for their courage. The principle of cupping lies in that, when the fire in the jar is burnt, heating power ejects the air out, and the negative pressure makes the jar stick to the skin, which causes the stasis of blood to stimulate and adjust the organ functions, the moxa cone can also have this effect.
The manipulation of moxibustion with moxa cone goes like this: to enkindle a moxa cone by one end, position this end above a certain acupoint 2-4 cm away and fumigate, avoiding the skin being burnt. The other ways also varied to add pieces of ginger and mashed garlic which can be utilized as medicinal herbs, that is, to put them on the acupoint and the burnt moxa cone on them, then cure with fire indirectly.
The cupping operation needs more apparatus and techniques: the cupping jar should be of the appropriate size, with a thick and clean brim. Smear little Vaseline on the spot where treatment is required. Light a ball of cotton dipped with alcohol in the jar and quickly remove after several seconds. Cover the skin as soon as possible for 15 - 20 minutes, and when doctors take the jar away, you will find the recovery.
Besides these traditional methods of moxibustion, people have now improved them to be more convenient and efficient. Such as microwave needle moxibustion, electronic needle moxibustion, acupoint injection, acupoint magnetotherapy, and so on.
China Taoism (Daoism)
Taoism Taoism is a genuinely Chinese religion. Some hold the opinion that without understanding Taoism, there can be no understanding of Chinese culture.
Doctrines of TaoismLao Zi was the creator of Taoism. According to the Shi Ji, or Records of the Historian, by Sima Qian, Lao Zi was named Li Er, with Dan as his alias. He was a reputed thinker around 6th century B.C. There are many legends about Lao Zi but few historical records. He left a 5, 000-word book and went on his ox from Hangu Pass and to where nobody knows! Lao Zi's 5,000 words are rather concise compared to his profound ideological system but there were numerous books interpreting the true meaning of his book.
Tao, originally, meant 'road' and then implied 'to rule' and 'principle'. Lao Zi used Tao to propound his ideological system; therefore his school of thinking is called Taoism. At the time Lao Zi created Taoism, it was simply a school of philosophy. It was during the Eastern Han Dynasty that Taoism became a religion.
Tao is the origin of the eternal world. It is boundless in time and space. Ordinary people can become gods when they have Tao. Taoism pursues immortality and preservation of health; its uttermost goal is to become an immortal being. Taoism claims this can be obtained through cultivating one's moral character and perfecting one's moral integrity.
A phrase from Taoism is to say an ordinary man can become immortal if he does good 3,000 times and accomplishes 800 exploits. Of course the number is symbolic. It requires people to do good without making it known to others as the gods will know it naturally, much like the Christian principle expressed in Matthew 6:3-4, "But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you."
Tao is wu wei, namely Non-action. Non-action is to follow the rule of nature instead of overriding it. By conforming to the natural rules, Tao does nothing but it can do everything. Tao makes everything run smoothly but it does not boast about its own achievement. Those learning Taoism should be pure and take non-action.
Dialectic thinking is abundant in Lao Zi's system. He contended that Tao turned to the opposite during the circulation, like existing and non-existing, up and down, long and short, front and back, fortune and misfortune, strong and weak. Based on his thinking, a proverb was later devised, "Things will develop in the opposite direction when they become extreme." For example, Taoism holds that flexibility can defeat strength. Water was used as a metaphor in Lao Zi to explain the prowess of flexibility. Nothing can be more flexible and soft than water but it can defeat all tough things. Similarly, Taoism emphasizes humbleness and tenderness.
Taoism has its drawbacks. For example, Lao Zi promoted the idea of a return to a small state with a small population; people did not socialize though they lived so near that the barks of dogs could be heard. These ideas prevented social development. Also, Chinese intellectuals resorted to a hermitic way of life whenever they met setbacks; when they were successful, they would say "the less hermitry was to live in the remote areas while the great hermitry was to live in the court". The inner worldly and outer worldly attitudes made the Chinese intellects hover between the active Confucianism and the passive Taoism.
Development of TaoismTaoism became a religion during the Eastern Han Dynasty and Lao Zi was respected as the creator of Taoism.
During Three Kingdoms, many scholar-bureaucrats practiced Taoism and it soon became separated into an aristocrat sect and a folk sect. This situation lasted till the Jin Dynasty but doctrines were not strictly adhered to due to the chaotic political background.
Sui Emperors professed to Buddhism but still placed importance on Taoism. Ten Taoist temples were constructed in Chang'an (today's Xian) under the order of Emperor Yang, the notorious tyrant of Chinese history.
Tang Emperors regarded themselves as offspring of Lao Zi and Taoism developed rapidly and had a profound repercussion on the subsequent dynasties.
Unlike Buddhism, Taoism does not advocate asceticism. It pursues longevity and holds an open view toward sex. In the heyday of Taoism during the Tang Dynasty, there is no strict restriction on this. Taoist nuns were not uncommon. A poem satirizes that beautiful nuns were used to attract people as a means to compete with Buddhist temples.
In the middle years of the Tang Dynasty, aristocratic women, court maidens, and almes flocked to join the Taoist nuns, which had the effect of making this group more romantic and better endowed from a cultural and artistic point of view. The reasons why women became nuns varied; which meant that their prime purpose was not merely an ascetic life filled with devotion. Many were so beautiful that the temples were filled with people coming to solely to admire them. All these facts were noted in the Tang records. Many poets fell in love with Taoist nuns and many beautiful and sentimental poems were left when their love was unrequited. As Taoist nuns were called Nv Guan and later Nv Guan Zi, became a ci pai, a name of the tunes to which ci poems were composed.
Special institutions were set up by the Ming court to rule over the Taoist affairs. Another big event is the integration of the stories of the Eight Immortals. Over its long history, many legends about Taoist figures emerged and the most well-known are those of the Eight Immortals. A colloquial phrase has it, "like the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, each one showing his or her special feats'. These Eight Immortals are seven men and a woman. The images of the Eight immortals can be seen in many artifacts, from the bridal sedan to cakes, vases, paper-cutting and paintings.
Taoism was suppressed by the Qing rulers as well as by the foreign invaders consequent upon the Opium War. Taoism has been faced with a huge impact from foreign culture but it remains an influential system of thought among the Chinese people.
China Buddhism
Buddhism in china
Buddhism is the most important religion in China. It is generally believed that it was spread to China in 67 AD during the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220) from Hotan in Xinjiang to Central China. During its development in China, it has a profound influence on traditional Chinese culture and thoughts, and has become one of the
most important religions in China at that time. In general, the development of Buddhism in China can be divided into the following periods. The first period is Buddhism in Han Dynasty when it was just introduced into China. During this period of time, many Buddhist scriptures were translated and explained. The White Horse Temple was built during this period of time and it signifies the first time of Buddhism doctrines delivered in China. The second period is in Jin (265-420), Northern and Southern Dynasties (386-589) when more Buddhist scriptures were translated and Buddhist writings came out. From the beginning of Northern and Southern Dynasties, Chinese Buddhism has entered its prosperous time. During this period, the Buddhism ideas were popularized across the land. The number of Buddhists was on increase. The third period is the Sui (581-618) and Tang (618-907) Dynasties when Buddhism welcomed its heyday and got unprecedented development. During this period, many new Buddhist denominations were founded. The emperors of the Sui Dynasty believed in Buddhism, and though Tang's emperors believed in Taoism, they showed a protective and tolerant attitude toward the development of other religions such as Buddhism. So in this period, Buddhism got a rapid and great development in China. However, in the late of feudal society, because of the social unrest, Chinese Buddhism was slow in development. After the founding of People's Republic of China and the implementing of the policy of freedom in religion belief, Chinese Buddhism embraced its new growing age. Now it is developing greatly and the international academic exchanges are expanded.Moreover, three different forms of this religion evolved as it reached the centers of population at varying times and by different routes. The social and ethnic background in each location also affected the way in which each of these forms developed and eventually they became known as Han, Tibetan and Southern Buddhism.
Buddhism is the most important religion in China. It is generally believed that it was spread to China in 67 AD during the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220) from Hotan in Xinjiang to Central China. During its development in China, it has a profound influence on traditional Chinese culture and thoughts, and has become one of the
most important religions in China at that time. In general, the development of Buddhism in China can be divided into the following periods. The first period is Buddhism in Han Dynasty when it was just introduced into China. During this period of time, many Buddhist scriptures were translated and explained. The White Horse Temple was built during this period of time and it signifies the first time of Buddhism doctrines delivered in China. The second period is in Jin (265-420), Northern and Southern Dynasties (386-589) when more Buddhist scriptures were translated and Buddhist writings came out. From the beginning of Northern and Southern Dynasties, Chinese Buddhism has entered its prosperous time. During this period, the Buddhism ideas were popularized across the land. The number of Buddhists was on increase. The third period is the Sui (581-618) and Tang (618-907) Dynasties when Buddhism welcomed its heyday and got unprecedented development. During this period, many new Buddhist denominations were founded. The emperors of the Sui Dynasty believed in Buddhism, and though Tang's emperors believed in Taoism, they showed a protective and tolerant attitude toward the development of other religions such as Buddhism. So in this period, Buddhism got a rapid and great development in China. However, in the late of feudal society, because of the social unrest, Chinese Buddhism was slow in development. After the founding of People's Republic of China and the implementing of the policy of freedom in religion belief, Chinese Buddhism embraced its new growing age. Now it is developing greatly and the international academic exchanges are expanded.Moreover, three different forms of this religion evolved as it reached the centers of population at varying times and by different routes. The social and ethnic background in each location also affected the way in which each of these forms developed and eventually they became known as Han, Tibetan and Southern Buddhism.
Shangri-La
James Hilton located "Shangri-La" in a mysterious valley which was surrounded by snowcapped mountains; near where there were snow-clad peaks, blue lakes, broad grassy marshlands, and lamaseries, Buddhist nunneries, mosques, Catholic Church, the human beings and the nature were in perfect harmony, several religions and varies of nationalities exited at the same time; the temples looked splendid in green and golden; though people contacted the outer world by caravan for a long time, many foreign experts and scholars had come here to investigate and remained much relics……
With the novel and the film coming out, Shangri-La became very famous in western countries. Later, a Chinese named Guo Huonian used the name of this place and set up "Shangri-La" Hotel Group which has become one of the most successful hotel group in the world.
At the same time, people didn't give up looking for the legendary Shangri-La. Up to the end of this century, they finally have found——
After inspecting and proving on many aspects, people found that Diqing Prefecture, the only Tibetan region in Yunnan, China, has striking similarity with what's described in the tale regarding either on natural scenery or people's way of living. Therefore, the name of "Diqing Shangri-La" spreads worldwide.
chinese woodcut picture
Woodcut picture can be traced back to the Han Dynasty when they were used to ward off evils.
In the Song Dynasty (960 A.D.- 1279 A.D.), people used block printing to produce New Year picture. With block printing, many pictures could be produced at a time and put on sale in the market. Therefore woodcut picture began to prosper. The content changed also, from worshipping of nature and god to luck and happiness to stories from legends and folk customs. The pictures used animals to represent things. For example, bat was stand for luck and magpie represented happiness. Various drawings were adapted, such as folk drawing, traditional patterns, paintings by scholars and officials or even western drawing. In the Ming and Qing Dynasty, woodcut picture was quite
popular and several places became the centers of woodcut pictures, such as Tianjin, Suzhou and Shandong. In the late Qing Dynasty, woodcut pictures gradually declined with the introduction of lithographic printing from the west.
popular and several places became the centers of woodcut pictures, such as Tianjin, Suzhou and Shandong. In the late Qing Dynasty, woodcut pictures gradually declined with the introduction of lithographic printing from the west.
general information of China
Fast Facts
Each year China welcomes thousands of English-speaking students, teachers, scientists, artists, business men and women, and tourists who come to China to study, teach, perform, exchange ideas, engage in trade and business or just to sightsee.
The following offers a fast and ready reference of basic China facts as a guide for visitors and others. Formal name: People’s Republic of China (PRC) Capital: Beijing Head of State: President Hu Jintao elected March 15, 2003. National flag: Red flag with five stars. National emblem: Tiananmen Gatetower under five stars, encircled by ears of grain and with a gear wheel below. Other symbols: Animal: The giant panda is considered a Chinese national treasure. Just over 1,000 survive in the wild, most of them to be found in Sichuan Province. Flower: China does not have an “official” national flower, but the tree peony can be regarded as a national favorite. The tree peony (mudan) received the most votes in an unofficial survey conducted in 1994 in every district in China asking people to select a national flower. Bird: More bird species live in China than any other place in the world. Shaanxi Province’s red ibis is also a national treasure. Only some 1,500 of this highly endangered bird species exist. Other cranes found in China include the
Siberian white, common, black-necked, sarus, hooded, white-naped, and demoiselle. Tree: The oldest tree in the world is China’s gingko, which first appeared during the Jurassic Age some 160 million years ago. National anthem: March of the Volunteers, written in 1935, with lyrics by the poet Tian Han and music by the composer Nie Er, honoring those who went to the front to fight the Japanese invaders in northeast China in the 1930s. Decided upon as the provisional national anthem of the new China on September 27, 1949, at the First Plenary Session of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the song was officially adopted as the national anthem of the PRC on December 4, 1982, by the National People’s Congress (NPC). National Day: Chinese celebrate October 1 as National Day in honor of the founding of the People’s Republic of China on October 1, 1949. Other national holidays: Spring Festival (the celebration of Chinese New Year, generally between the last 10-day period of January and mid-February) and International Labor Day (May 1). Major holidays in China are occasions for family reunions and traveling. Starting in October 1999, China’s three official holidays became “Golden Weeks” each with seven days vacation made possible by working four extra days before the
commencement of the holiday and afterwards. Land size: China has a landmass of 9,600,000 sq km, and is the third-largest country in the world, next only to Russia and Canada. Cultivated land is 130.04 million ha. Location: In the east of the Asian continent, on the western shore of the Pacific Ocean. Border countries: Korea, Mongolia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tadzhikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam. Climate: Extremely diverse; tropical in the south to subarctic in the north. Geography: Mountains, high plateaus, and deserts in the west; plains, deltas, and hills in the east. The highest mountain in China is the highest mountain in the world: Mount Qomolangma. The mountain towers above all others at 29,035 feet or 8,848 m. Population: China is the world’s most populous country with 1.28453 billion at the end of 2002, one-fifth of the world’s total. This figure does not include the Chinese living in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, and Taiwan Province. Population density: The population density is 134 people per sq km, roughly four times greater than that of the U.S. Population ethnicity: 91.6 percent of Chinese people are Han. The non-Han population includes 55 ethnic minorities, of which the major groups are the Zhuang, Manchu, Hui, Miao, Uygur, Yi, Tujia, Mongolian, and Tibetan. Population distribution: Most of the population of China lives in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, Yangtze River and Pearl River valleys, and the Northeast Plain. In 2000 a “go-west” campaign was launched by the government to help its relatively backward western and central areas catch up with more affluent eastern China. Religions: The number of religious worshippers in China is estimated at well over 100 million, most of whom follow Buddhism. Other major religions are Taoism, Islam and Christianity in both its Catholic and Protestant forms. Languages: Standard Chinese or Mandarin (Putonghua, based on the Beijing dialect), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghaiese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, and Hakka dialects, as well as minority languages. In 1958, the First National People’s Congress approved, at its Fifth Session, the adoption of the Pinyin (Scheme for the Chinese Phonetic Alphabet) for spelling Chinese names and places in
Roman letters, but the Pinyin system was not popularly used until the late 1970s. Pinyin is now widely seen in China, and it replaces earlier Romanization spelling systems. Health: China provides wide access to primary health care and child immunizations. Average life expectancy was 71.8 years in 2002, having risen from 35 years on the eve of Liberation in 1949. Economy: China’s economy has boomed since 1978, as a result of sweeping economic reforms. GNP grew from $128 billion in 1980 to $745 billion in 1998. China’s economy continues to grow rapidly, with a GDP real growth rate of 8 percent in 2002, and an annual industrial production growth rate of 11.6 percent between 1979 and 2000. The Constitution: After the founding of the PRC, four Constitutions have been formulated successively in 1954, 1975, 1978 and 1982. The first Constitution was adopted by the First Session of the First National People’s Congress, the chief legislative branch, on September 20, 1954. The present Constitution was promulgated in 1982 and amended several times thereafter, in 1988, 1993 and 1999. Political parties: The Communist Party of China (CPC) is the country’s sole political party in power. Hu Jintao became general secretary of the CPC at its 16th National Congress in November 2002. Founded in July 1921, the CPC today has more than 66 million members and over 3.5 million basic organizations. Besides the CPC, there are eight political parties. Administrative divisions: China is made up of 23 provinces, five autonomous regions, four municipalities directly under the Central Government, and the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macao. The 23 provinces are Anhui, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guizhou, Hainan, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin, Liaoning, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Taiwan, Yunnan, Zhejiang; the five autonomous regions are Guangxi, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Xinjiang, and Tibet; the four municipalities are Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai and Tianjin. Currency: Renminbi (RMB)/yuan Military: The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) includes the Army, Navy, Air Force, and the Second Artillery Force. Jiang Zemin is chairman of the Central Military Commission of China, the country’s top military organ and commander of its armed forces. International organization participation: The African Development Bank Group, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), ASEAN Regional Forum, Asian Development Bank, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Bank for International Settlement, China Development Bank, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, International Atomic Energy Agency, International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, International Civil Aviation Organization, International Chamber of Commerce, International Development Association, International Fund for Agricultural Development, International Finance Corporation, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, International Hydrographic Organization, International Labor Organization, International Monetary Fund (IMF), International Maritime Organization, International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), International Olympic Committee, International Standardization Organization (ISO), International Telecommunication Union, Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, United Nations, UN Security Council, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, United Nations Industrial Development Organization, UN Iraq-Kuwait Observation Mission, UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea, UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission, UN Truce Supervision Organization, United Nations University, World Health Organization, World Intellectual Property Organization, World Meteorological Organization, World Tourism Organization, and World Trade Organization.
Each year China welcomes thousands of English-speaking students, teachers, scientists, artists, business men and women, and tourists who come to China to study, teach, perform, exchange ideas, engage in trade and business or just to sightsee.
The following offers a fast and ready reference of basic China facts as a guide for visitors and others. Formal name: People’s Republic of China (PRC) Capital: Beijing Head of State: President Hu Jintao elected March 15, 2003. National flag: Red flag with five stars. National emblem: Tiananmen Gatetower under five stars, encircled by ears of grain and with a gear wheel below. Other symbols: Animal: The giant panda is considered a Chinese national treasure. Just over 1,000 survive in the wild, most of them to be found in Sichuan Province. Flower: China does not have an “official” national flower, but the tree peony can be regarded as a national favorite. The tree peony (mudan) received the most votes in an unofficial survey conducted in 1994 in every district in China asking people to select a national flower. Bird: More bird species live in China than any other place in the world. Shaanxi Province’s red ibis is also a national treasure. Only some 1,500 of this highly endangered bird species exist. Other cranes found in China include the
Siberian white, common, black-necked, sarus, hooded, white-naped, and demoiselle. Tree: The oldest tree in the world is China’s gingko, which first appeared during the Jurassic Age some 160 million years ago. National anthem: March of the Volunteers, written in 1935, with lyrics by the poet Tian Han and music by the composer Nie Er, honoring those who went to the front to fight the Japanese invaders in northeast China in the 1930s. Decided upon as the provisional national anthem of the new China on September 27, 1949, at the First Plenary Session of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the song was officially adopted as the national anthem of the PRC on December 4, 1982, by the National People’s Congress (NPC). National Day: Chinese celebrate October 1 as National Day in honor of the founding of the People’s Republic of China on October 1, 1949. Other national holidays: Spring Festival (the celebration of Chinese New Year, generally between the last 10-day period of January and mid-February) and International Labor Day (May 1). Major holidays in China are occasions for family reunions and traveling. Starting in October 1999, China’s three official holidays became “Golden Weeks” each with seven days vacation made possible by working four extra days before the
commencement of the holiday and afterwards. Land size: China has a landmass of 9,600,000 sq km, and is the third-largest country in the world, next only to Russia and Canada. Cultivated land is 130.04 million ha. Location: In the east of the Asian continent, on the western shore of the Pacific Ocean. Border countries: Korea, Mongolia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tadzhikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam. Climate: Extremely diverse; tropical in the south to subarctic in the north. Geography: Mountains, high plateaus, and deserts in the west; plains, deltas, and hills in the east. The highest mountain in China is the highest mountain in the world: Mount Qomolangma. The mountain towers above all others at 29,035 feet or 8,848 m. Population: China is the world’s most populous country with 1.28453 billion at the end of 2002, one-fifth of the world’s total. This figure does not include the Chinese living in the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, and Taiwan Province. Population density: The population density is 134 people per sq km, roughly four times greater than that of the U.S. Population ethnicity: 91.6 percent of Chinese people are Han. The non-Han population includes 55 ethnic minorities, of which the major groups are the Zhuang, Manchu, Hui, Miao, Uygur, Yi, Tujia, Mongolian, and Tibetan. Population distribution: Most of the population of China lives in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, Yangtze River and Pearl River valleys, and the Northeast Plain. In 2000 a “go-west” campaign was launched by the government to help its relatively backward western and central areas catch up with more affluent eastern China. Religions: The number of religious worshippers in China is estimated at well over 100 million, most of whom follow Buddhism. Other major religions are Taoism, Islam and Christianity in both its Catholic and Protestant forms. Languages: Standard Chinese or Mandarin (Putonghua, based on the Beijing dialect), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghaiese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, and Hakka dialects, as well as minority languages. In 1958, the First National People’s Congress approved, at its Fifth Session, the adoption of the Pinyin (Scheme for the Chinese Phonetic Alphabet) for spelling Chinese names and places in
Roman letters, but the Pinyin system was not popularly used until the late 1970s. Pinyin is now widely seen in China, and it replaces earlier Romanization spelling systems. Health: China provides wide access to primary health care and child immunizations. Average life expectancy was 71.8 years in 2002, having risen from 35 years on the eve of Liberation in 1949. Economy: China’s economy has boomed since 1978, as a result of sweeping economic reforms. GNP grew from $128 billion in 1980 to $745 billion in 1998. China’s economy continues to grow rapidly, with a GDP real growth rate of 8 percent in 2002, and an annual industrial production growth rate of 11.6 percent between 1979 and 2000. The Constitution: After the founding of the PRC, four Constitutions have been formulated successively in 1954, 1975, 1978 and 1982. The first Constitution was adopted by the First Session of the First National People’s Congress, the chief legislative branch, on September 20, 1954. The present Constitution was promulgated in 1982 and amended several times thereafter, in 1988, 1993 and 1999. Political parties: The Communist Party of China (CPC) is the country’s sole political party in power. Hu Jintao became general secretary of the CPC at its 16th National Congress in November 2002. Founded in July 1921, the CPC today has more than 66 million members and over 3.5 million basic organizations. Besides the CPC, there are eight political parties. Administrative divisions: China is made up of 23 provinces, five autonomous regions, four municipalities directly under the Central Government, and the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macao. The 23 provinces are Anhui, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guizhou, Hainan, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin, Liaoning, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Taiwan, Yunnan, Zhejiang; the five autonomous regions are Guangxi, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Xinjiang, and Tibet; the four municipalities are Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai and Tianjin. Currency: Renminbi (RMB)/yuan Military: The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) includes the Army, Navy, Air Force, and the Second Artillery Force. Jiang Zemin is chairman of the Central Military Commission of China, the country’s top military organ and commander of its armed forces. International organization participation: The African Development Bank Group, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), ASEAN Regional Forum, Asian Development Bank, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Bank for International Settlement, China Development Bank, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, International Atomic Energy Agency, International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, International Civil Aviation Organization, International Chamber of Commerce, International Development Association, International Fund for Agricultural Development, International Finance Corporation, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, International Hydrographic Organization, International Labor Organization, International Monetary Fund (IMF), International Maritime Organization, International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), International Olympic Committee, International Standardization Organization (ISO), International Telecommunication Union, Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, United Nations, UN Security Council, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, United Nations Industrial Development Organization, UN Iraq-Kuwait Observation Mission, UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea, UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission, UN Truce Supervision Organization, United Nations University, World Health Organization, World Intellectual Property Organization, World Meteorological Organization, World Tourism Organization, and World Trade Organization.
Chinese Tea
Chinese people are believed to have enjoyed tea drinking for more than 4,000 years. Legend has it that Yan Di, one of three rulers in ancient times, tasted all kinds of herbs to find medical cures. One day,as he was being poisoned by some herb he had ingested; a drop of water from a tea tree dripped into his mouth and he was saved. For a long time, tea was used as an herbal medicine. During the Western Zhou Dynasty, tea was a religious offering. During the Spring and Autumn Period, people ate fresh tea leaves as vegetables. With the popularization of Buddhism from the Three Kingdoms to the Northern and Southern Dynasties, tea's refreshing effect made it a favorite among monks in Za-Zen meditation.
Tea as a drink prospered during the Tang Dynasty, and tea shops became popular. A major event of this time was the completion of Tea Classics, the cornerstone of Chinese tea culture, by Lu Yu, Tea Sage of China,. This little book details rules concerning various aspects of tea, such as growth areas for tea trees, wares and skills for processing tea, tea tasting, the history of Chinese tea and quotations from other records, comments on tea from various places, and notes on what occasions tea wares should be complete and when some wares could be omitted.
Tinted by the cultural style of the Song Dynasty, tea culture at this time was delicate and sumptuous. New skills created many different ways to enjoy tea. The Ming Dynasty laid the foundation for tea processing, tea types and drinking styles that we have inherited.
During the Qing Dynasty folk art entered tea shops, making them popular entertainment centers. This habit is still practiced in Chengdu, Sichuan Province.
During the Tang Dynasty, a Japanese monk brought tea seeds from Zhejiang Province to Japan. Later in the Southern Song Dynasty, Zen masters brought tea procedures and tea wares from China to Japan, promoting the initiation of the Japanese tea ceremony. In the Song Dynasty, Arabic merchants exported tea from Quanzhou, Fujian Province. In the Ming Dynasty, tea was sold to Southeast Asian and South African countries. In 1610 tea went to Europe via Macau in a Dutch merchant ship. Thus tea became an international drink.
Tea as a drink prospered during the Tang Dynasty, and tea shops became popular. A major event of this time was the completion of Tea Classics, the cornerstone of Chinese tea culture, by Lu Yu, Tea Sage of China,. This little book details rules concerning various aspects of tea, such as growth areas for tea trees, wares and skills for processing tea, tea tasting, the history of Chinese tea and quotations from other records, comments on tea from various places, and notes on what occasions tea wares should be complete and when some wares could be omitted.
Tinted by the cultural style of the Song Dynasty, tea culture at this time was delicate and sumptuous. New skills created many different ways to enjoy tea. The Ming Dynasty laid the foundation for tea processing, tea types and drinking styles that we have inherited.
During the Qing Dynasty folk art entered tea shops, making them popular entertainment centers. This habit is still practiced in Chengdu, Sichuan Province.
During the Tang Dynasty, a Japanese monk brought tea seeds from Zhejiang Province to Japan. Later in the Southern Song Dynasty, Zen masters brought tea procedures and tea wares from China to Japan, promoting the initiation of the Japanese tea ceremony. In the Song Dynasty, Arabic merchants exported tea from Quanzhou, Fujian Province. In the Ming Dynasty, tea was sold to Southeast Asian and South African countries. In 1610 tea went to Europe via Macau in a Dutch merchant ship. Thus tea became an international drink.
Chinese Lion Dance
Lion Dance
Lions play an important role in Chinese mythology, andrepresent joy and happiness. Lion dances are performedto bring luck and to get rid of the devil. This tradition can betraced back to a story that took place long ago.
During the rule of the legendary "Yellow Emperor", amonster called "Nien" appeared in China, attacking themen and the animals. It was so fast and fierce that neither the fox nor the tiger could beat it. In despair, the people asked the lion for help. The lion bravely rushed towards the monster and wounded it. The "Nien" fled, but declared to come back to take revenge.
A year later, the "Nien" returned. Without the lion's protection this time, the people produced a "lion" out of bamboo and cloth. Two men crawled inside and approached the "Nien". The "lion" pranced and roared, driving the monster away again.
From then on, lion dances have become a yearly tradition to frighten evil away during the Chinese New Year.
Lions play an important role in Chinese mythology, andrepresent joy and happiness. Lion dances are performedto bring luck and to get rid of the devil. This tradition can betraced back to a story that took place long ago.
During the rule of the legendary "Yellow Emperor", amonster called "Nien" appeared in China, attacking themen and the animals. It was so fast and fierce that neither the fox nor the tiger could beat it. In despair, the people asked the lion for help. The lion bravely rushed towards the monster and wounded it. The "Nien" fled, but declared to come back to take revenge.
A year later, the "Nien" returned. Without the lion's protection this time, the people produced a "lion" out of bamboo and cloth. Two men crawled inside and approached the "Nien". The "lion" pranced and roared, driving the monster away again.
From then on, lion dances have become a yearly tradition to frighten evil away during the Chinese New Year.
Chinese Gongfu
Not only did it not decline and disappear as many other facets of pre-modern Chinese culture, it even seems to be gaining much recognition, both in its actual practice and in its relative literature, thetics, philosophy, psychology, etc. are more and more intriguing. Chinese Gongfu possesses an important and extensive cross-cultural significance.
Western culture has, of course, a great influence on the path of Chinese modernization. Meanwhile Chinese culture is also making an impact on Western culture; the popularity of Chinese Gongfu, including Taijiquan, Qigong, etc., is not limited to China but has become a worldwide phenomenon; it thus is a typical example of this reverse impact. As it includes different aspects such as fighting exercise and health care, daily life and academic study, natural state and social scope, research on Gongfu could shed a wholly new light on these interrelated phenomena in an intercultural context. think that, if the research sets out from aesthetics perspective, people can more easily comprehend the characters of the popularity and fashion of Gongfu as "art"; and if Gongfu research starts with the aesthetic method, namely "perceptually comprehensive method", the profoundness namely multi-gradation and multi-orientation of its intercultural significance can be explained in a orrespondingly simply way; thus the research on Gongfu will more effectively oppose the "cultural centered views", so as to raise a new subject and even open up a new path for modern international academia.1.Beauty of form of Wushu and Chinese Art Many westerners find the action and routines of Chinese Wushu (Martial Art) to be quite spectacular, but also ask if a real Gongfu fight would look so impressive.
This really involves a very interesting problem: Chinese Gongfu has not only practical goals, but also embodies the pursuit and appreciation of beauty.2.Beauty of mood of Qigong and the wisdom of Taoist School and Chan sect Chinese Gongfu includes both Wushu and Qigong. In fact, the higher level of most of Wushu (martial arts) is Qigong. Qigong exercise has created aesthetic miracles of life and culture, which modern sports cannot hope to reach. 3. Being beauty of Gongfu and Tao-ontological aesthetics Gongfu-aesthetics studies both the outside beauty of form and the inner beauty of spirit. Moreover, it may involve ontology (being philosophy) of beauty of life.
Bruce Lee 李小龙
Bruce Lee (Lee Hsiao Lung), was born in San Fransisco in November 1940 the son of a famous Chinese opera singer. Bruce moved to Hong Kong when he soon became a child star in the growing Eastern film
industry. His first film was called The birth of Mankind, his last film which was uncompleted at the time of his death in 1973 was called Game of Death. Bruce was a loner and was constantly getting himself into fights, with this in mind he looked towards Kung Fu as a way of disciplining himself. The famous Yip Men taught Bruce his basic skills, but it was not long before he was mastering the master. Yip Men was acknowledged to be one of the greatest authorities on the subject of Wing Chun a branch of the Chinese Martial Arts. Bruce mastered this before progressing to his own style of Jeet Kune Do.
At the age of 19 Bruce left Hong Kong to study for a degree in philosophy at the University of Seattle in America. It was at this time that he took on a waiters job and also began to teach some of his skills to students who would pay. Some of the Japanese schools in the Seattle area tried to force Bruce out, and there was many confrontations and duels fought for Bruce to remain.
He met his wife Linda at the University he was studying. His Martial Arts school flourished and he soon graduated. He gained some small roles in Hollywood films - Marlowe- etc, and some major stars were begging to be students of the Little Dragon. James Coburn, Steve McQueen and Lee Marvin to name but a few. He regularly gave displays at exhibitions, and it was during one of these exhibitions that he was spotted by a producer and signed up to do The Green Hornet series. The series was quite successful in the States - but was a huge hit in Hong Kong. Bruce visited Hong Kong in 1968 and he was overwhelmed by the attention he received from the people he had left.
He once said on a radio program if the price was right he would do a movie for the Chinese audiences. He returned to the States and completed some episodes of Longstreet. He began writing his book on Jeet Kune Do at roughly the same time.
Back in Hong Kong producers were desperate to sign Bruce for a Martial Arts film, and it was Raymond Chow the head of Golden Harvest who produced The Big Boss. The rest as they say is history.
industry. His first film was called The birth of Mankind, his last film which was uncompleted at the time of his death in 1973 was called Game of Death. Bruce was a loner and was constantly getting himself into fights, with this in mind he looked towards Kung Fu as a way of disciplining himself. The famous Yip Men taught Bruce his basic skills, but it was not long before he was mastering the master. Yip Men was acknowledged to be one of the greatest authorities on the subject of Wing Chun a branch of the Chinese Martial Arts. Bruce mastered this before progressing to his own style of Jeet Kune Do.
At the age of 19 Bruce left Hong Kong to study for a degree in philosophy at the University of Seattle in America. It was at this time that he took on a waiters job and also began to teach some of his skills to students who would pay. Some of the Japanese schools in the Seattle area tried to force Bruce out, and there was many confrontations and duels fought for Bruce to remain.
He met his wife Linda at the University he was studying. His Martial Arts school flourished and he soon graduated. He gained some small roles in Hollywood films - Marlowe- etc, and some major stars were begging to be students of the Little Dragon. James Coburn, Steve McQueen and Lee Marvin to name but a few. He regularly gave displays at exhibitions, and it was during one of these exhibitions that he was spotted by a producer and signed up to do The Green Hornet series. The series was quite successful in the States - but was a huge hit in Hong Kong. Bruce visited Hong Kong in 1968 and he was overwhelmed by the attention he received from the people he had left.
He once said on a radio program if the price was right he would do a movie for the Chinese audiences. He returned to the States and completed some episodes of Longstreet. He began writing his book on Jeet Kune Do at roughly the same time.
Back in Hong Kong producers were desperate to sign Bruce for a Martial Arts film, and it was Raymond Chow the head of Golden Harvest who produced The Big Boss. The rest as they say is history.
Chinese Operas, Dramas
Chinese opera together with Greece tragic-comedy and Indian Sanskrit Opera are the three oldest dramatic art forms in the world. During the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907), the Emperor Taizong established an opera school with the poetic name Liyuan (Pear Garden). From that time on, performers of Chinese opera were referred to as 'disciples of the pear garden'. Since the Yuan Dynasty (1271 - 1368) Chinese opera has been encouraged by court officials and emperors and has become a traditional art form. During the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911), Chinese opera became fashionable among ordinary people. Performances were watched in tearooms, restaurants, and even around makeshift stages.
Chinese opera evolved from folk songs, dances, talking, antimasque, and especially distinctive dialectical music. Gradually it combined music, art and literature into one performance on the stage. Accompanied by traditional musical instruments like the Erhu, the gong, and the lute, actors present unique melodies - which may sound strange to foreigners - as well as dialogues which are beautifully written and of high literary value. These dialogs also promoted the development of distinct literary styles, such as Zaju in the Yuan Dynasty. For Chinese, especially older folks, to listen to this kind of opera is a real pleasure.
What appeals to foreigners most might be the different styles of facial make-up, which is one of the highlights of Chinese opera and requires distinctive techniques of painting. Exaggerated designs are painted on each performer's face to symbolize a character's personality, role, and fate. This technique may have originated from ancient religions and dance. Audiences who are familiar with opera can know the story by observing the facial painting as well as the costumes. Generally, a red face represents loyalty and bravery; a black face, valor; yellow and white faces, duplicity; and golden and silver faces, mystery.
Besides color, lines also function as symbols. For example, a figure can be painted either all white on his face, or just around the nose. The larger the white area painted, the more viperous the role.
Another technique that fascinates people is the marvelous acrobatics. Players can make fire spray out of their mouths when they act as spirits, or can gallop while squatting to act as a dwarf. This reflects a saying among actors: 'One minute's performance on the stage takes ten years' practice behind the scenes.'
Over the past 800 years, Chinese opera has evolved into many different regional varieties based on local traits and accents. Today, there are over 300 dazzling regional opera styles. Kun opera, which originated around Jiangsu Province, is a typical ancient opera style and features gentleness and clearness. This enabled it to be ranked among the World Oral and Intangible Heritages. Qinqiang opera from Shaanxi, known for its loudness and wildness, and Yu opera, Yue opera, and Huangmei Opera are all very enjoyable. Beijing Opera , the best-known Chinese opera style, was formed from the mingling of these regional styles.
Chinese opera evolved from folk songs, dances, talking, antimasque, and especially distinctive dialectical music. Gradually it combined music, art and literature into one performance on the stage. Accompanied by traditional musical instruments like the Erhu, the gong, and the lute, actors present unique melodies - which may sound strange to foreigners - as well as dialogues which are beautifully written and of high literary value. These dialogs also promoted the development of distinct literary styles, such as Zaju in the Yuan Dynasty. For Chinese, especially older folks, to listen to this kind of opera is a real pleasure.
What appeals to foreigners most might be the different styles of facial make-up, which is one of the highlights of Chinese opera and requires distinctive techniques of painting. Exaggerated designs are painted on each performer's face to symbolize a character's personality, role, and fate. This technique may have originated from ancient religions and dance. Audiences who are familiar with opera can know the story by observing the facial painting as well as the costumes. Generally, a red face represents loyalty and bravery; a black face, valor; yellow and white faces, duplicity; and golden and silver faces, mystery.
Besides color, lines also function as symbols. For example, a figure can be painted either all white on his face, or just around the nose. The larger the white area painted, the more viperous the role.
Another technique that fascinates people is the marvelous acrobatics. Players can make fire spray out of their mouths when they act as spirits, or can gallop while squatting to act as a dwarf. This reflects a saying among actors: 'One minute's performance on the stage takes ten years' practice behind the scenes.'
Over the past 800 years, Chinese opera has evolved into many different regional varieties based on local traits and accents. Today, there are over 300 dazzling regional opera styles. Kun opera, which originated around Jiangsu Province, is a typical ancient opera style and features gentleness and clearness. This enabled it to be ranked among the World Oral and Intangible Heritages. Qinqiang opera from Shaanxi, known for its loudness and wildness, and Yu opera, Yue opera, and Huangmei Opera are all very enjoyable. Beijing Opera , the best-known Chinese opera style, was formed from the mingling of these regional styles.
The First Empress of chinese history
Wu Zetian was born of a royal lineage during the Tang Dynasty. She entered Emperor Taizong's harem when she was 13 and that of the successive emperor Gaozong after. A master of manipulation, Wu Zetian
persuaded the emperor to declare her one rank below the empress consort. Eventually, the Emperor married Wu. When Gaozong suffered a stroke five years later, Wu governed behind the scenes. She created a secret police force to spy on her opposition, jailing or killing those who stood in her way. After Gaozong's death she reigned through puppet emperors, her sons Zhongzong and Ruizong. She finally proclaimed herself Emperor, the first woman to do so. Wu ruled until her 80s when she was unable to thwart a coup. She died
shortly after. Despite her ruthless climb to power, her rule was benign. Wu reduced the size of the standing army, and replaced aristocrats in the government with scholars. She was fair to the peasantry, lowering taxes, raising agricultural production, and strengthening public works. Wu also campaigned to elevate the status of women and had scholars write biographies of famous women.
persuaded the emperor to declare her one rank below the empress consort. Eventually, the Emperor married Wu. When Gaozong suffered a stroke five years later, Wu governed behind the scenes. She created a secret police force to spy on her opposition, jailing or killing those who stood in her way. After Gaozong's death she reigned through puppet emperors, her sons Zhongzong and Ruizong. She finally proclaimed herself Emperor, the first woman to do so. Wu ruled until her 80s when she was unable to thwart a coup. She died
shortly after. Despite her ruthless climb to power, her rule was benign. Wu reduced the size of the standing army, and replaced aristocrats in the government with scholars. She was fair to the peasantry, lowering taxes, raising agricultural production, and strengthening public works. Wu also campaigned to elevate the status of women and had scholars write biographies of famous women.
Happy Chinese Valentines Day --- Qixi
Chinese Valentines Day --- Qixi
On the evening of the seventh day of the seventh month in the Chinese lunar calendar, don’t forget to look carefully at the summer sky. In the Western calendar, that falls on August 26 this year. You’ll find the Cowherd (a bright star in the constellation Aquila, west of the Milky Way) and the Weaving Maid (the star Vega, east of the Milky Way) appear closer together than at any other time of the year.
The Chinese believe the stars are lovers who are permitted to meet by the Queen of Heaven once a year. That day is also called the “double seventh” (Qixi in Chinese), and it is the only Chinese festival devoted to love in the lunar calendar. In modern times, it has been called China’s own Valentine’s Day.
The legend holds that an orphaned cowherd was mistreated by his elder brother and sister-in-law, who eventually gave him an old ox and chased him out. The cowherd worked hard, and after only a couple of years he owned a small farm and house. But he was lonely, with only the company of his faithful old ox.
One day the ox suddenly opened its mouth and talked, telling the cowherd that the heavenly Weaving Maid and her sisters were going to bathe in river. The Weaving Maid was said to be the youngest of the seven daughters of the Queen of Heaven. With her sisters, she worked hard to weave beautiful clouds in the sky.
The ox told the cowherd that he should go there to rob the Weaving Maid of her clothes while she was in the water. In exchange for the return of her clothes, she would become his wife. Surprised, the cowherd willingly followed the ox’s instructions and hid himself in the reeds at the riverbank, waiting for the girls to bathe.
The girls came, and as they were splashing about, the cowherd rushed out of the reeds and grabbed the Weaving Maid’s clothing. In panic, the sisters dashed to their clothes, hurriedly put them on, and ran away.
The Weaving Maid, deprived of her clothes, stood on the riverbank and tried to cover herself with her hair. The cowherd told her that he would not return her clothes unless she promised to be his wife. After a little hesitation, she agreed to his request and they married.
The cowherd and the Weaving Maid lived happily together and had two children before the Queen of Heaven discovered the Weaving Maid’s absence. She was so annoyed that she had the Weaving Maid brought back to heaven.
Seeing his beloved wife flying back to the sky, the cowherd was terrified and sad. He caught sight of the cowhide hanging on a wall. The magical ox had told him before dying of old age, “Keep the cowhide for emergency use.”
Putting the cowhide on, the cowherd, with his two children, went after his wife. With the help of the cowhide, the cowherd was able to follow the Weaving Maid into heaven. He was about to reach his wife when the Queen showed up and pulled off her hairpin to draw a line between the two. The line became the Silver River in heaven, or the Milky Way.
The Weaving Maid went back to the heavenly workshop, going on weaving the clouds. But she was so sad and missed her husband across the Silver River so much that the clouds she weaved seemed sad. Finally, the Queen showed some mercy and allowed the couple to meet once every year on the Silver River on the double seventh.
Magpies were moved by their true love and many of them gathered to form a bridge over the Silver River for the couple to meet on the evening of Qixi.
It’s said that it’s hard to find a magpie at that time in China, because all magpies fly to make the bridge for the Weaving Maid and the cowherd. And if it rains heavily on Qixi night, some elderly Chinese will say it is because the Weaving Maid is crying from happiness over meeting her husband on the Milky Way.
On the evening of the seventh day of the seventh month in the Chinese lunar calendar, don’t forget to look carefully at the summer sky. In the Western calendar, that falls on August 26 this year. You’ll find the Cowherd (a bright star in the constellation Aquila, west of the Milky Way) and the Weaving Maid (the star Vega, east of the Milky Way) appear closer together than at any other time of the year.
The legend holds that an orphaned cowherd was mistreated by his elder brother and sister-in-law, who eventually gave him an old ox and chased him out. The cowherd worked hard, and after only a couple of years he owned a small farm and house. But he was lonely, with only the company of his faithful old ox.
One day the ox suddenly opened its mouth and talked, telling the cowherd that the heavenly Weaving Maid and her sisters were going to bathe in river. The Weaving Maid was said to be the youngest of the seven daughters of the Queen of Heaven. With her sisters, she worked hard to weave beautiful clouds in the sky.
The ox told the cowherd that he should go there to rob the Weaving Maid of her clothes while she was in the water. In exchange for the return of her clothes, she would become his wife. Surprised, the cowherd willingly followed the ox’s instructions and hid himself in the reeds at the riverbank, waiting for the girls to bathe.
The girls came, and as they were splashing about, the cowherd rushed out of the reeds and grabbed the Weaving Maid’s clothing. In panic, the sisters dashed to their clothes, hurriedly put them on, and ran away.
The Weaving Maid, deprived of her clothes, stood on the riverbank and tried to cover herself with her hair. The cowherd told her that he would not return her clothes unless she promised to be his wife. After a little hesitation, she agreed to his request and they married.
The cowherd and the Weaving Maid lived happily together and had two children before the Queen of Heaven discovered the Weaving Maid’s absence. She was so annoyed that she had the Weaving Maid brought back to heaven.
Seeing his beloved wife flying back to the sky, the cowherd was terrified and sad. He caught sight of the cowhide hanging on a wall. The magical ox had told him before dying of old age, “Keep the cowhide for emergency use.”
Putting the cowhide on, the cowherd, with his two children, went after his wife. With the help of the cowhide, the cowherd was able to follow the Weaving Maid into heaven. He was about to reach his wife when the Queen showed up and pulled off her hairpin to draw a line between the two. The line became the Silver River in heaven, or the Milky Way.
The Weaving Maid went back to the heavenly workshop, going on weaving the clouds. But she was so sad and missed her husband across the Silver River so much that the clouds she weaved seemed sad. Finally, the Queen showed some mercy and allowed the couple to meet once every year on the Silver River on the double seventh.
Magpies were moved by their true love and many of them gathered to form a bridge over the Silver River for the couple to meet on the evening of Qixi.
It’s said that it’s hard to find a magpie at that time in China, because all magpies fly to make the bridge for the Weaving Maid and the cowherd. And if it rains heavily on Qixi night, some elderly Chinese will say it is because the Weaving Maid is crying from happiness over meeting her husband on the Milky Way.
Romantic legend Of Chinese Valentine''s Day
Romantic legend
The legend has been handed down for nearly 2 millennia. The story has been recorded as far back as the Jin Dynasty (256-420 AD). Poets composed hundreds of verses on the love story and many types of Chinese opera tell the story. The Chinese people believe that the star Vega（织女星）, east of the Milky Way, is Zhi Nu and, at the constellation of Aquila（天鹰座）, on the western side of the Milky Way,
Niu Lang waits for his wife. Zhi Nu was said to be the youngest of seven daughters of the Queen of Heaven. With her sisters, she worked hard to weave beautiful clouds in the sky, while Niu Lang was a poor orphan cowherd, driven out of his home by his elder brother and his cruel wife. Niu Lang lamented over his lonely and poor life with an old cow, his only friend and companion. The magical cow kindly told him of a way to find a beautiful and nice woman as his life companion. Under the direction of the cow, Niu Lang went to the riverside on an evening, where the seven fairies slipped out of their heavenly palace to bathe. He took one of the beautiful silk dresses the fairies had left on the bank. When the fairies left the water, the youngest couldn''t find her clothes and had to see her sisters fly back to heaven without her. Then Niu Lang came out with the dress and asked the youngest fairy, Zhi Nu, to stay with him. Several years passed on Earth, which were only a few days in heaven. Niu Lang and Zhi Nu lived happily together and had two children before the Queen of Heaven discovered Zhi Nu''s absence. She was so annoyed she had Zhi Nu brought back to heaven. Seeing his beloved wife flying in the sky, Niu Lang was terrified. He caught sight of the cowhide hanging on a wall. The magical cow had told him before dying of old age: "Keep the cowhide（牛皮） for emergency use." Putting the cowhide on, he went after his wife with his two children. With the help of the cowhide, Niu Lang was able to follow Zhi Nu into heaven. He was about to reach his wife when the Queen showed up and pulled off her hairpin to draw a line between the two. The line became the Silver River in heaven, or the Milky Way. Zhi Nu went back to the heavenly workshop, going on weaving the clouds. But she was so sad, and missed her husband across the Silver River so much that the clouds she weaved seemed sad. Finally, the Queen showed a little mercy, allowing the couple to meet once every year on the Silver River. Well-known poem One of the most famous poems about the legend was written by Qin Guan of in the Song Dynasty (960-1279).
Fairy Of The Magpie Bridge Among the beautiful clouds, Over the heavenly river, Crosses the weaving maiden. A night of rendezvous, Across the autumn sky. Surpasses joy on earth. Moments of tender love and dream, So sad to leave the magpie bridge. Eternal love between us two, Shall withstand the time apart. (Translated by Kylie Hsu)
鹊桥仙 宋·秦观 织云弄巧 飞星传恨 银汉迢迢暗度 金风玉露一相逢 便胜却人间无数 柔情似水 佳期如梦 忍顾鹊桥归路 两情若是久长时 又岂在朝朝暮暮
Compared with love stories in Western legends, the story of Niu Lang and Zhi Nu seems not as intense or passionate. Love doesn''t kill or break up the barrier between them. They just wait patiently on the riverbank, believing that their love can withstand their time apart.
It is faith and emotional liaison instead of physical attraction and desire that is emphasized in the story as well as in many other Chinese folktales（民间故事） about love. In only a few Chinese folk love stories can be found a description of the physical appearances of the hero and heroine. In the "Butterfly Lovers", the heroine, dressed as a boy to attend school, falls in love with a classmate. After they have lived together as classmates for years, the hero did not have the slightest clue that his best friend is actually a girl!
The legend has been handed down for nearly 2 millennia. The story has been recorded as far back as the Jin Dynasty (256-420 AD). Poets composed hundreds of verses on the love story and many types of Chinese opera tell the story. The Chinese people believe that the star Vega（织女星）, east of the Milky Way, is Zhi Nu and, at the constellation of Aquila（天鹰座）, on the western side of the Milky Way,
Niu Lang waits for his wife. Zhi Nu was said to be the youngest of seven daughters of the Queen of Heaven. With her sisters, she worked hard to weave beautiful clouds in the sky, while Niu Lang was a poor orphan cowherd, driven out of his home by his elder brother and his cruel wife. Niu Lang lamented over his lonely and poor life with an old cow, his only friend and companion. The magical cow kindly told him of a way to find a beautiful and nice woman as his life companion. Under the direction of the cow, Niu Lang went to the riverside on an evening, where the seven fairies slipped out of their heavenly palace to bathe. He took one of the beautiful silk dresses the fairies had left on the bank. When the fairies left the water, the youngest couldn''t find her clothes and had to see her sisters fly back to heaven without her. Then Niu Lang came out with the dress and asked the youngest fairy, Zhi Nu, to stay with him. Several years passed on Earth, which were only a few days in heaven. Niu Lang and Zhi Nu lived happily together and had two children before the Queen of Heaven discovered Zhi Nu''s absence. She was so annoyed she had Zhi Nu brought back to heaven. Seeing his beloved wife flying in the sky, Niu Lang was terrified. He caught sight of the cowhide hanging on a wall. The magical cow had told him before dying of old age: "Keep the cowhide（牛皮） for emergency use." Putting the cowhide on, he went after his wife with his two children. With the help of the cowhide, Niu Lang was able to follow Zhi Nu into heaven. He was about to reach his wife when the Queen showed up and pulled off her hairpin to draw a line between the two. The line became the Silver River in heaven, or the Milky Way. Zhi Nu went back to the heavenly workshop, going on weaving the clouds. But she was so sad, and missed her husband across the Silver River so much that the clouds she weaved seemed sad. Finally, the Queen showed a little mercy, allowing the couple to meet once every year on the Silver River. Well-known poem One of the most famous poems about the legend was written by Qin Guan of in the Song Dynasty (960-1279).
Fairy Of The Magpie Bridge Among the beautiful clouds, Over the heavenly river, Crosses the weaving maiden. A night of rendezvous, Across the autumn sky. Surpasses joy on earth. Moments of tender love and dream, So sad to leave the magpie bridge. Eternal love between us two, Shall withstand the time apart. (Translated by Kylie Hsu)
鹊桥仙 宋·秦观 织云弄巧 飞星传恨 银汉迢迢暗度 金风玉露一相逢 便胜却人间无数 柔情似水 佳期如梦 忍顾鹊桥归路 两情若是久长时 又岂在朝朝暮暮
Compared with love stories in Western legends, the story of Niu Lang and Zhi Nu seems not as intense or passionate. Love doesn''t kill or break up the barrier between them. They just wait patiently on the riverbank, believing that their love can withstand their time apart.
It is faith and emotional liaison instead of physical attraction and desire that is emphasized in the story as well as in many other Chinese folktales（民间故事） about love. In only a few Chinese folk love stories can be found a description of the physical appearances of the hero and heroine. In the "Butterfly Lovers", the heroine, dressed as a boy to attend school, falls in love with a classmate. After they have lived together as classmates for years, the hero did not have the slightest clue that his best friend is actually a girl!
Chinese valentine's day
Happy Chinese valentine's day!
The Chinese Valentine's Day is on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month in the Chinese calendar. Aug 26th 2009 is Chinese valentine's day of this year. Raise your head in evening on this day and gaze at the stars, you will find something romantic going on in the sky.
That is, on this evening, Niu Lang and Zhi Nu will meet on a bridge of magpies across the Milky Way. Chinese grannies will remind children that they would not be able to see any magpies on that evening because all the magpies have left to form a bridge in the heavens with their wings. The seventh day of the seventh lunar month is the only Chinese festival devoted to love in the Lunar calendar. Unlike St. Valentine's Day in
Western countries there is not so much emphasis on giving chocolates, flowers and kisses. Instead, Chinese girls prepare fruits, melons and incense as offerings to Zhi Nu, the weaving maiden, praying to acquire high skills in needlecraft, as well as hoping to find satisfactory husbands. In the evening, people sit outdoors to observe the stars. Chinese grannies would say that, if you stand under a grapevine, you can probably overhear what Zhi Nu and Niu Lang are talking about.
The Chinese Valentine's Day is on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month in the Chinese calendar. Aug 26th 2009 is Chinese valentine's day of this year. Raise your head in evening on this day and gaze at the stars, you will find something romantic going on in the sky.
That is, on this evening, Niu Lang and Zhi Nu will meet on a bridge of magpies across the Milky Way. Chinese grannies will remind children that they would not be able to see any magpies on that evening because all the magpies have left to form a bridge in the heavens with their wings. The seventh day of the seventh lunar month is the only Chinese festival devoted to love in the Lunar calendar. Unlike St. Valentine's Day in
Western countries there is not so much emphasis on giving chocolates, flowers and kisses. Instead, Chinese girls prepare fruits, melons and incense as offerings to Zhi Nu, the weaving maiden, praying to acquire high skills in needlecraft, as well as hoping to find satisfactory husbands. In the evening, people sit outdoors to observe the stars. Chinese grannies would say that, if you stand under a grapevine, you can probably overhear what Zhi Nu and Niu Lang are talking about.
The Summer Palace Of Beijing China
Situated in the western outskirts of Haidian District, the Summer Palace is 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) from central Beijing. Having the largest royal park and being well preserved, it was designated, in 1960 by the State Council, as a Key Cultural Relics Protection Site of China. Containing examples of the ancient arts, it also has graceful landscapes and magnificent constructions.
The Summer Palace is the archetypal Chinese garden, and is ranked amongst the most noted and classical gardens of the world. In 1998, it was listed as one of the World Heritage Sites by Constructed in the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234), during the succeeding reign of feudal emperors; it was extended continuously. By the time of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), it had become a luxurious royal garden providing royal families with rest and entertainment. Originally called "Qingyi Garden" (Garden of Clear Ripples), it was know as one of the famous "three hills and five gardens" (Longevity Hill, Jade Spring Mountain, and Fragrant Hill; Garden of Clear Ripples, Garden of Everlasting Spring, Garden of Perfection and Brightness, Garden of Tranquility and Brightness, and Garden of Tranquility and Pleasure). Like most of the gardens of Beijing, it could not elude the rampages of the Anglo-French allied force and was destroyed by fire. In 1888, Empress Dowager Cixi embezzled navy funds to reconstruct it for her own benefit, changing its name to Summer Palace (Yiheyuan). She spent most of her later years there, dealing with state affairs and entertaining. In 1900, it suffered again, being ransacked by the Eight-Power Allied Force. After the success of the 1911 Revolution, it was opened to the public。
Composed mainly of Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake, The Summer Palace occupies an area of 294 hectares (726.5 acres), three quarters of which is water. Guided by nature, artists designed the gardens exquisitely so that visitors would see marvelous views and be amazed by perfect examples of refined craftwork using the finest materials.
Centered on the Tower of Buddhist Incense (Foxiangge) the Summer Palace consists of over 3,000 structures including pavilions, towers, bridges, and corridors. The Summer Palace can be divided into four parts: the court area, front-hill area, front-lake area, and rear-hill and back-lake area.
Front-Hill Area: this area is the most magnificent area in the Summer Palace with the most constructions. Its layout is quite distinctive because of the central axis from the yard of Kunming Lake to the hilltop, on which important buildings are positioned including Gate of Dispelling Clouds, Hall of Dispelling Clouds, Hall of Moral Glory, Tower of Buddhist Incense, the Hall of the Sea of Wisdom, etc.
Rear-Hill and Back-Lake Area: although the constructions are fewer here, it has a unique landscape, with dense green trees, and winding paths. Visitors can feel a rare tranquility, and elegance. This area includes scenic spots such as Garden of Harmonious Interest and Suzhou Market Street.
Court Area: this is where Empress Dowager Cixi and Emperor Guangxu met officials, conducted state affairs and rested. Entering the East Palace Gate, visitors may see the main palace buildings: the Hall of Benevolence and Longevity served as the office of the Emperor, the Hall of Jade Ripples where Guangxu lived, the Hall of Joyful Longevity, Cixi‘s residence, the Hall of Virtue and Harmony where Cixi was entertained.
Front Lake Area: covering a larger part of the Summer Palace, opens up the vista of the lake. A breeze fluttering, waves gleam and willows kiss the ripples of the vast water. In this comfortable area there are the Eastern and Western Banks, the Seventeen-Arch Bridge, Nanhu Island, and so on. On the western bank float six distinct bridges amongst which the Jade-Belt Bridge is the most beautiful.
The Summer Palace is the archetypal Chinese garden, and is ranked amongst the most noted and classical gardens of the world. In 1998, it was listed as one of the World Heritage Sites by Constructed in the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234), during the succeeding reign of feudal emperors; it was extended continuously. By the time of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), it had become a luxurious royal garden providing royal families with rest and entertainment. Originally called "Qingyi Garden" (Garden of Clear Ripples), it was know as one of the famous "three hills and five gardens" (Longevity Hill, Jade Spring Mountain, and Fragrant Hill; Garden of Clear Ripples, Garden of Everlasting Spring, Garden of Perfection and Brightness, Garden of Tranquility and Brightness, and Garden of Tranquility and Pleasure). Like most of the gardens of Beijing, it could not elude the rampages of the Anglo-French allied force and was destroyed by fire. In 1888, Empress Dowager Cixi embezzled navy funds to reconstruct it for her own benefit, changing its name to Summer Palace (Yiheyuan). She spent most of her later years there, dealing with state affairs and entertaining. In 1900, it suffered again, being ransacked by the Eight-Power Allied Force. After the success of the 1911 Revolution, it was opened to the public。
Composed mainly of Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake, The Summer Palace occupies an area of 294 hectares (726.5 acres), three quarters of which is water. Guided by nature, artists designed the gardens exquisitely so that visitors would see marvelous views and be amazed by perfect examples of refined craftwork using the finest materials.
Centered on the Tower of Buddhist Incense (Foxiangge) the Summer Palace consists of over 3,000 structures including pavilions, towers, bridges, and corridors. The Summer Palace can be divided into four parts: the court area, front-hill area, front-lake area, and rear-hill and back-lake area.
Front-Hill Area: this area is the most magnificent area in the Summer Palace with the most constructions. Its layout is quite distinctive because of the central axis from the yard of Kunming Lake to the hilltop, on which important buildings are positioned including Gate of Dispelling Clouds, Hall of Dispelling Clouds, Hall of Moral Glory, Tower of Buddhist Incense, the Hall of the Sea of Wisdom, etc.
Rear-Hill and Back-Lake Area: although the constructions are fewer here, it has a unique landscape, with dense green trees, and winding paths. Visitors can feel a rare tranquility, and elegance. This area includes scenic spots such as Garden of Harmonious Interest and Suzhou Market Street.
Court Area: this is where Empress Dowager Cixi and Emperor Guangxu met officials, conducted state affairs and rested. Entering the East Palace Gate, visitors may see the main palace buildings: the Hall of Benevolence and Longevity served as the office of the Emperor, the Hall of Jade Ripples where Guangxu lived, the Hall of Joyful Longevity, Cixi‘s residence, the Hall of Virtue and Harmony where Cixi was entertained.
Front Lake Area: covering a larger part of the Summer Palace, opens up the vista of the lake. A breeze fluttering, waves gleam and willows kiss the ripples of the vast water. In this comfortable area there are the Eastern and Western Banks, the Seventeen-Arch Bridge, Nanhu Island, and so on. On the western bank float six distinct bridges amongst which the Jade-Belt Bridge is the most beautiful.
what is chinese Moon Festival ?
“Zhong Qiu Jie”，which is also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival，is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar. It is a time for family members and loved ones to congregate and enjoy the full moon - an auspicious symbol of abundance，harmony and luck. Adults will usually indulge in fragrant mooncakes of many varieties with a good cup of piping hot Chinese tea，while the little ones run around with their brightly-lit lanterns.
农历八月十五日是中国的传统节日——中秋节。在这天，每个家庭都团聚在一起，一家人共同观赏象征丰裕、和谐和幸运的圆月。此时，大人们吃着美味的月饼，品着热腾腾的香茗，而孩子们则在一旁拉着兔子灯尽情玩耍。
“Zhong Qiu Jie” probably began as a harvest festival. The festival was later given a mythological flavour with legends of Chang-E，the beautiful lady in the moon.
中秋节最早可能是一个庆祝丰收的节日。后来，月宫里美丽的仙女嫦娥的神话故事赋予了它神话色彩。
According to Chinese mythology，the earth once had 10 suns circling over it. One day，all 10 suns appeared together，scorching the earth with their heat. The earth was saved when a strong archer，Hou Yi，succeeded in shooting down 9 of the suns. Yi stole the elixir of life to save the people from his tyrannical rule，but his wife，Chang-E drank it. Thus started the legend of the lady in the moon to whom young Chinese girls would pray at the Mid-Autumn Festival.
传说古时候，天空曾有10个太阳。一天，这10个太阳同时出现，酷热难挡。弓箭手后翌射下了其中9个太阳，拯救了地球上的生灵。他偷了长生不死药，却被妻子嫦娥偷偷喝下。此后，每年中秋月圆之时，少女们都要向月宫仙女嫦娥祈福的传说便流传开来。
In the 14th century，the eating of mooncakes at “Zhong Qiu Jie” was given a new significance. The story goes that when Zhu Yuan Zhang was plotting to overthrow the Yuan Dynasty started by the Mongolians，the rebels hid their messages in the Mid-Autumn mooncakes. Zhong Qiu Jie is hence also a commemoration of the overthrow of the Mongolians by the Han people.
在14世纪，中秋节吃月饼又被赋予了一层特殊的含义。传说在朱元璋带兵起义推翻元朝时，将士们曾把联络信藏在月饼里。因此，中秋节后来也成为汉人推翻蒙古人统治的纪念日。
During the Yuan Dynasty （A.D.1206-1368）China was ruled by the Mongolian people. Leaders from the preceding Sung Dynasty （A.D.960-1279）were unhappy at submitting to foreign rule，and set how to coordinate the rebellion without it being discovered. The leaders of the rebellion，knowing that the Moon Festival was drawing near，ordered the making of special cakes. Packed into each mooncake was a message with the outline of the attack. On the night of the Moon Festival，the rebels successfully attacked and overthrew the government. What followed was the establishment of the Ming Dynasty （A.D. 1368-1644）. Today，moon cakes are eaten to commemorate this event.
在元朝，蒙古人统治中国。前朝统治者们不甘心政权落入外族之手，于是密谋策划联合起义。正值中秋将近，起义首领就命令部下制作一种特别的月饼，把起义计划藏在每个月饼里。到中秋那天，起义军获取胜利，推翻了元朝，建立明朝。今天，人们吃月饼纪念此事。
农历八月十五日是中国的传统节日——中秋节。在这天，每个家庭都团聚在一起，一家人共同观赏象征丰裕、和谐和幸运的圆月。此时，大人们吃着美味的月饼，品着热腾腾的香茗，而孩子们则在一旁拉着兔子灯尽情玩耍。
“Zhong Qiu Jie” probably began as a harvest festival. The festival was later given a mythological flavour with legends of Chang-E，the beautiful lady in the moon.
中秋节最早可能是一个庆祝丰收的节日。后来，月宫里美丽的仙女嫦娥的神话故事赋予了它神话色彩。
According to Chinese mythology，the earth once had 10 suns circling over it. One day，all 10 suns appeared together，scorching the earth with their heat. The earth was saved when a strong archer，Hou Yi，succeeded in shooting down 9 of the suns. Yi stole the elixir of life to save the people from his tyrannical rule，but his wife，Chang-E drank it. Thus started the legend of the lady in the moon to whom young Chinese girls would pray at the Mid-Autumn Festival.
传说古时候，天空曾有10个太阳。一天，这10个太阳同时出现，酷热难挡。弓箭手后翌射下了其中9个太阳，拯救了地球上的生灵。他偷了长生不死药，却被妻子嫦娥偷偷喝下。此后，每年中秋月圆之时，少女们都要向月宫仙女嫦娥祈福的传说便流传开来。
In the 14th century，the eating of mooncakes at “Zhong Qiu Jie” was given a new significance. The story goes that when Zhu Yuan Zhang was plotting to overthrow the Yuan Dynasty started by the Mongolians，the rebels hid their messages in the Mid-Autumn mooncakes. Zhong Qiu Jie is hence also a commemoration of the overthrow of the Mongolians by the Han people.
在14世纪，中秋节吃月饼又被赋予了一层特殊的含义。传说在朱元璋带兵起义推翻元朝时，将士们曾把联络信藏在月饼里。因此，中秋节后来也成为汉人推翻蒙古人统治的纪念日。
During the Yuan Dynasty （A.D.1206-1368）China was ruled by the Mongolian people. Leaders from the preceding Sung Dynasty （A.D.960-1279）were unhappy at submitting to foreign rule，and set how to coordinate the rebellion without it being discovered. The leaders of the rebellion，knowing that the Moon Festival was drawing near，ordered the making of special cakes. Packed into each mooncake was a message with the outline of the attack. On the night of the Moon Festival，the rebels successfully attacked and overthrew the government. What followed was the establishment of the Ming Dynasty （A.D. 1368-1644）. Today，moon cakes are eaten to commemorate this event.
在元朝，蒙古人统治中国。前朝统治者们不甘心政权落入外族之手，于是密谋策划联合起义。正值中秋将近，起义首领就命令部下制作一种特别的月饼，把起义计划藏在每个月饼里。到中秋那天，起义军获取胜利，推翻了元朝，建立明朝。今天，人们吃月饼纪念此事。
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