20201215 cultexam 3

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Final Exam Paper. Please write now and improve until grading on 2020 12 15

• You can use the texts in the coursebook as an example (like Unit 1, Text A). You only need to write Text A (like "Longevity Noodles") or Text B ("Mooncakes"), not a whole Unit. But please try to find fellow students who topics fit under the same Unit title ("Festival Meals") and arrange it accordingly.
• In the topic, please write the category, then the topic - your name and student no.
• For the text, please indicate ALL SOURCES with bibliographical references. That means: At least for every paragraph, sometimes for single sentences, you have to indicate at the end, where you have found this information. E.g. (Liu Miqing 2010, 17). This means you have found it in the book or paper written by Ms Liu on page 17.
• Add a section at the end called "References". There you write the full version of the reference: Liu Miqing 刘宓庆. (2010). 翻译基础 [Translation Basis]. Shanghai: Huadong Normal University 华东师范大学. Similarly, you do it for papers: Jin Wenlu`靳文璐. (2019). 机器翻译可以取代人工翻译吗? [Can machine translation replace human translation?]. 智库时代 Think Tank Times (40) 282-284.
• Please also add a list "Terms and Expressions".
• Please add a "Questions" section.
• Please add a "Answers" section.

Historical Figures, Four Talented Women - Shi Haiyao 石海瑶

The Four Talented Women of Ancient China (中国古代四大才女)

Habits, Ways of Contacting - Si Yu 司妤

Ancient and Contemporary Ways of Communicating--Si Yu (talk) 13:27, 22 November 2020 (UTC)

1.Sending Messages with Pigeons

Sending messages ith pigeons is a way of communicating with people in the ancient times. If you want to send letters, you should tie them to the feet of the pigeons and pass them on to the person to the receiver. As it is not convenient to communicate with people, so clever people take advantage of pigeons which fly fast and can recognize the directions. They trained pigeons and improved the speed of delivery. Generally speaking, the birds themselves will find their way home, just as the weary birds returning to their nests. For example, I live near to my friends. Later, when I have to go somewhere else, I will leave my hometown with my pigeons. One day when I have to contact my friend, I would put a note in the the special case, which is tied to the foot of the pigeon. And then I would release the pigeon, which would fly to my hometown.Quotation missing. E.g. (Gui Ninghuo 2009, 12)

Pigeons are not only very sensitive to the Earth’s magnetic field, but also are particularly homesick, which are their innate strengths. But to be a carrier pigeon, it’s all about training. The basic purpose of raising carrier pigeons is releasing, competing and using. In order to obtain the ideal carrier pigeon, apart from careful breeding and scientific breeding management, the most important thing is training. All the three steps complement each other. The basic principle of training is based on the biological and physiological characteristics of carrier pigeons and the “Classical conditioning” principle. The basic aim of the training is to train, exercise and improve the quality of pigeons, to give full play to their inherent biological characteristics and strengths. The basic contents of training generally include: basic training, release training, competing training, adaptation training and application training. Training should start from young pigeons, from simple tasks to complex ones, from short distance to long distance, from day to night, from basic training to professional training. In short, training should start from easy to difficult.Quotation missing. E.g. (Gui Ninghuo 2009, 12)

2.Paper Letters

A letter is a document which conveys information, thoughts and feelings to a specific person. The Chinese character “xin” (letter) means messages in ancient Chinese. Also, it means that the messages are credible. In giving oral messages and writing letters delivered by postmen which conveys information, thoughts and feelings to a specific person, one has to have the following abilities. First, he has the ability to tell the whole story in words and express his thoughts and feelings. Two, he has writing tools. Three, he has a postman to help him deliver messages. Writing letters in person to relatives and friends can not only convey one’s thoughts and feelings, but also give the recipient a feeling of “talking to each other face to face” . With the growth of technology, telephone, telegraph, mail tapes, video tapes, e-mail and other means of communication information came. With the development of society, the relationship between people and society is being reconstructed. Apart from its traditional function, that is, official correspondence and private correspondence, letters are used for a new purpose. There is a surge in letters which are sent to governments, entrepreneurs, famous scholars for private purposes.Quotation missing. E.g. (Gui Ninghuo 2009, 12)

Landscape, Five Famous Mountains - Tan Yuanyuan 谭媛媛

Wuyue (五岳) is the general name of the five famous mountains in Chinese Han culture and is the product of the combination of ancient folk mountain god reverence, the concept of the Five Elements and imperial excursions and meditation in ancient times. The “Five Sacred Mountains” (or Wuyue – 五岳), also referred to as the Five Great Mountains, began with Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty (157 BC – 87 BC). “Yue” in Wuyue means high mountains. During the Wei, Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties, Buddhism and Taoism began to build temples and carry out religious activities on the Five Sacred Mountains. Emperors of ancient China would perform excursions to the mountain peaks and offer non-human sacrifices on a regular basis. This tradition became a ritual of the state according to Confucianism and was one of the must-do activities upon becoming emperor. This tradition continued right up until the fall of the last dynasty in 1911. While the Five Great mountains are not denoted as sacred mountains of either Buddhism or Taoism, they do have a strong Taoist presence and many Buddhist temples. The Five Great Mountains remain places of pilgrimage to this day with many young people having the goal of climbing all five and retracing the footsteps of the ancient emperors during Imperial China. The mountains are popular tourist attractions and are well developed featuring good tourist and transport services and several are national AAAAA rated scenic sites.

Mount Tai (泰山) – Wuyue East Great Mountain

Province: Shandong | Height: 1,533 metres (5,030 ft) Mount Tai, or Taishan, is a mountain of historical and cultural significance located north of the city of Tai’an, in Shandong province, China. Mount Tai has been a place of worship for at least 3,000 years and is a National AAAAA level tourist attraction. Mount Tai has been worshipped since the time of Shang culture, roughly 3,000 years ago. Emperors of China would come to this mountain to meditate and offer sacrifices, similar to writers and artists who for centuries have visited Mount Tai for inspiration. Given its long-running history of worship, the mountain has been preserved with little alteration. It is also considered one of the most climbed mountains in China. The hike is not an easy one and may take most of the day to reach the top.

Mount Heng (Hunan) (衡山) – Wuye South Great Mountain

Province: Hunan | Height: 1,300 metres (4,265 ft) Hengshan, is a mountain in southcentral China’s Hunan Province known as the southern mountain of the Five Great Mountains of China. Heng Shan is a mountain range 150 kilometres (93 mi) long with 72 peaks. The Huiyan Peak is the south end of the peaks, Yuelu Mountain in Changsha City is the north end, and the Zhurong Peak is the highest at 1,300 metres (4,300 ft) above sea level. At the foot of the mountain stands the largest temple in southern China, the Grand Temple of Mount Heng (Nanyue Damiao), which is the largest group of ancient buildings in Hunan Province. Mount Heng in the south has a total of 72 peaks all of which are covered in trees, some of which are centuries-old. It is a beautiful spot to hike in the summer to admire the blooming greenery. Among the mountain peaks, a number of Buddhist temples are scattered. Of note is the Grand Temple of Mount Heng located at the foot of the mountain. The temple has survived many dynasties, with the earliest records of its existence dating back to the 8th century AD. Although the temple was severely damaged during the Cultural Revolution, it retains its religious significance to many believers.

Mount Hua (华山) – Wuyue West Great Mountain

Province: Shaanxi | Height: 2,160 metres (7,087 ft) Mount Hua, or Huashan, is located near the city of Huayin in Shaanxi province, about 120 kilometres (75 mi) east of Xi’an. It is the western mountain of the Five Great Mountains of China, and has a long history of religious significance. It is a National AAAAA level scenic spot featuring skywalk, temples, stone formations, caves, waterfall etc.Mount Hua is a popular destination for those staying in the ancient capital of Xi’an. The mountain complex consists of five major peaks, all of which are accessible for hiking. Nevertheless, a number of narrow paths and rugged steps make it a challenging climb, and at the south peak, the narrow plank walk running along the side of the mountain will challenge anybody’s relationship with heights. While walking along two narrow planks (attached with a harness to the edge of the mountain), you can move along the mountain. The trick is that it’s not a one-way path, and your balance will be tested when handling traffic coming from the other direction.

Mount Heng (Shanxi) (恒山) – Wuyue North Great Mountain

Province: Shanxi | Height: 2,017 metres (6,617 ft) Mount Heng, or Hengshan, is located in north-central China’s Shanxi Province, known as the northern mountain of the Five Great Mountains of China. Heng Shan in Shanxi Province is sometimes known as the Northern Heng Shan, and the one in Hunan Province as Southern Heng Shan. Both mountains have the same pronunciation in Chinese, and the Southern Heng Shan is also one of the Five Sacred Mountains. Similar to many other revered mountains in China, Mount Heng holds meaning for the followers of the Taoist faith. The mountain may not be as popular as the other four, given its northern location, but that can be seen as advantage for a hiker seeking peace and isolation. Located at the foot of the mountain is the Hanging Monastery (Xuankong Si) running along the side of the mountain. The wooden structure is supported by dozens of wooden pillars, and despite its feeble appearance welcomes many visitors every year.

Mount Song (嵩山) – Wuyue Center Great Mountain

Province: Henan | Height: 1,500 metres (4,921 ft) Mount Song, or Songshan, is a mountain in central China’s Henan Province, along the southern bank of the Yellow River, that is known as the central mountain of the Five Great Mountains of China. It is a National AAAAA level tourist attraction and world heritage listed site. It is noted for its rich cultural heritage as the birthplace of Zen, the Taoist holy land, and the origin of kung fu. One of China’s central mountains, Mount Song is located on the bank of the Yellow River, close to the ancient capital of Luoyang. Mount Song is best known as the location of the Shaolin Temple, the birthplace of Chan Buddhism, and thus retains religious significance to followers of both Buddhism and Taoism. The Shaolin Temple attracts curious visitors who want to observe the practitioners of martial arts demonstrating superb strength and coordination. The area around the mountain peaks has a number of other Taoist and Buddhist monasteries.

Terms and Expressions

Taoism 道教 cultural revolution 文化大革命 plank 厚木板 Hanging Monastery 悬空寺 Zen 禅宗 Shaolin Temple 少林寺 Wei, Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties 魏晋南北朝 practitioners of martial arts 习武之人 monastery 寺庙

Questions

1. What does “Wuyue（五岳）” mean？ 2. Do you know any famous Chinese lyrics related to Mount Tai? 3. What is the largest temple in southern China? 4. What are the features of Mount Hua? 5. What is the structure of the Hanging Monastery? 6. What is the famous site in Mount Song?

Answers

1.Wuyue (五岳) is the general name of the five famous mountains in Chinese Han culture and is the product of the combination of ancient folk mountain god reverence, the concept of the Five Elements and imperial excursions and meditation in ancient times. 2.会当凌绝顶，一览众山小。——杜甫 四月上泰山，石屏御道开。——李白 泰山不要欺毫末，颜子无心羡老彭。——白居易 3. Grand Temple of Mount Heng (Nanyue Damiao). 4. It features skywalk, temples, stone formations, caves, waterfall etc. 5. It has a feeble appearance with wooden structure supported by dozens of wooden pillars. 6. The Shaolin Temple, the birthplace of Chan Buddhism. --Tan Yuanyuan (talk) 14:36, 9 December 2020 (UTC)

Ancient Chinese Education - Tang Bei 汤蓓 student No. 202070080607

Ancient Chinses Education

History

China’s ancient education was one of the most splendid components of ancient Chinese culture. Chinese education had a long history dating from the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties 3000/4000 years ago.Quotation missing. E.g. (Gui Ninghuo 2009, 12)

In the Shang Dynasty (16th-11th century BC), formal schools emerged with the names like “Xiao” (school)，“Xue”(study) and “Daxue”(higher school). Teachers then were all government officials and students were all children of the nobility, so that was the earliest “Guan Xue” (Government School/Education).Quotation missing. E.g. (Gui Ninghuo 2009, 12)

Education became more popular by the Spring Autumn/Warring States period. Confucius became the earliest founder for “Private Education”. This type of private school education is often known as “Si Xue” (private institution).Quotation missing. E.g. (Gui Ninghuo 2009, 12)

From Han till Qing Dynasty, the formation of government institution had been well-established. All the teaching materials and educational training were geared towards the preparation for Imperial examination. After receiving a title in the Imperial examination, one might receive a post in the state bureaucracy. At the same time, private schools were also developing. Most of the famous philosophers and scientists were originated from private schools.Quotation missing. E.g. (Gui Ninghuo 2009, 12)

Apart from schooling, “Family education” began to play an important role. Many of the famous historical figures grew up under the education and strict ‘teaching’ by their parents or other senior family members, and they studied hard in order to become successful. For instance, it was well documented that Mencius’s mother had moved three times with her son before she eventually found a proper neighborhood for the son’s education. After the Han dynasty, because of the increased status of Confucianism and its influence, the teaching of “poetry and rites” became the basic content for family education. Loyalty, Filial Piety, Benevolence and Righteousness were core values taught in family education.Quotation missing. E.g. (Gui Ninghuo 2009, 12)

In ancient Chinese education, there was another form of education system known as “Xue Shu Jiao Yu”. This belongs to neither an institute education nor a family education. These are generally “primary school for the folks”. Sometimes, they were called “Meng Guan”(primary education hall), “Si Shu ” (private school), “Zu Xue” (extended family school) , etc. Most students will first learn how to read characters, then they will learn The Three Character Classic ”, The Hundred Family Surnames, The Thousand Character Classic. Then they will learn the “Four Books”. In addition, they will also learn Chinese calligraphy and character pairing. In this type of school, the rules and regulations are especiallystrict.Quotation missing. E.g. (Gui Ninghuo 2009, 12)

There are other methods such as Shuyuan and Guozijian, etc. They all formed a unique way of knowledge teaching and became important system for the development on “study of knowledge”, “teaching method”, etc. All of these formed the basis for today's Chinese education.Quotation missing. E.g. (Gui Ninghuo 2009, 12) --Tang Bei (talk) 13:20, 29 November 2020 (UTC)

Confucian Educational Theory

The historical importance of education in Chinese culture is derived from the teachings of Confucius. The connection between Confucius and the official Chinese educational system thus became permanently linked right into the present time. Confucius broke the rule of “Xue Zai Guan Fu”.Quotation missing. E.g. (Gui Ninghuo 2009, 12)

(learning at the government hall. He encouraged “learning for all hierarchical levels and for all ages”, and opened the door of education to the commoners. He established his own school and started to spread his teaching, thoughts and views. He became the earliest founder for “Private Education”.Quotation missing. E.g. (Gui Ninghuo 2009, 12)

In ancient Chinese education, whether they were government or private school, they all placed a great emphasis on humanities and cultural education, which focused on the teaching of morality and the development of wisdom. It covered philosophy, language, literature and other cultural subjects. The curriculum at the Great Academy was based on the Confucian Five Classics.Quotation missing. E.g. (Gui Ninghuo 2009, 12)

Confucius taught his students morality, proper speech, government, and the refined arts. While he also emphasized the “Six Arts” — ritual, music, archery , chariot- riding , calligraphy , and computation — it is clear that he regarded morality as the most important subject. Confucius had been regarded as the pioneer founder of family education. According to The Analects of Confucius, Confucius wanted his son to learn both poetry and rites. He said, “if one does not learn poetry, one will not be able to talk properly”, “if one does not learn rites, one will never be well footed in the society.” Other than placing a strong emphasis on morality education, Chinese education also emphasized greatly on learning/teaching method and principles. Below are some common Confucian educational philosophies:

Revise the old in order to deduce new things.

Learning and Thinking are equally important.

Learn in a systematic and progressive way, from a beginner’s level to the advanced.

Inspiration and Guidance.

Teach according to students’ ability; use appropriate materials for teaching.

Confucius’s goal was to create gentlemen who carry themselves with grace, speak correctly, and demonstrate integrity in all things.Quotation missing. E.g. (Gui Ninghuo 2009, 12)

The long The Master said in The Analects that:Quotation missing. E.g. (Gui Ninghuo 2009, 12)

“Is it not delightful to acquire knowledge and put it into practice from time to time？“Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous.” Confucius’s main educational thoughts were to teach students according to their aptitude, to treat students equally and to inspire thinking. His pedagogical methods were striking. He posed questions, cited passages from the classics, or used apt analogies, and waited for his students to arrive at the right answers. He said, “I only instruct the eager and enlighten the fervent. If I hold up one corner and a student cannot come back to me with the other three, I do not go on with the lesson.” The status of education remained high in Confucian heritage cultures in East Asia. Beyond that, translations of Confucian texts influenced European thinkers of the period as well, particularly among the philosophical groups of the Enlightenment who were interested by the integration of the system of morality of Confucius into Western civilization. The French philosopher Voltaire was also influenced by Confucius, seeing the concept of Confucian rationalism as an alternative to Christian dogma. He praised Confucian ethics and politics, portraying China as a model for Europe.Quotation missing. E.g. (Gui Ninghuo 2009, 12) --Tang Bei (talk) 13:20, 29 November 2020 (UTC)

Chinese Imperial Examination

The Chinese Imperial Examination was an examination system in Imperial China designed to select talented people for future positions in civil service. This system had a huge influence on both society and culture in Imperial China. It was established in 605 during the Sui Dynasty and lasted more than 1,300 years until the last examination in 1904 when the last Chinese feudal kingdom—the Qing Dynasty—was coming to an end. Somehow the modern examination system for selecting civil service staff also indirectly evolved from the imperial one. It was part of the process by which candidates who passed the exams could receive a title called jinshi, or some other degree, which in turn would generally be followed by appointments to government offices. The first three of Jinshi were ranked Zhuangyuan, Bangyan and Tanhua respectively.Quotation missing. E.g. (Gui Ninghuo 2009, 12)

The examinations consisted of a battery of tests administered at the district, provincial, and imperial levels. Only three-hundred candidates could pass the imperial examinations, which would be supervised by the Emperor himself. Candidate scholars often took the examinations several times before earning a degree. Each exam taker spent three days and two nights writing “eight-legged essays” — literary compositions with eight distinct sections — in a tiny room with a makeshift bed, a desk, and a bench. There were no interruptions in those three days, nor were candidates’ allowed any communication. Since the pressure to succeed was intense, cheating and corruption were rampant. In order to obtain objectivity in evaluation, candidates were identified by number rather than name, and examination answers were recopied by a third person before being evaluated to prevent the candidate’s handwriting from being recognized. In the ancient society, class consciousness was strong and many people from lower classes would have had little chance to reach high office, not to mention having any position in the official court.Quotation missing. E.g. (Gui Ninghuo 2009, 12)

However, once the imperial examination system was introduced, any male adult in China, regardless of his wealth or social status, could become a high-ranking government official by passing the imperial examination and thus realize their self-development. In this sense, passing the imperial examination was also called “carps jumping across the dragon’s gate” . The dragon had always been regarded as the symbol of mighty power and especially that of the rights exercised by the emperor, consequently the success of examination candidates was proudly called “jumping across the dragon’s gate.” In late imperial China, the examination system and associated methods of recruitment to the central bureaucracy were major mechanisms by which the central government captured and held the loyalty of local-level elites.The examination system also served to maintain cultural unity and consensus on basic values. The uniformity of the content of the examinations meant that the local elites and ambitious would-be members of those elites across China were taught with the same values. Despite the significant effect of promoting Confucian culture and education, it also influenced education systems in many other countries like Korea, Japan, and Vietnam, and similarities can be found in the personnel selection methods employed in France, America and Britain. Today’s education system is surely its successor. Quotation missing. E.g. (Gui Ninghuo 2009, 12)--Tang Bei (talk) 13:20, 29 November 2020 (UTC)

Terms and Expressions

Spring Autumn/Warring States period 春秋战国时期

Loyalty 忠

Filial Piety 孝

Benevolence 仁

Righteousness 义

poetry and rites 诗礼

Xue Shu Jiao Yu 学塾教育

Meng Guan 蒙馆

Zu Xue 族学

archery 射

chariot- riding 御

calligraphy 书

computation 数

state bureaucracy 政府机构

The Three Character Classic 《三字经》

The Hundred Family Surnames 《百家姓》

The Thousand Character Classic 《千字文》

Four Books 四书

Shuyuan 书院

Guozijian 国子监

Confucian Five Classics 五经

Six Arts 六艺

Jinshi 进士

Zhuangyuan 状元

Bangyan 榜眼

Tanhua 探花--Tang Bei (talk) 14:31, 7 December 2020 (UTC)

Questions

1.What’s Confucius educational goal?

2.What are Confucius main educational thoughts?

3.What became permanently linked right into present time?

4.Before private educationa began, only who could be taught in government schools?

What are the forms of the Chinese Imperial Examination?

6.How did examiners evaluate the examination?

7.What are the functions of the the Chinese Imperial Examination?

8.What kind of far-reaching influence does the Chinese Imperial Examination have?--Tang Bei (talk) 14:31, 7 December 2020 (UTC)

Answers

1.Confucius’s goal was to creat gentlemen who carry themselves with grace, speak correctly, and demonstrate integrity in all things.

2.Confucius’s main educational thoughts were to teach students according to their aptitude, to treat students equally and to inspire thinking.

3.The connection between Confucius and the official Chinese educational system.

4.Noblemen’s children

5.The examinations consisted of a battery of tests administered at the district, provincial, and imperial levels. Only three-hundred candidates could pass the imperial examinations, which would be supervised by the Emperor himself. Candidate scholars often took the examinations several times before earning a degree.

6.In order to obtain objectivity in evaluation, candidates were identified by number rather than name, and examination answers were recopied by a third person before being evaluated to prevent the candidate’s handwriting from being recognized.

7.In late imperial China, the examination system and associated methods of recruitment to the central bureaucracy were major mechanisms by which the central government captured and held the loyalty of local-level elites.The examination system also served to maintain cultural unity and consensus on basic values.

8.Despite the significant effect of promoting Confucian culture and education, it also influenced education systems in many other countries like Korea, Japan, and Vietnam, and similarities can be found in the personnel selection methods employed in France, America and Britain. Today’s education system is surely its successor.--Tang Bei (talk) 14:31, 7 December 2020 (UTC)

Cuisine, Chinese Dining Etiquette - Tang Yiran 汤伊然 (202070080643)

Chinese Dining Etiquette

China is a country with a long history of rituals and etiquette, and eating is a highly important feature of China’s culture, so naturally, dining etiquette has developed to a high degree. Dining etiquette is said to have its beginnings in the Zhou Dynasty (1045-256 BC). Through thousands of years of evolution, it has developed into a set of generally accepted dining rituals and practices. (Edward L.Davis 2005,306)

A Dinging Table

Attendance

As a guest at a meal, one should be particular about his or her appearance and determine whether to bring small gifts or good wine, according to the degree of relationship with the master of the banquet. It is important to attend and be punctual.

On arrival, one should first introduce himself or herself, or let the master of the banquet do the introduction if unknown to others, and then take a seat in accordance with the master of the banquet’s arrangement. (Gavin Van Hinsbergh 2020)

Seating Arrangements for a Chinese Banquet

seating arrangement (A Diagram of Seating Arrangement for a Chinese Banquet)

Dining etiquette in ancient times was enacted according to four-tier social strata:

1. the imperial court

2. local authorities

3. trade associations and

4. farmers and workers

In modern dining, seating arrangements have been simplified to:

1. master of the banquet

2. honored guest(s)

3. other guests.

The seat of honor, reserved for the master of the banquet or the guest with the highest status, is the one in the center facing east or facing the entrance. Those of higher position sit closer to the master of the banquet. The guests of the lowest position sit furthest from the seat of honor. When a family holds a banquet, the seat of honor is for the guest with the highest status and the head of the house takes the least prominent seat.

If the guest of honor or most senior member is not seated, other people are not allowed to be seated. If he hasn’t eaten, others should not begin to eat. When making toasts, the first toast is made from the seat of honor and continuing down the order of prominence.

A. Round Table

If round tables are used, the seat facing the entrance is the seat of honor. The seats on the left hand side of the seat of honor are second, fourth, sixth, etc in importance, while those on the right are third, fifth, seventh and so on in importance, until they join together.

B. Square Table

In ancient times there was a piece of furniture known as an Eight Immortals table, a big square table with benches for two people on each side. If there was a seat facing the entrance, then the right hand seat when facing the entrance was for the guest of honor. If there was no seat facing the entrance door (presumably if the meal was outside or there were two or more doors of equal importance), then the right hand seat when facing east was the seat of honor. The seats on the left hand side of the seat of honor were, in order of importance, second, fourth, sixth and eighth and those on the right were third, fifth and seventh.

C. In Grand Banquet

In a grand banquet of many tables, the table of honor is the one furthest from the entrance (or facing east in the event of no clear main entrance). The tables on the left hand side of the tables of honor are, in order of importance, second, fourth, sixth and so on, and those on the right are third, fifth and seventh. Guests are seated according to their status and degree of relationship to the master of the banquet. (Ruru Zhou 2018)

Chinese Table Manners

Most table manners in China are similar to in the West. Don't be deceived by what you might see in a local restaurant on the streets. Chinese manners don't consist of slurping food down as quickly as possible, and shouting loudly! When eating a meal in China, people are expected to behave in a civilized manner (according to Chinese customs), pay attention to table manners and practice good dining habits. In order to avoid offense diners should pay attention to the following points:

A. Consider Others

1) Let older people eat first, or if you hear an elder say "let's eat", you can start to eat. You should not steal a march on the elders.

2) When helping yourself to the dishes, you should take food first from the plates in front of you rather than those in the middle of the table or in front of others. It's bad manners to use your chopsticks to burrow through the food and "dig for treasure" and keep your eyes glued to the plates.

3) When finding your favorite dish, you should not gobble it up as quickly as possible or put the plate in front of yourself and proceed to eat like a horse. You should consider others at the table. If there is not much left on a plate and you want to finish it, you should consult others. If they say they don’t want anymore, then you can eat proceed.

4) Concentrate on the meal and your companions. Watching television, using your phone, or carrying on some other activity while having a meal is considered a bad habit.

4) You should try to refill your bowl with rice yourself and take the initiative to fill the bowls of elders with rice and food from the dishes. If elders fill your bowl or add food to your bowl, you should express your thanks.

B. "Thank you" Gesture

Tea usually is served as soon as you have a seat in a restaurant. A waiter/waitress serves you tea while you read the menu and decide what to order. The teapot is left with you on the table after everyone around the table's cup is filled with tea. Guests then serve themselves. When someone pours tea into your cup, you can tap the table with your first two fingers two or three times, showing thanks to the pourer for the service and of being enough tea. The pourer will stop pouring when seeing the gesture.

C. Elegance

1) You should pick up your bowl with your thumb on the mouth of the bowl, first finger, middle finger the third finger supporting the bottom of the bowl and palm empty. If you don't pick up your bowl, bend over the table, and eat facing your bowl, it will be regarded as bad table manners. Moreover, it will have the consequence of compressing the stomach and restricting digestion.

2) It is not good manners to pick up too much food at a time. You should behave elegantly. When taking food, don’t nudge or push against your neighbor. Don’t let the food splash or let soup or sauce drip onto the table.

3) When eating, you should close your mouth to chew food well before you swallow it, which is not only a requirement of etiquette, but also better for digestion. You should by no means open your mouth wide, fill it with large pieces of food and eat up greedily. Don’t put too much food into your mouth at a time to avoid leaving a gluttonous impression. Neither should you stretch your neck, open your mouth wide and extend your tongue to catch food you are lifting to your mouth.

4) When removing bones or other inedible parts of the meal from your mouth, use chopsticks or a hand to take them and put them on a side plate (or the table) in front of you, instead of spitting them directly onto the table or the ground.

5) If there is food around your mouth, use a tissue or a napkin to wipe it, instead of licking it with your tongue. When chewing food, don't make noises.

6) It is best not to talk with others with your mouth full. Be temperate in laughing lest you spew your food or the food goes down your windpipe and causes choking. If you need to talk, you should speak little and quietly.

7) If you want to cough or sneeze, use your hand or a handkerchief to cover your mouth and turn away. If you find something unpleasant in your mouth when chewing or phlegm in the throat, you should leave the dinner table to spit it out.

Rules and Conventions Relating to Chopsticks

1) Do not stick chopsticks vertically into your food when not using them, especially not into rice, as this will make Chinese people think of funerals. At funerals, joss sticks (sticks of incense) are stuck into a pot by the rice that is put onto the ancestor altar.

2) Do not wave your chopsticks around in the air too much or play with them.

3) Do not stab or skewer food with your chopsticks.

4) Pick food up by exerting sufficient inward pressure on the chopsticks to grasp the food securely and move it smoothly to your mouth or bowl. It is considered bad form to drop food, so ensure it is gripped securely before carrying it. Holding one’s bowl close to the dish when serving oneself or close to the mouth when eating helps.

5) To separate a piece of food into two pieces, exert controlled pressure on the chopsticks while moving them apart from each other. This needs much practice.

6) Some consider it unhygienic to use the chopsticks that have been near (or in) one’s mouth to pick food from the central dishes. Serving spoons or chopsticks can be provided, and in this case, you will need to remember to alternate between using the serving chopsticks to move food to your bowl and your personal chopsticks for transferring the food to your mouth.

7) Knives are traditionally seen as violent in China, and breakers of the harmony, so are not provided at the table. Some restaurants in China have forks available and all will have spoons. If you are not used to chopsticks, you can ask the restaurant staff to provide you with a fork or spoon.Quotation missing. E.g. (Gui Ninghuo 2009, 12)

Taboos of Using Chopsticks (Examples of Using Chopsticks in a Bad Manner in China)

References

1. Edward L. Davis. Encyclopedia of Contemporary Chinese Culture [M]. Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2005.

2. Giles, H. A., The Civilization of China, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1912.

3. Guo Shangxing, Sheng Xingqing, A History of Chinese Culture, Kaifeng: Henan Uni. Press, 1993.

4. Ivanhoe, P. J., & Norden, B. W., Readings in Classical Chinese Philosophy, New York: Severn Bridges Press, 2001.

5. Lin Yutang, The Importance of Living, New York: Reynal & Hitchcock, 1937.

6. Morton, W. Scott, & Lewis, C. M., China: its History and Culture, New York: MacGraw Hill, Inc., 2005.

7. Sun Xiaoyu, A Chinese History Reader, Singapore: Cengage Learning Asia Pte Ld., 2010.

8. 国家旅游局人事劳动教育司编，《英语》，旅游教育出版社，1996 年。

9. 廖华英主编，《中国文化概况》，外语教学与研究出版社，2008 年。

10. 马振铃主编，《中国文化概要》，南开大学出版社，1994 年。

11. 叶朗、朱良志著，《中国文化读本》，外语教学与研究出版社， 2008年。

Terms and Expressions

seat of honor 上座/尊位

Eight Immortals table 八仙桌

burrow through the food 乱翻食物

“dig for pleasure” 挖宝藏

side plate 小菜碟

napkin 餐巾纸

handkerchief 手帕

phlegm 痰

windpipe 气管

joss sticks （中国祭祀用的）香

ancestor altar 祖先祭坛

skewer 刺穿/串肉扦子

serving chopsticks 公筷

Questions

1.What do you know about the history of Chinese dining etiquette?

2.What does the “Seat of Honor” mean? Are there any commons of “Seat of Honor” in different dining situation?

3.How should we deal with our favorite food in a meal？

4.What is the way to show gratitude to the tear pourer?

5.How should we pick up the bowl when eating?

6.What manners of using chopsticks are considered bad in China?

Answers

1. Dining etiquette is said to have its beginnings in the Zhou Dynasty (1045-256 BC).

2. The seat of honor is reserved for the master of the banquet or the guest with the highest status. It is commonly the one in the center facing east or facing the entrance.

3. When finding your favorite dish, you should not gobble it up as quickly as possible or put the plate in front of yourself and proceed to eat like a horse. Instead, you should consider others at the table. If there is not much left on a plate and you want to finish it, you should consult others. If they say they don’t want anymore, then you can eat proceed

4. We can tap the table with our first two fingers two or three times, showing thanks to the pourer for the service and for being enough tea. The pourer will stop pouring when seeing the gesture.

5. You should pick up your bowl with your thumb on the mouth of the bowl, first finger, middle finger the third finger supporting the bottom of the bowl and palm empty.

6. Rummaging through the food in a dish with chopsticks and searching for choice pieces, sticking chopsticks vertically into a bowl of rice, or pointing at people with them are all considered bad table manners.

Business, Enterprises - Wang Meiling 王美玲

A.Midea

Midea is a technology group of consumer electronics, HVAC, robotics and automation systems, and smart supply chain (logistics).Founded in Shunde, China in 1968, Midea officially entered the household appliance industry in 1980. In 1981, Midea registered its brand. The group employs a total of 130000 people, whose headquarter is locate in Shunde, Guangdong Province. Midea Group has about 200 subsidiaries, more than 60 overseas branches and 10 strategic business units worldwide, and is the main shareholder of KUKA group (about 95%) in Germany . Midea now has more than ten brands such as Midea and Little Swan. and has 15 and 6 production bases separately home and abroad.Quotation missing. E.g. (Gui Ninghuo 2009, 12)

Business operation

Midea's diversified development strategy can reflect its wide range of business : consumer electrical appliances mainly including kitchen appliances, refrigerators, washing machines and all kinds of small household appliances; HVAC business focusing on heating and ventilation systems such as household air conditioning and central air conditioning; robot and industrial automation system business with German KUKA group and Midea robot company as the core.Up to July 2020, Midea ranked 22nd in the list of China's Top 100 Most Valuable Brands in 2020.

Corporate culture

To some extent, enterprises seems like a person. Generally speaking, the style and personality of an enterprise are greatly affected by the values and behavior styles of enterprise leaders. Enterprise style and characters can determine the fate and future itself. Midea focus on sound operation. If Haier and Gree went to two "extremes", Midea would choose the "middle road", which is neither extreme left nor right. It will not suddenly break the original management framework and organizational structure,which, otherwise, would place the enterprise in high risk. Midea Group’s New Vision, mission,values and business principles are not only rooted in the achievements of historical accumulation, but also the strategic blueprint for the future. The New Vision,“the perfection of science and technology lead to the perfection of life”, continues the Midea’s emphasis on science and technology and human-oriented spirit; The new mission,“connecting people and things, enlightening the world of Midea” reflects its strategic thinking on the development trend of technology, industrial chain and global layout, and makes the linkage between people and things in different scenes more advanced, thus stimulating the leapfrog development of people’s lives and production; Through the value“dare to know the future”, Midea could continue carrying forward its spirits of future orientation and embracing changes. From a New Vision, mission, values, the United States of intelligent manufacturing, intelligent life, and the way to give back to society, but also a deeper level of exploration.

Development strategy

(1)Diversified industry layout

In the light of the wide range of its business, we can see that Midea is actively promoting diversified development: in the area of air-conditioning, Midea，since 1998，has made a series of acquisitions and mergers, expanding its air-conditioning capacity and entering the field of air-conditioning compressors. Moreover, it has produced the core components of air conditioning, increased research and development and cooperation in air conditioning, then begun to produce the core components of air conditioning compressor, increased research and development in the core components; as for small household appliances, since 2001, Midea has mastered the core components of microwave oven and become one of the three largest production bases in the world. Subsequently, the Group has reorganized the small appliance business under direct control and developed professionally on the basis of diversification ; diversification has the advantage of spreading risk, that is the theory of “don’t put all your eggs in one basket” , and its disadvantage lies in the difficulty for firms to concentrate and, relatively speaking, to establish absolute competitive advantage in one or more specific areas.

(2)"Intensive Growth + Extensive Expansion" business strategy

Midea's business strategy can be described as "two-pronged approach". On the one hand, Midea relies on its own enterprise strength to continuously optimize the performance of its core products and has made earnest efforts to improve the quality of its core products. On the other hand, through a series of acquisitions and mergers on home appliance brand，Midea has furthered its market penetration, and enhanced the market share, expanded the user group, leading to its accomplishment of “Extension Expansion” strategy. In fact, the strategy is not limited to mergers and acquisitions, but also includes the continuous paces into new industrial fields. Midea is building its own "Second Runway", that is “New Product Incubation Platform”, which is not limited to the field of home appliances. As long as meeting Midea's standards for "innovative products", any products can enter the incubation platform.

Development prospect

（1)Home

In 2020, affected by the COVID-19, the rising leverage ratio of the residential sector, the rising food prices, as well as the continuing low marriage and birth rates, the pace of further expansion of the household appliance market has been hindered. As one of the three giants in China's home appliance market, Midea is naturally deeply aware of the weakness of the home appliance market, which is reflected specifically in the decline of market demand for color TV sets, air conditioners, kitchen appliances and household appliances. Midea will unswervingly increase R&D investment, maintain high-quality development direction, and adhere to inclusive growth and sustained and effective growth. Midea has further expanded its online market scale which has continuously diverted offline market scale. It has been developing an integrated sales channel with both online and offline, which has been promoted orderly on Suning, Gome, Jingdong, Tmall and other platforms. Facing the domestic market, Midea has been consolidated its basic system and established a unified business language and rules.

（2)Abroad

In 2020, the global trade friction continues to escalate, tariff barriers increases Midea’s risk of overseas market expansion, and the exchange rate between countries continues fluctuating. All of these factors mentioned above has increased Midea’s risk to engage in product export and to exchange loss. Facing the overseas market, Midea will adhere to the consumer-oriented and product-leading strategy, give full play to its network advantages in global R&D and user research, grasp the differentiated needs of foreign consumer groups, improve the construction of multi-brand operation system, leading to further open-up of the foreign market and the improvement of market share.

Terms and Expressions

HVAC 暖通空调

Shunde （广东）顺德

Smart supply chain 智能供应链

Diversification n. 多样化

Subsidiary n. 子公司

Intensive Growth 内生式增长

Household appliance 家用电器

leverage ratio 杠杆率

Diversified adj. 多元化的

Second Runway 第二跑道

Intelligent manufacturing 智能制造

R&D 研发

air conditioning compressor 空调压缩机

Tmall 天猫

tariff barrier 贸易壁垒

Questions

1.Why does Midea implement diversified development strategy?

2.Why corporate culture can determine its future?

3.what development strategy does Midea adopt?

4.How will Midea deal with the weakness of home appliance market?

5.How does Midea differ from Haier and Gree in terms of its style?

B.Haier

Haier, formerly known as Haier Qingdao, is a leading global provider of solutions for a better life. Founded in 1980 and headquartered in Qingdao, Shandong Province, it was listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange (600690) and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (690D) in 1993 and 2018, respectively. Relentlessly centered on user experience and geared to the beat of the times, Haier has developed from an insolvent collective small factory on the verge of closure into an ecological enterprise leading the Internet of Things era. It has been the world's only IoT ecological brand for two consecutive years in the BrandZ 100 most valuable global brands. In the Internet of Things era, Haier is leading the world in terms of its ecological brand and single-unit model. Moreover, it boasts the world's largest market share in white goods R&D, production and sales, as well as in the integrated channel business of large appliances.

Business operation

Haier adopts Diversification Product strategy, but it differs from Midea's in that the former has broader fields. Its business scope mainly includes the R&D, production and sales of and smart home scene solutions and smart home appliances such as refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners, water heaters, kitchen appliances, small home appliances. It also engages in IT industry such as digital technology, intelligent technology, software technology, enterprise management services and consulting, information technology services, etc. Through a rich combination of products, brands and solutions, Haier creates a whole scene of intelligent life experience to meet users' pursuit of the good life.

Corporate culture

Corporate culture is the soul and gene of an enterprise. Haier's corporate culture is one of change, always following the times and continuous innovation and development, which can be summed up in four words: self-righteousness. It means everyone is constantly challenging themselves, overcoming themselves, reinventing themselves, and changing themselves according to external changes. So it can be said that Haier's corporate style is "paradigm change". Haier has its own core values: the concept of right and wrong of "always take the user as yes, take oneself as no" is Haier's motivation to create users; the concept of development of "everyone is the creator, chain group becomes self-driven" is Haier's way of looking at sustainable development; the concept of "win-win" is the guarantee for Haier's sustainable operation. Haier's corporate spirit is "ecological integrity, win-win evolution". In the process of continuous entrepreneurship and innovation, the Haier Group always adheres to the development main line of "human value first". Haier has formed a perfect innovation culture which is dynamic and constantly optimized. Zhang Ruimin once said, "There exist no successful enterprises, only enterprises geared to the times."

Development strategy

(1)Diversified industry layout

From 1992, Haier has begun to expand from one product to a variety of products, and comprehensively implemented a diversification strategy. Through mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and cooperation, Haier has rapidly entered the field of white goods such as freezes, air conditioners, and washing machines from a single product refrigerator; in 1997, with the production of digital color TVs as a symbol, Haier entered the field of black home appliances from the field of white goods; in 1998, Haier ventured into the computer industry, which was known abroad as the field of beige home appliances. In 1998, Haier ventured into the computer industry, which is known abroad as the beige home appliance industry. In the process of expansion, Haier has engaged in capital operation in the way of eating "shock fish" and insisted on revitalizing tangible assets with intangible assets, which ensured the success rate of capital operation and the low-cost expansion. In this way, the goal of making Haier bigger and stronger in the shortest period of time was achieved. Haier still takes home appliance industry as its main industry, with sales accounting for about 40-70% of Haier's total sales.

(2)"Intensive Growth + Extensive Expansion" business strategy

Haier has adopted a parallel strategy,：on the one hand: Haier will set self-innovation as the core of corporate culture, the implementation of strategic innovation to establish the corporate brand, focus on making refrigerators upgrade, adhere to the Internet of Things smart home ecological brand strategic direction; on the other hand, Haier is undergoing a large-scale enterprise change, and we can hardly continue to classify Haier as "home appliance enterprises". "After the change in the business model, Haier's many micro and small companies can decide their own development prospects, and the Haier Group does not limit or intervene in the their fields to entry. So the path of extensive expansion Haier takes is very broad.

Development prospect

（1)Home

During the epidemic, Haier's 3Q report achieved high quality growth, which is closely related to the future layout of Haier since more than 10 years. Haier has been exploring the transformation from "selling products" to "selling scenes" to adapt to the consumption trend of experiential scenes. When realizing differentiated competition, Haier brings user experience and industry development into a new dimension. With a forward-looking strategic layout and strong landing capabilities, Haier has formed industry differentiation advantages in smart package, experience cloud and mass customization, and promoted the company's transition to a smart home ecological brand. Haier is currently the leader in the domestic Internet market, but will face challenges from crossover competitors such as Xiaomi and Huawei, and needs to focus the company's resources to win the battle.

（2)Abroad

Among the home appliance enterprises, Haier is the first to go abroad, and is also the enterprise with the highest market share in overseas markets. In 2016, Haier also acquired the American General Electric Company at a sky-high price of $5.58 billion, which is the largest overseas merger and acquisition in China's home appliance industry, making Haier leap from a Qingdao local enterprise to a multinational white goods leader, and also marking the acceleration of Haier's internationalization process again. At the same time, Haier has been ranked first in the global home appliance market share for many years, with over 10% of the global home appliance market share.According to Euromonitor, Haier has kept its leading position in the Asia-Pacific and North American markets (the two markets together account for 63.5% of global retail sales). Taking the advantage of the concerted efforts of Candy, Haier merged recently, Haier is expected to achieve its market share among the top five in the European market and to become a true leader in the home appliance industry worldwide.

Terms and Expressions

Qingdao （山东）青岛

Tangible asset 有形资产

Shanghai Stock Exchange 上海证券交易所

Intangible asset 无形资产

Frankfurt Stock Exchange 弗兰克福证券交易所

Shock Fish 休克鱼

BrandZ 全球最具价值品牌百强榜

3Q report 三季报

IoT 物联网

Experience cloud 体验云

Ren Dan He Yi 人单合一

General Electric Company 美国通用电气公司

chain group 链群

Euromonitor 欧睿信息咨询公司

IT 信息技术

Candy （意大利）卡迪集团

Questions

1.What kind of home appliances does Haier focus on the most?

2.What is the difference between Haier and Midea's diversified product strategy?

3.What is Haier's "Ren Dan He Yi" model?

4. The pros and cons of Haier's outward expansion strategy.

5. Why did Haier transform to a smart home eco-brand?

6. Haier's motivation for acquiring General Electric Company.

C.Gree

Gree, founded in 1991, is an international home appliance company integrating R&D, production, sales and service, with three brands: Gree, TOSOT and Jinghong, headquartered in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province. Dong Mingzhu Gree's chairman, president and legal representative. In 1996, Gree was listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. Gree has more than 90,000 employees, among whom there are 15,000 R&D personnel and 30,000 technical workers. It has 15 production bases and 15 research institutes at home and abroad. Gree has been on the Fortune Magazine's list of "China's Top 100 Listed Companies" for 9 consecutive years. The "Gree" brand of air conditioners is a "world famous brand" in China's air conditioning industry, with business in more than 100 countries and regions around the world.

Business operation

Its business mainly includes: sales, installation and maintenance of central air conditioning, refrigeration, air conditioning equipment, clean air conditioning, heating equipment, ventilation equipment; kitchen utensils, stainless steel products, daily-use hardware; household refrigeration appliances, household air conditioners and related parts; machinery and equipment, and wholesale of electronic products. Unlike Haier and Midea, Gree adopts a specialized product strategy and has been focusing on the research and development of various types of air conditioners. As a large appliance manufacturer focusing on air conditioning products, Gree has established itself as the leader in the domestic air conditioning market, and its brand culture is deeply rooted in the people's hearts, and is well known in the domestic air conditioning market with slogans such as "Fine air conditioning that Gree creates" and "Buy good-quality, choose Gree". Since 2005, Gree has been the global leader in the production and sales of air conditioners for 7 consecutive years.

Corporate culture

In implementing the strategy of creating a famous brand, Gree prioritizes the construction of corporate culture and strive for corporate culture as a unified goal: the corporate spirit of "Loyalty, Friendliness, Diligence and Progress" fully reflects Gree’s requirements to its employees; the business philosophy of "making the best air conditioners for consumers" accurately and clearly shows Gree’s commitment to the society and consumers, as well as its determination to stick to the road of specialization and its confidence in the pursuit of excellence in product quality; the service concept of "Every little thing you do is a big thing for Gree! demonstrates that Gree puts service throughout the entire production and operation activities of the enterprise, emphasizing pre-sales, in-sales and after-sales services; the management concept of "Innovation has no limitations" enables Gree to achieve high efficiency and low cost in the production process.

Development strategy

(1)Specialized industry layout

Gree has delivered outstanding performance in air conditioning largely due to the fact that Gree has been focusing on air conditioning for the past few decades without any distractions. Gree have several large production bases around the world, and its research scope includes twenty major categories, more than 400 series, which can meet the various needs of consumers. Gree have so far owned thousands of technical patents of air conditioners, and decades of quality improvement work have made Gree air conditioners achieve a qualitative leap in quality, from "Made in China" to "Created in China" .

(2)"Intensive Growth + Extensive Expansion" business strategy

On the one hand, Gree belongs to the typical intensive growth model, where the driving force for development basically comes from within the enterprise and rarely relies on external forces, such as M&A. Gree takes the path of training talents independently, and has 12 research institutes and more than 30,000 technical developers. Gree sets various series of air conditioners its main business，whose entire production chain of production, processing, sales and marketing channels are operated internally. On the other hand, compared to Haier and Midea, Gree's outward expansion has been smaller. One of Gree's large-scale mergers and acquisitions of significance was the industrial industry integration that began in early 2004 and was completed in the same year. Gree successfully acquired the Group's shares of Lingda Compressor, Gree Small Appliances, Gree Electric and other companies, contributing to forming an industrial advantage, improving its core competitiveness and seizing the industry high ground.Interestingly, Gree announced its intention to enter the new energy vehicle industry by acquiring Zhuhai Yinlong New Energy, which was a huge breakthrough in Gree's long-held intensive growth model in these years.

Development prospect

（1)Home

In 2020, as air conditioners enter the era of saturation, Gree faces difficulty before market opportunities and challenges. In recent years, Gree is obviously increasing the diversification of the layout, in order to disperse the risk that the air conditioning industry may continue to slump in the next few years, Dong Mingzhu hopes to find new growth points through diversification of the layout, which is the reason why Gree cell phones, Gree (Yinlong) new energy vehicle projects have been showed in the market. If new growth points were not cultivated in time, the possibility of continued stagnation of Gree Appliances in the coming years couldn’t be ruled out. The company's business is expected to be a high-end intelligent manufacturing equipment in Gree's diversified business. Gree, which has diversified genes and the courage to experiment with various businesses, opened a medical equipment company during the epidemic, and product masks and air purifiers that can kill COVID-19. The enthusiasm for diversified business exploration is closely related to Dong's energetic and aggressive style. But the deeper reason lies in that Gree needs more opportunities to grab the market in areas other than white home appliances, especially air conditioners.

（2)Abroad

Gree’s air conditioners have gained international recognition for their technology, quality and price advantages,which have been exported to more than 100 countries and regions around the world. Gree's trademark has been applied for international registration in 77 countries around the world, laying a brand foundation for the internationalization of Gree's products. At the same time, Gree is extending its production lines to foreign countries to enhance the confidence of foreign dealers and consumers in Gree and improve its international image .

Terms and Expressions

TOSOT 大松电器公司

Growth points 增长点

Jinghong 晶弘电器公司

Gree Electric 格力电工

Shenzhen Stock Exchange 深圳证券交易所

Industry high ground 行业制高点

Created in China 中国创造

General Electric Company 格力电工

Zhuhai Yinlong New Energy 珠海银隆新能源有限公司

COVID-19 新型冠状病毒

Technical patent 技术专利

Lingda Compressor 凌达压缩机

Questions

1. Why does Gree adopt specialized industrial layout?

2. Why has Gree expanded its diversified layout in recent years?

3. Do you think whether Gree should acquire Zhuhai Yinlong New Energy ?

4.What is the impact of Dong Mingzhu's style of work on Gree's development?

Wang Xuan 王轩

A A brief introduction of National Flag of the People's Republic of China

The national flag of the people's Republic of China is a five-star red flag, the symbol of the country. Zeng Liansong is the designer of the national flag. Red and rectangular, its length and height are three to two. Five yellow five pointed stars are decorated on the top left of the flag. One star is larger, and its circumscribed circle diameter is three tenths of the flag height, which is on the left; the four stars are smaller, and their circumscribed circle diameter is one tenth of the flag height, and the ring is arched to the right of the big star. The national flag of the people's Republic of China began to solicit the design of the national flag from July 14 to August 15, 1949. On August 20, 1949, the national flag and national emblem Selection Committee received 2992 (3012) national flag designs. On September 27, 1949, deputies to the first plenary session of the National Committee of the Chinese people's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) passed a motion to use the five-star red flag as the national flag. On October 1, 1949, the first national flag was first raised by Mao Zedong in Tiananmen Square. The red flag of the people's Republic of China symbolizes revolution. The five five pointed stars on the flag and their relationship symbolize the great unity of the revolutionary people under the leadership of the Communist Party. The five pointed stars are used in yellow to show light on the red ground. Each of the four small five pointed stars faces the center of the big star, indicating unity around a center.

1. Solicit comments from the public

On June 15, 1949, the Preparatory Committee for the National Committee of the Chinese people's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) was formally established in Peiping, shortly after Liberation. The preparatory work undertaken by this committee included the important task of formulating the national flag of new China, and designated the sixth group of the Preparatory Committee to be responsible for it. On 4 July 1949, the sixth group held its first meeting. The meeting decided to publish newspapers to solicit the patterns of the national flag and the national emblem, and to set up a selection committee for the national flag and the national emblem pattern and the national lyrics score. In addition to the group members participating in the selection, Xu Beihong, Liang Sicheng, Ai Qing and other experts were invited to participate. From July 14 to August 15, 1949, people's daily, Jiefang Daily, Xinhua daily and other newspapers and periodicals published the notice of the preparatory meeting of the Chinese people's Political Consultative Conference asking for the design of the national flag. The news of asking for the design of the national flag quickly spread to the whole country and overseas. Many people in their spare time, spread out the paper and began the design work. They carefully designed and drew one pattern after another with their own characteristics, marked with detailed instructions, and sent them to Beijing. They regard the design and drawing of the national flag as a glorious and noble thing to pour their boundless love for new China.

2. Collect drafts from all walks of life

On August 20, 1949, the national flag and national emblem Selection Committee received 2992 pieces of national flag patterns. Guo Moruo, Chen Jiageng and other members of the preparatory committee also submitted their sample designs. These designs were displayed in the temporary reading room. The selection committee selected 38 draft plans from them and incorporated them into the reference materials for the design of the national flag and submitted them to the newly established Chinese people's Political Consultative Conference for discussion.

3. Pass a resolution

The design of the national flag of the Chinese people's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) was approved in the 32nd session of the Chinese people's Political Consultative Conference. In the pattern of five-star red flag before this, there are sickles and axes in the big stars. Before the adoption of the resolution, the national flag and national emblem review group made partial modifications to the design pattern, and made a unified explanation on the significance of the national flag pattern. On September 27, 1949, the resolution on the capital, chronology, national anthem and national flag of the people's Republic of China, adopted at the first plenary session of the CPPCC National Committee, stipulates in the fourth point that "it is unanimously adopted: the national flag of the people's Republic of China is a five-star red earth flag, which symbolizes the great unity of the revolutionary people of China." The resolution of the Chinese people's Political Consultative Conference on the capital, chronology, national anthem and national flag of the people's Republic of China and the measures for flag making adopted by the presidium of the Chinese people's Political Consultative Conference stipulate that the national flag of the people's Republic of China is a five-star red flag, which is rectangular, and symbolizes revolution. Its length and height are three to two, and five yellow five pointed stars are on the top left of the flag, symbolizing the revolutionary unity under the leadership of the Communist Party of China The star symbolizes red with yellow, and the earth is bright. One star is larger, its circumscribed circle diameter is 3 / 10 of the flag height, which is on the left; the four stars are smaller, and their circumscribed circle diameter is 1 / 10 of the flag height, and they are circled on the right side of the big star, and each has an angle point facing the center of the big star, which expresses the aspiration of hundreds of millions of people to the great Communist Party of China, just like the northern star. The flagpole cover is white to distinguish it from the red flag. On September 29, 1949, the people's Daily published the pattern of the new national flag and the explanation of its making method, which were provided to all walks of life for making and using. On October 1, 1949, the first national flag of the people's Republic of China was first raised by Mao Zedong in Tiananmen Square.

C Symbolism of the flag

The red flag of the people's Republic of China symbolizes revolution. The five five pointed stars on the flag and their relationship symbolize the great unity of the revolutionary people under the leadership of the Communist Party. Yellow is used to show light on the red ground. Yellow is brighter and more beautiful than white. Each of the four small Pentagram stars has a point facing the center of the big star, which means that they are united around a center and are compact and beautiful in form.

Wu Qiong 吴琼

China's Four New Inventions

Most people must have known about China's Four Inventions: gunpowder, paper-making, compass, and printing. Those represented how wise the Chinese was and how brilliant history China had. Today, China still holds the places and influence in technology and inventions. In May,2017, teenagers from 20 nations along the Belt and Road selected China's four new inventions: high speed railway, QR code payment, sharing bikes and online shopping. Though these new inventions are not first invented by China, but it is China that makes full use of them, and introduces them to the rest of the world. The four new inventions bring incredible changes and convenience into people's life. China, at the same time, makes contributions to the development of the human beings. World's future will be bright and prosper due to more technologies and inventions such as China's Four New Inventions.

A. High-speed railway

High-speed railway is a railway system with advanced design and high-speed rails run on it. The world's first official high-speed rail system is the Tokaido Shinkansen line and it goes into public in 1964, connecting the three major metropolitan circles of Japan: Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka. The high speed railway has promoted the rapid development of Japan. Its designed speed is 200km/h, which then becomes the initial speed standard of high-speed rail. Later, with the advancement of technology, the speed of trains became faster. Different countries have different definitions of high-speed railways in different eras. According to statistics, the length of high-speed railways in operation in China has reached to more than 6,800 kilometers. China has become the country with the most comprehensive high-speed railway system technology, the strongest integration capability, the longest operating mileage, the highest operating speed, and the largest scale of construction in the world.

Features

1. High-speed railways are very smooth to keep safety and comfort. High-speed railways are all seamless steel tracks, and high-speed railways with a speed of more than 300 kilometers per hour use ballastless tracks, that is, a monolithic track bed without stones to maintain smoothness. 2. The high-speed railway has few bends, as the bend is of long radius, and the turnouts are all moveable high-speed turnouts. 3. Use a large number of viaducts and tunnels to ensure ride comfort and shorten the distance. 4. The catenary of the high-speed railway, that is, the suspension of the wires on the top of the train, is also different from that of ordinary railways to keep stability and durability of the high-speed EMUs. 5. The signal control system of high-speed railways is higher than that of ordinary railways, because of the frequent departure and high speed of rails, it should be of high safety.

Merits

1. Large passenger capacity. Generally, high speed rails can accommodate 600 people. Compared to other public tools such as bus, boat or airplane, high speed rails have more seats. 2. Less time-consuming. In addition to the maximum operating speed, passengers are more concerned about travel time. High speed rails will not operate in late night, so passengers can get off the rails almost in daytime, thus to finish their business or other private matters which helps save a lot of time. 3. Good safety. Due to the automatic operation of high-speed rails in a fully enclosed environment and a series of complete safety guarantee systems, thus no other transportation means can be matched with it. Since the advent of high-speed railway 35 years ago, Japan, Germany, and France have already transported 5 billion passengers. Although there have been major traffic accidents on high-speed railways, the accident rate is much lower than that of civil aviation and is almost negligible. It is still the safest transportation system. 4. High punctuality. All high-speed railways adopt automatic control and can operate around the clock unless there is an earthquake. 5. Comfortable and convenient. High speed rails have spacious and comfortable seats, stable operation, shock absorption, sound insulation, and quiet environment. 6. Low energy consumption. High-speed trains use electric traction, do not consume precious petroleum and other liquid fuels, and use various forms of energy, which is not a wasteful transportation mean.

Terms and Expressions

High speed railways高速铁路 the Tokaido Shinkansen line东海道新干线

the three major metropolitan circles of Japan: Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka.日本三大都市圈: 东京、名古屋和大阪

integration capability整合能力 operating mileage运营里程.

File:Highsppedrail.jpg

seamless steel tracks无缝钢轨 ballastless track无砟轨道

a monolithic track bed整体式道床 moveable high-speed turnouts.可动心高速道岔

viaducts and tunnels高架桥梁和隧道 high-speed EMUs.高速动车组

shock absorption and sound insulation减震隔音 petroleum and other liquid fuels石油等液体燃料

Questions

1. Where does the first high speed railway come from?

2. What is the name of the first high speed railway?

3. What is the advantages of high speed railway?

4. What are the features of high speed railway?

5. Which transportation carries more passengers, high speed rails or trains?

6. From Changsha to Shanghai, which transportation means will you choose?

Answers

1. In May,2017.

2. Tokaido Shinkansen line.

3.It's fast, smooth, safe and comfort.

4. It uses viaducts and tunnels and signal control system.

5. High-speed rails.

6. High-speed rails.

B. QR code payment

The QR code payment model is based on the concept of mobile payment, and the first batch of payments made by mobile devices occurred in Finland in 1997. Finnish local media reported that Finland Telecom has enabled the service of operating jukeboxes and beverage vending machines by dialing a pay phone number. This service allows you to buy Coca-Cola at Helsinki Airport. The QR code, also known as "two-dimensional code" was invented in 1994 by the Japanese company DW.

Background

The rise of QR code payment methods in China is not occasionally. It is mainly related to the rapid development of IT technology and the rapid advancement of e-commerce. The maturity of IT technology has promoted the birth of mobile terminals such as smart phones and tablet computers, which makes people's mobile life more colorful. At the same time, domestic e-commerce is also closely related to "mobile", especially the development of O2O. With a large number of mobile devices and a large amount of mobile consumption, payment costs have become particularly critical. Therefore, QR code payment solutions came into being.

Characteristics

At the end of 2010, QR codes and related technologies were widely circulated on the Internet, marking the beginning of the widespread popularity of QR codes in China. The popularity of any thing must have its reasons, and so is QR code payment. 1. Mature technology QR code payment already has mature technical means in developed areas abroad, which has laid the foundation for the development of domestic QR code technology, and it is believed that it will quickly become popular. 2. Easy to use After the user installs the QR code recognition software, the transaction can be completed by simply swiping the place where the QR code is posted. 3. Convenient payment With the QR code payment method, merchants do not have to bear high cost payments such as cash on delivery, and consumers can also make real-time payments anytime, anywhere. 4. Lower cost Due to the maturity of technology and the popularization of mobile devices, the cost of QR code payment has become very low.

Terms and Expressions

QR code (Quick Response code)快速反应码

Finland芬兰 Telecom电信

jukebox点唱机 beverage vending machine饮料自动售货机

Helsinki Airport赫尔辛基机场

Questions

1. What advanced the birth of QR code?

2. When did the QR code become popular in China?

3. Why does QR code cost lower?

4. When was the QR code invented?

Answers

1. The maturity of IT technology

2. At the end of 2010.

3. Merchants do not have to bear high cost payments such as cash on delivery.

4. In 1997.

C. Shared bikes

As early as 1965, the Municipal Government of Amsterdam in the Netherlands proposed the "White Plan". According to the plan, the government purchased 50 bicycles and painted them with white paint as a sign and scattered them around the city for people to use. This was the earliest in the world. The unmanned shared bicycle system is invented by the Netherlands. In 2007, France also had free cycling, and it was only later that China became popular and innovative models developed and promoted overseas.

Function

By providing services on campuses, subway stations, bus stations, residential areas, commercial districts, public service areas, etc., bicycle-sharing (bicycle) companies complete the ”last mile“ in the transportation industry and drive residents' enthusiasm for using other public transportation. Produce synergy with other public transportation methods. Shared bicycles are a time-sharing lease model and a new type of green and environmentally friendly sharing economy.

Development

China's bike-sharing market has gone through three stages of development. The first phase is from 2007 to 2010. The public bicycle model that has emerged from abroad is introduced into the country, and the government will lead the management in different cities, mostly with piled bicycles. 2010-2014 is the second stage. Companies specializing in the bicycle market began to appear, but public bicycles are still dominated by piled bicycles. The third phase is from 2014 to 2018. With the rapid development of the mobile Internet, Internet shared bicycles led by Mobike came into being, and more convenient dockless bicycles began to replace docked bicycles.

Terms and Expressions

Amsterdam阿姆斯特丹 the unmanned shared bicycle system 无人管理的共享单车系统

free cycling 单车自由行 residential areas 居民区

last mile ”最后一公里“ green and environmentally friendly economy 绿色和环境友好型经济

the first phase第一阶段 dockless bicycles无桩单车

Questions

1. Which country invented the shared bike?

2. What is the main purpose for the invention of shared bike?

3. How many phases at present have the shared bikes experienced?

4. How's the prospect of the shared bikes?

Answers

1. Netherlands.

2.To complete the ”last mile“ in the transportation industry and drive residents' enthusiasm for using other public transportation

3. Three.

4. With the development of the four new inventions, the shared bikes will be more and more developed.

D. Online shopping

Online shopping belongs to the category of e-commerce. In 1979, the British Michael Aldrich invented the concept of online shopping. Aldrich used a technology called Videotex to connect an ordinary TV set to the computer of a local retailer through a telephone line. By the 1990s, after Amazon and eBay launched their websites in 1995, e-commerce became popular around the world.

Definition

Retrieve product information through the Internet, and send a shopping request through an electronic order form, and then fill in a personal checking account or credit card number. The manufacturer will ship the goods by mail order or deliver the goods to the door through a courier company. For online shopping in China, the general payment method is cash on delivery (direct bank transfer, online remittance) and cash on delivery for secured transactions.

Development

As early as 1999, Chinese Internet prophets began to build B2C websites, dedicated to promoting online shopping in China. But this approach was generally questioned by the economics community at that time. (Will there be enough consumers shopping online? Can online shopping solve the problem of logistics and distribution? Can online shopping solve the problem of online payment?) However, in the future, these doubts are all It's not a problem. They have been solved by large shopping websites, courier companies other than postal services, and many third-party online payments that connect with major banks.

With the development of the economy, online shopping has gradually reappeared. In 2005, Dangdang achieved annual sales of 440 million yuan, a figure that greatly exceeded the expectations of most investment institutions two or three years ago. This number proves the success of the Amazon (famous e-commerce website) model in China, as well as the over-pessimism of economists and the greatness of market forces.

With the popularity of the Internet, the advantages of online shopping have become more prominent, and it has increasingly become an important form of shopping. The 29th Statistical Report on Internet Development in China released by the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) in January 2012 shows that as of the end of December 2011, the number of Internet users in China reached 513 million, with 55.8 million new Internet users throughout the year; The penetration rate increased by 4 percentage points from the end of last year, reaching 38.3%. The number of mobile Internet users in China reached 356 million, a year-on-year increase of 17.5%. Compared with previous years, the growth of China's overall Internet users has entered a platform period.

Terms and Expressions

retrieve product information检索商品信息 a courier company快递公司

direct bank transfer直接银行转账 online remittance在线汇款

secured transactions担保交易 cash on delivery货到付款 logistics and distribution 物流配

Questions

1. What are people concerning about before the online shopping came true?

2. How could people pay online?

3. How was the situation in the previous economic field?

Answers

1. Will there be enough consumers shopping online? Can online shopping solve the problem of logistics and distribution? Can online shopping solve the problem of online payment?

2. the general payment method is cash on delivery (direct bank transfer, online remittance) and cash on delivery for secured transactions.

3. The manufacturer will ship the goods by mail order or deliver the goods to the door through a courier company.

Wu Yilu 吴一露 202070080610

A.Huawei

Of all the Chinese phone manufacturers, Huawei is probably the name that needs no introduction. It's the world's second largest smartphone company, and it's at the center of an international battle for technological dominance between Beijing and Washington. 

Founded in 1987, Huawei is a leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices. It has more than 194,000 employees, and operate in more than 170 countries and regions, serving more than three billion people around the world. Huawei is a private company wholly owned by its employees. No government agency or outside organization holds shares in Huawei.

Their vision and mission is to bring digital to every person, home and organization for a fully connected, intelligent world. The benefits of digital technology shouldn't just be available to those who can afford it. Huawei's mission is to expand the benefits of technology to everyone, everywhere. To achieve this, they've developed a digital inclusion strategy that focuses on three areas: technology, applications, and skills. For example, three main world-changing technologies built by Huawei are 5G, Huawei cloud and Huawei AI.

 "Staying customer-centric and creating value for customers" are the company's common values. The company has a well-developed internal governance structure, under which all governance bodies have clear and focused authority and responsibility, but operate under checks and balances. This creates a closed cycle of authority and achieves rational and cyclical succession of authority, so as to drive the facilitation and implementation of the company's common values.

Diagram of Huawei Corporate Governance. Click Governance Structure.jpg for original source.

Huawei is continuing to focus on research and innovation to seize the opportunities and address the challenges of the future intelligent world.  There are many innovations and inventions of Huawei to drive the industry forward, including advanced wireless networks, optical networks, intelligent O&M, AI computing, smartphone camera, media CODEC standards, software, trustworthiness and so on. Today, Huawei have entered the 5G ear and embarked on 6G research. It is exploring new directions for 6G. To this end, they began research into the basic theories of 6G and initiated extensive open collaboration projects with other industry players and pushed the industry to build a consensus on 6G.

Once virtually unknown to most Americans, the telecommunications giant was splashed across newspapers when top executive (and daughter of the company's founder) Meng Wangzhou was arrested in Canada for an alleged violation of US sanctions with Iran. Since then, the Chinese telecom has regularly made international headlines, especially since the US Commerce Department banned American companies from doing business with Huawei without first obtaining a license.  For Huawei, that meant it could lose access to crucial technological parts including semiconductors, which are key components used in its base stations and phones. It also meant Huawei's handsets were cut off from the full power of Google's Android operating system, along with several popular apps including the Google Play store, Gmail, Google Maps and apps that rely on Google like Uber and eBay. At its launch in September, the Mate 30 was Huawei's first major phone to launch without Google's proprietary apps. Despite US efforts to constrain Huawei, the company reported first-half earnings this month showing revenue grew more than 13% from a year ago to around $65 billion.

Terms and Expression

Huawei cloud 华为云 Intelligent Collaboration 协同管理技术

optical networks 光纤网络 Carrier Network 承载网络

intelligent O&M 智能委托运营 the Kunpeng 920 鲲鹏920

AI computing 人工智能计算 AppGallery  华为应用程序库

information and communications technology (ICT) 信息与通讯技术 Media CODEC standards 编解码标准

Questions:

1. When is Huawei founded?

2.How many countries and regions does Huawei operate?

3.Do government agency and outside organization hold shares if Huawei?

4.What is the vision and mission of Huawei? And what do they do to achieve this mission?

5.What are the three main world-changing technologies built by Huawei?

6.What are the innovations and inventions of Huawei?

7.What are the company’s common values?

8.What makes that the telecommunications giant frequently was mentioned across newspapers?

9.Which phone is the first major phone launched without Google’s proprietary apps？

10.What’s your opinion towards these two issues mention above? Will these hinder the development of Huawei?

B. Xiaomi

Xiaomi is one of China's earlier homegrown success stories. It is an internet company with smartphones and smart hardware connected by an IoT platform at its core. Founded in April 2010 and listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on July 9, 2018, Xiaomi has matured into one of China's domestic champions.

With the vision of being friends with its users and being the “coolest company” in the hearts of its users, Xiaomi is committed to continuous innovation, with an unwavering focus on quality and efficiency. Xiaomi is currently the world's fourth-largest smartphone brand, and has established the world's largest consumer IoT platform, with more than 213.2 million smart devices (excluding smartphones and laptops) connected to its platform--- Xiaomi Vela.

Xiaomi-logo. Click [1] for original source.

Currently, Xiaomi products are present in more than 90 countries and regions around the world and have a leading foothold in many markets.The "MI" in its logo stands for “Mobile Internet”. It also has other meanings, including "Mission Impossible", because Xiaomi faced many challenges that had seemed impossible to defy in our early days.“Just for fans”--- that’s Xiaomi’s belief. Many of their employees were initially fans of Mi products, before they decided to join them.

The company relentlessly builds amazing products with honest prices to let everyone in the world enjoy a better life through innovative technology. For many years, Xiaomi's not-so-secret weapon has been selling quality phones at near cost. It has even released a $100 phone. This low-margin strategy has helped Xiaomi cultivate a loyal fan base, especially in price-sensitive countries in Asia like India, where its slick Android phones often sell out within hours of release. 

Xiaomi generates most of its revenue from selling phones, but recurring revenue from the sale of software and services that ride on its phone allow the Beijing-based company to sell its handsets for cheap. It also sells a portfolio of its own smart products including bedside lamps and air purifiers to help build its Mi brand internationally.

In recent years, however, Xiaomi -- like many of its rivals -- has prioritized selling more high-priced phones as the global smartphone industry and its margins shrink. This strategy seems to have paid off, with the company reporting nearly 14% revenue growth in the first quarter despite the business challenges of the coronavirus pandemic. It stands in contrast to Samsung and Apple, which have both warned of a challenging year ahead. 

The investment in the world’s fastest-growing mobile market, where over 300,000 people power up their first smartphone every day, has made Xiaomi India’s bestselling smartphone brand for three years running. In 2020 so far, it has sold 29 million phones, 2 million more than in China, to control a full quarter of India’s smartphone market. but it does face one strong headwind: Indian consumers’ anti-China sentiment. A border skirmish between Indian and Chinese military forces in June ignited boycotts of Chinese goods. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s nationalist government keeps stoking the backlash, which means Xiaomi’s trajectory on the subcontinent may depend on whether the roots it planted in India qualify the brand as Indian enough.

Terms and Expression

IoT（Internet of Things） 物联网 robot vacuums 机器人吸尘器

Xiaomi 小米 powerbank 充电宝

VR glasses 虚拟现实眼镜 UAV(Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) 无人机

electric scooters 电动平衡车 WiFi rooters 无线路由器

Questions:

1.When is Xiaomi founded?

2.What is the core of this company？

3.What’s Xiaomi’s ranking in the world’s smartphone brands？And what are the top 4 smartphone brands？

4.What does the "MI" in its logo stand for？

5.What is Xiaomi’s belief？

6.What has helped Xiaomi cultivate a loyal fan base？

7.How does Xiaomi generate its revenue？

8.What problem does Xiaomi confront in India？and Why？

9.What’s your opinion about the future of Xiaomi in Indian market？

C. VICO & OPPO

If you're not familiar with the name VIVO, there's still a good chance you have seen some of its phones, which appeared in Marvel's blockbuster Captain America: Civil War. As with its older and larger sibling OPPO, the Chinese phone-maker's trademark marketing style involves using high-profile product placement and sponsorships to win over European shoppers. Although OPPO and VIVO aren't household names in the West, both have vaulted up the global rankings to place within the top six smartphone manufacturers in a comparatively short period of time, due partially to the popularity of their affordable phones among young consumers. Besides, OPPO and VIVO smartphones are always in eye-catching glossy colors which looks good, but it’s plastic after all. It does not feel premium in hand, so there is still much room for improvement for these two brands.

Are VIVO and OPPO same? Yes, even though OPPO and VIVO stress that they're competitors, both companies were spun out of the same parent company. OPPO and VIVO share the same parent company mainly known as BBK Electronics Corporation (Headquarters at Dongguan, Guangdong – China). According to Wikipedia, BBK Electronics Corporation is a Chinese multinational firm specializing in electronics such as television sets, MP3 players, digital cameras and cell phones too. BBK Electronics is also considered as the world’s 2nd-largest phone manufacturer company, (according to a report from 2017) which manufactures some of the fastest growing smartphones brands in Asia. They recently got popular in developing countries of Asia such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and also in developed countries like China itself.

At the 2020 Developer Conference, Color OS 11 launched by OPPO focuses on personalized creation, seamless experience, and sensory invigoration. While the Origin OS launched by VIVO carried out subversive innovations mainly in UI design. The OPPO Developer Conference focuses on the integration of people, equipment and scenes. VIVO’s mission is to make their consumers’ lives extraordinary through introducing innovative technology and being a trendsetter.

With the development of 5G, the interconnection of everything is the most significant trend. Both OPPO and VIVO have demonstrated cross-device synergy in the OS upgrade, and they also attach great importance to the construction of the IoT ecosystem. There are 6 research and development centers of VIVO working on leading technologies: Beijing, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Dongguan, Shenzhen and San Diego (USA), and 4 global manufacturing bases delivering premium quality products: Dongguan, Chongqing, India and Republic of Indonesia.

Terms and Expression

OS 操作系统（operating system） VOOC 闪充

BBK 步步高 Fingerprint unlocking 指纹解锁

accessories 配件 octa-core processor 八核心处理器

Questions:

1.What’s the relationship between OPPO and VIVO？

2.What are the characteristics of OPPO and VIVO smartphones？

3.Where is the headquarter of BBK Electronics Corporation？And what is it specializing in？

4.Where are the major markets of BBK Electronics Corporation？

5.Please give a example of products from each brands.

6.What does the OPPO Developer Conference focus on？

7.What’s the mission of VIVO？

8.How many research and development centers does VIVO have？And where are they？

9.How many global manufacturing bases does VIVO have？ And where are they？

--Wu Yilu (talk) 15:50, 4 December 2020 (UTC)

Answers

A. Huawei

1. It is founded in 1987.

2. It operates in more than 170 countries and regions

3. No, no government agency or outside organization holds shares in Huawei.

4. Their vision and mission is to bring digital to every person, home and organization for a fully connected, intelligent world; their mission is to expand the benefits of technology to everyone, everywhere. To achieve this, they've developed a digital inclusion strategy that focuses on three areas: technology, applications, and skills.

5. 5G, Huawei cloud and Huawei AI.

6. Advanced wireless networks, optical networks, intelligent O&M, AI computing, smartphone camera, Media CODEC standards, software, trustworthiness and so on.

7. "Staying customer-centric and creating value for customers" are the company's common values.

8. ①Top executive (and daughter of the company's founder) Meng Wangzhou was arrested in Canada for an alleged violation of US sanctions with Iran.

②the US Commerce Department banned American companies from doing business with Huawei without first obtaining a license.

9. The Mate 30.

10. In my opinion, these are totally unfair to Huawei, as well as China’s companies and economy. The Meng Wanzhou case is a serious political incident orchestrated by the United States to suppress Chinese high-tech companies and Huawei. It is also a kind of protectionism, which is divorced from the trend of globalization. We cannot deny that those actions will hinder the development of Huawei, specially some necessary chips. Although Huawei made preparation in advance, the core products are guaranteed to be available for six months to two years. In addition, Huawei has self-developed a large number of chip designs. But the following three areas are difficult to replace in the short term: manufacturing, semiconductor equipment and EDA software. On the one side, these issues, obviously, will obstruct the development of Huawei, but on the other side, they also promote the process of autonomy of domestic chips.

B. Xiaomi

1. It is founded in April 2010.

2. The IoT platform.

3. Xiaomi is currently the world's fourth-largest smartphone brand. The top four smartphone brands are Apple, Huawei, Samsung and Xiaomi.

4. Xiaomi Vela.

5. It stands for “Mobile Internet” and "Mission Impossible".

6. “Just for fans”--- that’s Xiaomi’s belief.

7. The low-margin strategy.

8. Xiaomi generates most of its revenue from selling phones, but recurring revenue from the sale of software and services.

9. Indian consumers’ anti-China sentiment. Because a border skirmish between Indian and Chinese military forces in June ignited boycotts of Chinese goods, and then Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s nationalist government keeps stoking the backlash 10.What’s your opinion about the future of Xiaomi in Indian market？ Although we can find that Xiaomi made instant reaction to confront with this boycott by telling local media that Xiaomi was “as Indian as any other company here” , competitors like Samsung, took this chance and began flooding India with phones that could compete with Xiaomi’s features and affordability. So only if the relationship between China and India become better or Xiaomi figures a new way, otherwise, Xiaomi’s market in India will shrink gradually.

C. VIVO & OPPO

1. They're competitors, but they were also spun out of the same parent company.

2. Affordable and eye-catching glossy colors.

3. The headquarters locates at Dongguan, Guangdong, China. It specializing in electronics such as television sets, MP3 players, digital cameras and cell phones too.

4. Developing countries of Asia such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and also in developed countries like China itself.

5. OPPO: Color OS 11;VIVO: Origin OS.

6. It focuses on personalized creation, seamless experience, and sensory invigoration.

7. VIVO’s mission is to make their consumers’ lives extraordinary through introducing innovative technology and being a trendsetter.

8. 6 research and development centers. They are in Beijing, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Dongguan, Shenzhen and San Diego (USA).

9. 4 global manufacturing bases. They are in Dongguan, Chongqing, India and Republic of Indonesia.

Wu Zijia 吴子佳

Chinese Dialects

A.Brief introduction of Chines dialects

The words topolect and hibernation, all comes from Yangxiong (53-18), "Interpretation of Foreign Dialects: Light Xuan“in the Han dynasty. "Dialect" refers to different meanings in different groups, according to the Chinese , "dialect " is both a political concept and a linguistic one, and it is also known as "Vernacular ". "Accent", refers to the difference in the language standard of a certain region, such as relationship between relatives regardless of the language. "Dialect",however, is a linguistic concept in Europe, subordinating under the concept of"language" at the beginning of the eighteenth century. Based on the relationship between the language (pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar),it is divided into family, group, branch and language.Considering the special national situation of China, The translation of "Chinese dialects" into English is "Varieties of Chinese".According to the European , dialect is a language that differs from the standarded language and is spoken in only one certain region. China enjoys a vast field and a long history. In the process of historical development, different divisions and unification inevitably occurred in the society, which led to the gradual emergence of diverse and complex dialects system in Chinese. There are many factors contributing to the evolution of dialect, including social, historical and geographical factors, as well as the language itself. According to the dialects, Chinese is divided into two categories: the official dialects and the nine local dialects. Official dialects ,namely modern Chinese, are not independent dialects, because they are very similar in pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar to the common language. Other regional dialects differ greatly in pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar, thus forming their own dialect systems. The official dialects include northeast Mandarin, Beijing mandarin, Ji Lu mandarin, Jiao-Liao mandarin, Central Plains mandarin, Lan-Yin mandarin, Southwest Mandarin and Jianghuai mandarin. The nine local dialects include Wu dialect, Cantonese, Fujian dialect, Hunan dialect, Hakka, Gan dialect, Hui dialect, Jin dialect and Pinghua.

B.Hunan dialect

Xiangyu , also known as xiang dialect or Hunan dialect, belongs to the sino-tibetan language, and is the main language used by the hunan people who live in xiangjiang river basin and its branches. Xiangyu is divided into two categories: new Xiangyu and The old Xiangyu. The new Xiangyu is represented by Changsha dialect while the old one is represented by Shuangfeng dialect. The core area of ancient Chu language is located in the middle reaches of Yangtze River, and Chu language is the ancestor language of Xiang language [1]. Modern Xiangyu speakers are mainly distributed in a considerable part of Hunan province in Mainland China, including Changsha, Zhuzhou, Xiangtan, Yueyang, Yiyang, Loudi, Hengyang, Shaoyang, Yongzhou and so on. In 2010, the number of Xiangyu-speaker was estimated to be about 45 million. The regional dialects of Hunan province include Hunan, Southwest Official, Gan, Hakka, and Xiangxiang, southern Hunan dialect, which have not yet been classified as belonging to the dialect. Xiangyu is the main dialect of Hunan Province. Hunan province is a region that has diverse dialects. The chu dialect ,namely Chu Yan (ancient Chu language), is popular in Chu in the pre-Qin period, and it is the most ancient origin of Xiang language. The specific appearance of ancient Chu language cannot be verified today, but it is the earliest language used by the Han people in Hunan and along the Xiangjiang river. The word "Chu Yan" first appeared in Zuo Zhuan, indicating that the Chu Yan had been formed at least in the late Spring and Autumn Period, and was a branch of Chinese language,and was different from the Central Plains Yayin XiaYan at that time.There are 20-35 initials of Xiangyu, 30 to 40 finals, 5-7tones,commonly with 6 .

C. Contonese

Yueyu ,or Cantonese, Guangdong dialect and Tang dialect, is commonly known as "baihua".It is a Chinese dialect in the Chinese-Tibetan Chinese language family. Cantonese is the mother tongue of the Guangfu nationality, an important carrier of the Guangfu culture of the Han nationality, and one of the basic symbolic cultural identities of the Guangfu nationality. Cantonese has a complete language system consisting of nine tones and six volumes of tones, retaining many characteristics of Middle Ancient Chinese . Besides Putonghua, it is the only Chinese language that has been studied independently by foreign universities. As for the origin of Cantonese, there are different opinions.Some says that it originated from the Northern Mid-plain dialect and others the Chu language from the State of Chu. Cantonese is one of the southern dialects that retains more middle Ancient Chinese elements than other dialects, among which the most prominent feature is that it relatively retains the universal middle Ancient Chinese "Ru Sheng", and its initials, finals and tones have a good correspondence with the ancient Chinese standard rhymes in"Qu Yun" and "Guang Yun". Mandarin is a dominant language in Guangdong province, and the most dominant dialect is Cantonese. Hakka dialect and Fujian dialect are the other two major Chinese dialects with great influence in the province. Hakka dialect is mainly concentrated in the northeast and north of Guangdong province, and hakka dialect is also distributed in parts of western Guangdong province. Hakka villages are scattered in most parts of the province, and the number of people using this dialect is about 20 million. Fujian dialect is mainly distributed in the coastal area of the southwest and southeast of Guangdong province ,including 6 municipalities:Chaozhou, Shantou, Jieyang, Shanwei, Zhanjiang, Maoming ,and it can be divided into to language-speaking areas: they are , Chaoshan and Leizhou .The former shares some similarities with the south Fujian dialect , while the later is close to Hainan dialect.In addition, there are 18.95 million people living in some islets in Zhongshan,Huizhou, Qingyuan, Shaoguan taking Fujian dialect as their official language.

Question

1.How many local dialects in China?What are they? 2.What is the origin of Contonese? 3.Where do most people speak the Hunan dialect?

--Wu Zijia (talk) 08:23, 9 November 2020 (UTC)Wu Zijia

Xiao Shuangling 肖双玲

A. Brief Introduction

March of the Volunteers is a song composed by Tian Han and Nie Er. It is the theme song of the film Children of Troubled Times, known as the clarion call of the Liberation of the Chinese nation. Since its birth in 1935 at the critical moment of national crisis, it has played a great role in inspiring the patriotic spirit of the Chinese people, and later became the National Anthem of the People’s Republic of China.

On May 9, 1935, the first version of the song was recorded in the recording studio of EMI Records. In 1951, in order to meet the needs of playing the national anthem, the People's Record Factory recorded and published a rough record composed of a brass ensemble and an orchestral ensemble. In 1959, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the China Record Factory recorded and published a full set of standard national anthem special records. In 1978, a special album for collective lyrics was released. In 1983, China Record Shanghai Company recorded and published a special record for the standard national anthem after the original word was restored.

On March 14, 2004, the Second Session of the Tenth National People’s Congress passed a constitutional amendment, officially stipulating that the national anthem of the People’s Republic of China shall be the March of Volunteers.

The National Anthem Law of the People's Republic of China was adopted at the 29th Session of the 12th National People's Congress Standing Committee on September 1st, 2017, and formally went into effect on October 1st.

B. Creation Background

March of the Volunteers is the theme song of the film Children of Troubled Times. In the autumn of 1934, Tian Han wrote a long poem for the film, the last verse of which was selected as the lyrics of the theme song March of the Volunteers. Shortly after the lyrics were written, Tian Han was arrested and imprisoned by the Kuomintang authorities. In February 1935, director Xu Xingzhi took over the shooting of Children of Troubled Times. Soon after, comrades who went to prison to visit brought back the lyrics written by Tian Han in prison on the back of cigarette packing paper, that is, the original manuscript of March of the Volunteers. At that time, Nie Er was preparing to go to Japan to seek refuge. He learned that there was a theme song to write in the film children of the wind and cloud. He took the initiative to compose music for the song and promised to send back the song manuscript as soon as possible after he arrived in Japan.

Nie Er completed the first draft of the score soon after receiving the lyrics. On April 18, 1935, after Nie Er arrived in Tokyo, Japan, he completed the final draft of the score, and sent the final draft to Shanghai Dentsu Film Company at the end of April. Afterwards, in order to make the song tune and rhythm more powerful, Nie Er and Sun Shiyi discussed and made three changes to the lyrics, thus completing the song creation.

After the early shooting of the film Children of Troubled Times was completed, the lyrics of Tian Han's theme song did not determine the name of the song, while Nie Er's lyric composition sent back from Japan only included the word "March". General Zhu Qinglan, as the investor of the film Children of Troubled Times, added "Volunteers" after the words of "March", thus naming the song March of the Volunteers.

C. Song Appreciation

The March of the Volunteers is a very creative song; the composer Nie Er devotes himself to the creation of this song with great passion. First of all, he succeeds in handling the poetic lyrics of Tian Han’s prose in accordance with the laws of music in an extremely vivid, powerful and colloquial way. In terms of melody creation, he not only absorbs the excellent achievements of international revolutionary songs and the style characteristics of Western European march, but also makes it have strong national characteristics, so that the song could be grasped by the broad masses and play its fighting role.

The song begins as a prelude to a six-bar march. It has a sonorous rhythm, bright and majestic melody, among which the magical effect of triplet enhances the fighting atmosphere of the song. Although the prelude is short, it contains the basis for the emotional and melody development of the entire song. The songs are interlocked and advanced layer by layer. This process runs through the whole song, and the end of the song is repeated many times, giving people a sense of unwavering and unstoppable.

According to the characteristics of the lyrics clause, Nie Er treated the song into a free body structure formed by six phrases of varying lengths. Although the melody and structure of each phrase are different, the cohesion between the phrase and the phrase is close, the development is natural, and the singing is ups and downs, and is integrated.

March of the Volunteers, with its soaring, sonorous and powerful melody and inspiring lyrics, expresses the Chinese people's strong resentment and resistance to imperialist aggression, and embodies the heroic spirit of the great Chinese nation in the face of foreign aggression that is brave, strong, united as one to go through national disaster.

D. Chinese and English Lyrics

起来！不愿做奴隶的人们！

把我们的血肉，筑成我们新的长城！

中华民族到了最危险的时候，

每个人被迫着发出最后的吼声。

起来！起来！起来！

我们万众一心，

冒着敌人的炮火,

前进！

冒着敌人的炮火，

前进！

前进！前进、进！

Arise, you who refuse to be bond slaves!

Let’s stand up and fight for

Liberty and true democracy.

All our world is facing

The chains of the tyrants.

Everyone who works for freedom is now crying:

Arise! Arise! Arise!

With the torch of freedom,

March on!

With the torch of freedom,

March on!

March on! March on, and on!

Terms and Expressions

March of the Volunteers 义勇军进行曲

Children of Troubled Times 风云儿女

EMI 百代唱片

National People’s Congress 全国人民代表大会

National People's Congress Standing Committee 全国人大常委

Questions

‭ 1. Who are the composers of March of the Volunteers?

2.Which movie's theme song does March of the Volunteers belong to?

3.When did the National Anthem Law go into effect?

4.When was the final draft completed?

5.How did the name of this song come from?

Answers

1.1.March of the Volunteers is a song composed by Tian Han and Nie Er.

2.It is the theme song of the film Children of Troubled Times.

3.The National Anthem Law of the People's Republic of China formally went into effect on October 1st, 2017.

4.On April 18, 1935, after Nie Er arrived in Tokyo, Japan, he completed the final draft.

5.After the early shooting of the film Children of Troubled Times was completed, the lyrics of Tian Han's theme song did not determine the name of the song, while Nie Er's lyric composition sent back from Japan only included the word "March". General Zhu Qinglan, as the investor of the film Children of Troubled Times, added "Volunteers" after the words of "March", thus naming the song March of the Volunteers.

Xiao Ting 肖婷

Zheng He’s Voyages

From 1405 until 1433, the Chinese imperial eunuch Zheng He led seven ocean expeditions for the Ming emperor which is an unprecedented feat in world history.

Zheng He

Zheng He was born Ma He to a Muslim family in the far southwest, in today's Yunnan province. It is said that his original surname is Ma,his full name as Ma Sanbao .At ten years old he was captured by soldiers sent there by the first Ming emperor intent on subduing the south. He was sent to the capital to be trained in military ways. Growing up to be a burly, imposing man, over six feet tall with a chest contemporaries said measured over five feet around, he was also extremely talented and intelligent. He received both literary and military training, then made his way up the military ladder with ease, making important allies at court in the process. Besides Zheng He has a background of both Buddhism and lslam.Thus,he was assumed as the perfect choice to lead the emperor’s splendid armada.

Reasons for the voyages

The Yongle Emperor sent Zheng He to the “Western oceans”, both to demonstrate the might of the Ming Empire and to realize the diplomatic ideal of peace and harmony among all nations. Zheng He's fleet showed the prosperity ，the imperial power and its advanced navigation technology and exquisite ship-building techniques of China at that time , thus many small countries and bribes agreed to recognize China as their superior and its emperor as lord of “all under Heaven”.These countries and bribes regularly gave gifts of tribute in exchange for certain benefits ,like military posts and treaties. Zheng He's fleet did not act as a sea ruler, it appeared in peace all over the world, laden not only with goods exchanged with those countries, but also with the friendship of peoples.

The seven expeditions

These expeditions were astonishing as much for their distance as for their size: during the first ones, Zheng He traveled all the way from China to Southeast Asia and then on to India, all the way to major trading sites on India's southwest coast.The first expedition of this mighty armada was in 11th July of 1405, composed of 317ships and perhaps as many as sixty huge Treasure Ships and nearly 28000men with thousands of soldiers , sailors ,diplomatic specialists ,medical personnel, astronomers and scholars.The fleet stopped in Java and then arrived at Ceylon (today’s Sri Lanka ). Compared to the first one, the second voyage(1407-1409) was smaller with only 68ships sending foreign envoys back home.

Zheng He led the third voyage (1409-1411) visiting many of the same countries as the first one did, like Champa and Java. When fighting broke out there between his forces and those of a small kingdom, Zheng put down the fighting, captured the king and brought him back to China where he was released by the emperor and returned home duly impressed

The fourth voyage (1413-15) extended the scope of the expeditions even further. This time in addition to visiting many of the same sites, Zheng He commandeered his 40 ships and over 28,000 men to Hormuz on the Persian Gulf. This trip has 48 ships with doctors , officials ,translators and more than 27000 troops . The fifth voyage (1417-1419) was primarily a return trip for seventeen heads of state from South Asia. They had made their way to China after Zheng He's visits to their homelands in order to present their tribute at the Ming Court. The sixth voyage began in 1421 and lasted for nearly two years.Then the expeditions were halted due to the death of the Yongle emperor. sailed to many of the previously visited Southeast Asian and Indian courts and stops in the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea, and the coast of Africa, principally in order to return nineteen ambassadors to their homelands. Zheng He returned to China after less than a year, having sent his fleet onward to pursue several separate itineraries, with some ships going perhaps as far south as Sofala in present day Mozambique. The seventh and final voyage (1431-33) was sent out by the Yongle emperor's successor, his grandson the Xuande emperor.It was on this return trip that Zheng He died.This expedition had more than one hundred large ships and over 27,000 men, and it visited all the important ports in the South China Sea and Indian Ocean as well as Aden and Hormuz. One auxiliary voyage traveled up the Red Sea to Jidda, only a few hundred miles from the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. It was on the return trip in 1433 that Zheng He died and was buried at sea, although his official grave still stands in Nanjing, China. Nearly forgotten in China until recently, he was immortalized among Chinese communities abroad, particularly in Southeast Asia where to this day he is celebrated and revered as a god.

Terms and Expressions

The Yongle emperor 永乐皇帝（明成祖） Java 爪哇 Ceylon 锡兰（今斯里兰卡） Champe 占城（印度支那古国） Hormuz 霍尔木兹 The Persian Gulf 波斯湾 Medina 麦地那市（沙特阿拉伯西部城市） Mecca 麦加 （穆斯林圣地）

Questions

1.What was Zheng He like? 2. Why did the Yongel Emperor sent the armada to the “Western oceans” 3.How many people did Zheng He bring at the first voyage ,and what did these people do? 4.Why did the expeditions stopped during the 1423-1430? 5.The last trip was sented by?

Xie Fan 解帆 202070080637

China's Four Great Classical Novels

The Four Great Classics of Chinese Classical Novels, abbreviated as the Four Great Classics, are Water Margin, Romance of The Three Kingdoms, Journey to the West, and Dream of Red Mansions (in the order of their completion).The Four Great Classical Novels are the classics of Chinese literary and precious cultural heritage of the world. The status of these four masterpieces in the history of Chinese literature is difficult to distinguish with their high level of literature and artistic achievements. They are enduring and rare in Chinese literature works, so that the stories, scenes and characters have deeply affected the Chinese people's values. (Mo Yang 2017,351). The meticulous portrayal and the profound thoughts contained in these four masterpieces have been praised by readers in history. The stories, scenes and characters in these masterpieces have deeply influenced the thoughts and values of the Chinese people. They can be described as four great monuments in the history of Chinese literature.

Water Margin

Water Margin, written by Shi Naian, is a novel based on the ancient peasant uprising. It vividly depicts the whole process from the occurrence, development and failure of the peasant uprising, profoundly reveals the social root of the uprising, enthusiastically eulogues the resistance struggle of the heroes of the uprising and their social ideals, and specifically reveals the internal historical reasons for the failure of the uprising.

With the occurrence and development of peasant uprising as its main line, the book describes the whole process of development for grand peasant uprising troop. Individual awakening develops into the small-scale joint resistance with the experience of different heroes, showing an inexorable law of the feudal era, that is, peasants being forced to revolt by the officials, profoundly reflecting the Song dynasty's political condition and social contradictions.

Standing on the side of the oppressed, the author praised the righteous acts of the leaders of the peasant uprising, who robbed the rich to give to the poor and exonerated and affirmed their revolutionary spirit of daring to rebel and struggle.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Romance of The Three Kingdoms is a novel written by Luo Guanzhong, a novelist in the late Yuan and early Ming Dynasty. It is the first chapter novel , the first novel of historical romance, and also the first long literary novel in the history of Chinese literature. At the end of yuan dynasty and the beginning of Ming Dynasty, social contradictions were acute, peasant uprisings broke out one after another, and dynasties were divided. After years of war, Zhu Yuanzhang destroyed all the departed dynasties, overthrew the Yuan Dynasty, and established the Ming Dynasty. During the period when people were displaced, Luo Guanzhong, as a writer of zaju and stories, lived at the bottom of the society, understood and got familiar with the sufferings of the people, expected social stability and people to live and work in peace and contentment, thought as an intellectual at the bottom, and hoped to end the tragic situation caused by the turbulence. Therefore, he wrote the historical novel Romance of The Three Kingdoms on the history of the last years of the Eastern Han Dynasty.

Romance of The Three Kingdoms describes the history of nearly a hundred years from the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty to the beginning of the Western Jin Dynasty. It mainly describes wars and tells the story of the warring states of the eastern Han Dynasty and the political and military struggles among The Three Kingdoms, namely, Wei, Shu and Wu. Finally, Sima Yan unified The Three Kingdoms and established the Jin Dynasty. Besides, it reflects the transformation of various social struggle and contradictions in The Three Kingdoms period, summarizes the historical changes of this era, and shapes a group of powerful heroes of The Three Kingdoms period.

Journey to the West

Journey to the West is the first romanticism chapter novel in China, and its author is WuChenen in the Ming Dynasty. The book mainly tells a story, after the birth and havoc in heaven, Su Wukong met Tang Monk, White Dragon Horse, Zhu Bajie and Sand monk, started their journey to the West, went through 81 hardships and dangers, demons and monsters, finally arrived in the West to see the Buddha.

The novel is based on the historical event of Tang Monk going to study scriptures, and through the author's artistic processing, it profoundly depicts the social reality of The Ming Dynasty.

The uproar in heaven in the novel reflects the resistance of the Chinese people in the feudal society through the form of fairy tales. Of course, fantasy novels reflect reality with their own characteristics, different from the general direct reflection of real life literature. The rebelin heaven erected the banner of "Monkey King", and put forward the slogan, "emperor take turns, and next is my turn" , hundreds of troops escaped, the heaven started to collapse, so that the jade emperor had to ask for external help. The plot of the fiction and fantasy based on reality of peasant uprising and peasant war. If there had not been many large-scale peasant uprisings and peasant wars that violently impacted the feudal dynasties in history, the plot of "Havoc in Heaven" could not have been so bold and the image of Sun Wukong as a rebel could not have been so brilliant.

Dream in Red Mansions

Dream of Red Mansions was written by Cao Xueqin, a well-known writer in the Qing Dynasty. With the rise and fall of Jia, Shi, Wang as its background, with the love marriage tragedy of Jia Baoyu, Lin Daiyu, and Xue Baochai as its main line, in the perspective of rich childe Jia Baoyu, the book shows the tragic beauty, and female beauty from different angles and the phase of the ancient Chinese society of epic works.

Dream of Red Mansions was born at the end of feudal China in the 18th century. At that time, the Qing Government was closed to the outside world and the whole country was immersed in the dream of the Kang-Qian Flourishing Age and the Middle Kingdom. On the surface, the period seemed stable and peaceful, but actually all kinds of social contradictions were intensifying and developing, and the whole dynasty had reached a turning point of prosperity and decline.

Terms and Expressions

农民起义peasant uprising

孙悟空Monkey King

大闹天宫Havoc in Heaven

康乾盛世the Kang-Qian Flourishing Age

天朝上国the Middle Kingdom

Questions

1.What is the main line of Water Margin?

2.Which book is the first chapter novel in China?

3.What does "Havoc in Heaven" in Journey to the West reflect?

4.What is the background of Dream in Red Mansions?

Answers

1.The occurrence and development of peasant uprising.

2.Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

3.The resistance of the Chinese people in the feudal society.

4.The rise and fall of Jia, Shi, Wang.

References

• Mo Yang. A Study on the Issues of Remakes and Sequels of the Four Great Classic Chinese Novels. 2017 6th International Conference on Applied Social Science, 2017

Xu Jia 徐佳

Four Folk Stories of ancient China

Cowherd and Weaving Girl, Meng Jiangnu Crying on the Great Wall, the Story of the White Snake and Butterfly Lovers are the four major folk love stories in ancient China. As the most charming oral traditions and national intangible cultural heritage in China, the earliest of them has been popular for more than 2000 years, having a profound impact on people’s lives.

1. Cowherd and Weaving Girl

2. Meng Jiangnu Crying on the Great Wall

3. The Story of the White Snake

4. Butterfly Lovers

Cowherd and Weaving Girl

It is said that the story took place in the Western Zhou Dynasty. Cowherd was a simple and honest young man living in the Xiniu village of Nanyang city. His parents died early, so he lived a miserable life with an old ox. One day, Weaving Girl, the daughter of the God of Heaven, came down with other fairies from heaven and took a bathe in a river near Cowherd’s house. The old ox told the Cowherd to steal her clothes so that she was unable to return to the heaven and would stay here to be his wife. With the help of the old ox, Weaving Girl married Cowherd and had a son and a daughter. They led a happy life with husband laboring in the field and wife weaving at home. But their marriage didn't last long. It was discovered by the Queen Mother and incurred her wrath. Ignoring tearful Cowherd and two crying children, she broke up the couple and brought Weaving Girl back. It was the old ox that helped him again. It told Cowherd that it would die tonight and he needed to make three pair of shoes with its skin, which could help him go to heaven and find his wife. Cowherd did as the old ox said. Just as the cowherd was about to catch up with them, however, the Queen Mother took off her golden hairpin and separate them by a large river, which is now called the Milky Way. Hopelessly, the two lovers can only look at each other across the river. Fortunately, magpies were touched by their love. Hundreds of thousands of magpies flied and formed a bridge over the river. Finally the Queen Mother showed a little mercy, allowing them to meet once a year on the magpie bridge. The day was the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, which later has become the Chinese Valentine’s Day.

Meng Jiangnu Crying on the Great Wall

During the reign of the first emperor of Qin Dynasty, Fan Xilang, a young man living in the surrounding area of Mengjiang mountain in Lizhou County, Hunan Province, had just finished the forced servitude and returned to his hometown to get married. But unfortunately, on the night of their wedding, Fan Xilang was sent to the north to build the Great Wall. He toiled away with hunger, cold and fatigue, and soon met a miserable death at the end of his efforts. His body was buried under the Great Wall. Meng Jiangnu, Fan’s new wife, got the bad news and went through all kinds of hardships to reach the Great Wall. She cried bitterly there for three days and three nights, and finally cried down the Great Wall and found her husband's remains. On her way to take him home, she suffered a lot and finally died of hunger and thirst in Tongguan County, Shaanxi Province. Sympathetic with the couple’s miserable experience and deeply moved by Meng’s spirits, the local people buried their remains and set up ancestral temples to commemorate them.

The Story of the White Snake

Created in the Southern Song Dynasty and prevailed in the Qing Dynasty, the Story of the White Snake is a model of Chinese folk collective creation. In the book Stories to Warn Man compiled by Feng Menglong, The White Snake under the Leifeng Pagoda has been acknowledged as the first version of this story. After thousands of years of practice in Emei Mountain, two snake named Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing translated into two beautiful girls and came to visit Hangzhou. After encountering with a young man named Xu Xian in the rain, Bai Suzhen fell in love with him and soon later they get married. But a monk called Fahai saw through Bai’s disguise and thought that it was an intrigue of the white snake to marry a man. He persuaded Xu Xian to intoxicate his wife with realgar wine on the Dragon Boat Festival. After being drunk, Bai Suzhen couldn’t control herself and showed the shape of a snake, which scared Xu Xian to death. Regardless of her own safety, Bai Suzhen went through many difficulties and got the magical grass, which finally brought Xu Xian back to life. But Fahai did not give up. He then lured Xu Xian to the Jinshan Temple to separate the couple. Bai Suzhen and Xiao Qing had no choice but to inundate the temple with flood. During the fierce battle, Bai was finally defeated and put into a small bowl under the Leifeng Pagoda.

Butterfly Lovers

During the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Zhu Yingtai, a beautiful and intelligent girl born in a rich family in Shangyu County, Zhejiang Province, wanted to go to Hangzhou to study for there was no good teacher at home. Her father, seeing her eagerness to learn and her ability to disguise herself as a man, finally agreed to her request. On the way to Hangzhou, Zhu Yingtai met Liang Shanbo, a young man who had the same destination with her. He was sincere, gentle and knowledgeable and they clicked immediately. During the school years, they often talked about poetry and articles, cared for each other, and slept in the same bed at night. Zhu had gradually fallen in love with Liang, who, though did not know she was a girl, also cherished her and saw her as his best friend. Three years passed quickly. The moment when they had to part, Zhu constantly gave delicate indications to Liang that she was a girl and she loved him, but Liang failed to take her hint. Zhu had no choice but to lied to Liang that she had a little sister who was similar to her in appearance and learning and she wondered if Liang was willing to marry her. Liang Shanbo readily consented and promised that he would come to visit soon. A months later, Liang Shanbo went to Zhu's home and he was surprised to see Zhu Yingtai dressed up as a girl. Only then did he know the truth and figured all the things out. They then confessed their love to each other and pledged to marry without the permission of parents. But unfortunately, Zhu’s parents didn’t think much of this poor young man. They wanted to marry their daughter to Ma Wencai, the son of the local governor. Zhu Yingtai was unwilling to marry him but her protest was in vain, for her family was in financial crisis and needed Ma’s support. Hopelessly, the two young lovers was forced to part in tears. Since then, Liang slid into a depression. His spirit and health were soon crushed, and he died a few months later. On the wedding day, Zhu asked for a detour to pass by Liang 's tomb so that she could say goodbye to him. Wearing a bright red wedding dress, she knelt in front of his grave and cried bitterly. At that moment, lighting flashed, thunder rolled and the sky went dark. Liang's tomb suddenly cracked open and Ying-tai immediately jumped into it before it closed. Then under the shocked eyes of the onlookers, a pair of beautiful butterflies flied out of the graves and dancing in the sunlight. It is believed that these two butterflies are Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai. They finally get rid of all the shackles and bounds and can stay together forever.

Having been adapted into many films and TV plays, these four stories are well-known in China and the rest of the world. As the crystallization of folk culture, they not only represent the rich imagination of ancient Chinese people, but also show their hatred for evil forces and their pursuit for a free and happy life, which is exactly the positive part of folk literature.

Terms and Expressions

Cowherd and Weaving Girl 牛郎织女

Meng Jiangnu Crying on the Great Wall 孟姜女哭长城

Butterfly Lovers 梁山伯与祝英台

the Queen Mother 王母娘娘

Stories to Warn Man 《警世通言》

The White Snake under the Leifeng Pagoda 《白娘子永镇雷峰塔》

Questions

1.What led to the death of Meng Jiangnu’s husband?

2.What did Xu Xian give Bai Suzhen to drink that made her reveal her snake form?

3.What did the Cowherd do to make Weaving Girl stay?

4.When did Liang Shanbo realize that Zhu Yingtai is actually a girl?

5.Why did Zhu Yingtai lie to Liang Shanbo that she has a little sister?

Answers

1.He was sent to build the Great Wall and died for hunger,cold and fatigue.

2.Realgar wine

3.He stole her clothes while she was taking a shower.

4.The first time Liang Shanbo went to Zhu's home,where he saw Zhu Yingtai dressed up as a girl.

5.The little sister she referred to is actually herself,and in this way she hinted at her love to Liang Shanbo.

References

靳惠玲，秦伊楠.爱支撑的文化天堂——《罗密欧与朱丽叶》和《梁山伯与祝英台》[J].社会科学论坛：学术研究卷,2007,5(下):194-197.

王轶冰，白蛇传故事的文化意蕴[J].廊坊师专学报,1999,4:12-18.

黄瑞旗.孟姜女故事研究[M].北京：中国人民大学出版社，2003.26-33.

赵逵夫.论牛郎织女故事的产生与主题[J].西北师大学报（社会科学版）,1990,4:56-63.

Xu Jing 许静

====Four Great Pavilions====--Xu Jing (talk) 06:21, 9 November 2020 (UTC)

Yang Chenting 杨晨婷

Chinese Three Great Towers

1. Yellow Crane Tower

2. Yueyang Tower

3.The Pavilion of Prince Teng

Yellow Crane Tower

The tower today we see in Wuhan is not the original building; and it has a very long and complicated history. Yellow Crane Tower, built in 223 during the Three Kingdoms period (220-280), was embodied with a perfect location. Because of this, the king of Wu, Sun Quan, held it as a watchtower for his troops. For hundreds of years, its military function has gradually been forgotten, which now mainly serves as a scenic spot, attracting millions of tourists at home and abroad.

During the Tang Dynasty, many popular poets, like Cui Hao, Li Bai and Bai Juyi wrote poems to praise the Yellow Crane Tower. It can be said that due to their description and admiration of it, the tower became renowned and made people want to pay a visit. In the following centuries, unfortunately, it was destroyed and rebuilt several times. In the Ming and Qing dynasties alone, the tower was destroyed seven times and rebuilt seven times. In 1884, because of fire, it was completely destroyed, and was not rebuilt until 1981. Now, it stands on the banks of the Yangtze River at the top of Snake Hill.

Different dynasties have greatly influenced the architectural features of it. However, the one we see today is a one rebuilt in Qing Dynasty. It is 51.4 meters (168 feet) tall, with five floors, which looks the same from any direction. The roof is covered by 100,000 yellow glazed tiles. With the tiles on the top, the design of each floor seems to resemble a yellow crane ready to fly.

Yueyang Tower

Yueyang Tower is located at the western gate of Yueyang Ancient City, Hunan Province, overlooking Lake Dongting from its perch on the eastern shore of the lake. On the opposite side of Yueyang Tower flows the mighty Yangtze River. Therefore, it’s no doubt that its military function was important.

In 716, with the governance of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, Yueyang Tower was reconstructed. Its beauty and its good place overlooking Lake Dongting made it receive a lot of literary praise. For example, in 1045, the governor of Ba Ling County, Teng Zijing, invited his friends, including one familiar with us—Fan Zhongyan, to write an essay in honor of the newly-reconstructed Yueyang Tower.

The current 20-meter-high pavilion with its four pillars made of rot-resistant nanmu trees, its three storeys with upturned eaves and its unique construction method stems from a major reconstruction in 1867, during the Qing Dynasty. There are two other pavilions, Sanzui Pavilion and Xianmei Pavilion, on either side of Yueyang Tower. And to the north of Yueyang Tower lies the tomb of Xiaoqiao, the wife of Zhou Yu, the famous military advisor in Three Kingdoms Period. The splendid scenery of Yueyang Tower attracted the attention of many renowned poets of the Tang Dynasty, such as Li Bai, Du Fu, Bai Juyi and Li Shangyin, who wrote poems to paise it after paying a visit there. These works are preserved and cherished, and are on display in the Corridor of Poems and Calligraphy at Yueyang Tower. Thanks to those poets, they made Yueyang Tower keeps attracting people all the time.

Yueyang Tower has long enjoyed the title of being the “First Tower under Heaven”, while Lake Dongting, near it, enjoys the reputation of being known as the “First Water under Heaven”.

The Pavilion of Prince Teng

Tengwang Pavilion, located in the northwest of Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, is an imperial building constructed more than 1,300 years ago. It was built in 659 by Li Yuanying, the son of the first emperor of Tang Dynasty and the brother of Li Shimin. Because of missing his howtown—Tengzhou, he built this pavilion. The pavilion was named “Tengwangge” after Yuanying, who was crowned “Prince of Teng” during the Zhenguan reign. Along with the Yellow Crane Tower in Wuhan, Hubei Province and Yueyang Pavilion in Yueyang, Hunan Province, the pavilion of Prince Teng is famous as the “Three Great Pavilions” in China.

What is rare to see in Chinse history is that the Pavilion of Prince Teng was destroyed and rebuilt 29 times, the same fate as Yellow Crane Tower. In January 2001, the Pavilion was named as one of the first batch of national 4A level tourist attractions, and was approved as a national key scenic spot in 2004.

For thousands of years, the Pavilion of Prince Teng, with its beautiful scenery and its abundant culture, has been an ideal place for writers and poets to create works. For thousands of years, many artists, poets and writers have paid a visit to this pavilion to get some inspiration for their works.

The Pavilion of Prince Teng has always been an auspicious building for Nanchang people. The cultural stories that have been passed down reflect people’s good wish for good things, but also reveal the easy-going nature of the local people. Nanchang locals may not be aware of their attachment to the pavilion except when they are in a foreign land. It is at such times that they are able to feel their own cultural heritage and nostalgia for the pavilion.

Terms and Expressions

Watchtower n. 瞭望塔 The Three King Periods 三国时期 Yangtze River 长江 Upturned eave 飞檐 4A level tourist attractions 4A级旅游景区 State Council of China 中国国务院 Nostalgia n. 怀旧 Storey n. 层 Glazed tile 琉璃瓦

Questions and Answers

Questions 1. What are the four great towers in China? 2. What are the three great towers in the south region of Yangtze River? 3. What’s the function of the Yellow Crane Tower at the very beginning? 4. What’s the cause of the Yellow Crane Tower’s completely destroying? 5. Where can tourists appreciate the beautiful scenery of Lake Dongting?

Answers 1. The four great towers are Yellow Crane Tower, Yueyang Tower, The Pavilion of Prince Teng and Penglai Pavilion. 2. The three great towers in the south region of Yangtze River are Yellow Crane Tower, Yueyang Tower, and the Pavilion of Prince Teng. 3. It served as a watchtower, i.e., military function. 4. It was because of the fire, which burned it down. 5. Tourists can appreciate the scenery from Yueyang Tower.

References

Xiao Zhiqing, Diao Yongping, Zhong Peiqi, Zhang Guangxi 肖志清;刁永平;钟佩琪;张广习. (2017). 目的论视阈下的武汉市旅游景点英译质量调查及改进措施. 海外英语 (22) 146-147.

Zhang Ju 张炬. (2017). 导游英语[Tourist Guide English]. Beijing: Beijing Institute of Technology北京理工大学.

Wen Ping, Lin Guoqiang 文平;林国强. (2020). 人间仙境—蓬莱阁 [Penglai Pavillion—A Fairyland]. 走向世界(6) 78-79.

Fang Wenhua 方华文 (2010). 中国名山名水 英汉对照. Anhui: Science and Technology Pres 安徽科学技术出版社.

Zheng Zhangmin 郑张敏(2011). 关于中华古建筑专用名词翻译风格的思考. 北京建筑工程学院学报 (04) 72-75.

Yang Hairong 杨海容

Nanjing, An Ancient Capital of Six Dynasties--Yang Hairong (talk) 08:28, 2 November 2020 (UTC)

Yang Hui 阳慧

The Five Constant Virtues--YangHui (talk) 08:23, 5 December 2020 (UTC)

Owning over thousands of years of history, the Chinese have created a brilliant history and culture, and at the same time have formed their own moral code that has played an important role in social development and progress. This is what we call Traditional Virtues, which still have great significance today and whose value to the development of human civilization is now widely recognized. Benevolence , righteousness, propriety, wisdom and fidelity are the Five Constant Virtues which are the most important ones in traditional China. They all came from Confucianism and are widely acknowledged all over China. To be a moral person, the ancient Chinese cultivated and test themselves according to the Five Constant Virtues and carried them down to the modern life.

Benevolence (Ren) Benevolence is the first and most important virtue among the Five Constant Virtues. It manifests itself in the inner mind in love and compassion for people and in avoiding harm or envy toward anyone. In terms of behavior, benevolence demands that one be amiable, not argue angrily with others nor do evil deeds.To cultivate one‘s virtue of Benevolence one should use another Confucian version of the Golden Rule: What one does not wish for oneself, one ought not to do to anyone else; what one recognizes as desirable for oneself, one ought to be willing to grant to others. Virtue, in this Confucian view, is based upon harmony with other people, produced through this type of ethical practice by a growing identification of the interests of self and other. In short, as parents treat their children, the benevolent person spares no effort to help others; one even lays down one’s life to this end, with no thought of being repaid.

Righteousness (Yi)

Among his teachings, Confucius emphasized righteousness which is the ability to distinguish between right and wrong. Righteousness can be thought of as similar to what is often referred to as a “conscience”or “justice”. Confucius believed that actions should be taken on the basis of whether the act is morally right or wrong as opposed to whether it will provide profit or utility to an individual or group. Above all righteousness is about preserving one’s integrity.

Propriety (Li)

Propriety means ceremony or correct behavior. The contents of propriety include loyalty, filial piety , fraternal duty, respect, etc. Originating in ancient sacrificial rites, propriety, in a general sense signifies behavioral norms which maintain hierarchy. Inancient society, besides the relation of monarch and subjects, there were also the relations of father and sons, husband and wife, the elder and the young, teacher and students, and others. These relations differ but all demand modest respect to others

Wisdom (Zhi) Wisdom is the knowledge by which one judges right and wrong, good and evil. The saint define the personality of “the wise” as “a wise man free from confusions”. The real man of wisdom shall not only be able to distinguish truth from falsehood, but also be rational and sensible; he shall never get confused in front of profits or different paths. That is to say, the wisdom concerns not only one person's ability and aptitude, but also hismoral cultivation. Confucius also pointed out that the acquisition of "wisdom" lies in learning, which can be obtained from both books and life.

Fidelity (Xin)

Fidelity is honesty. This means that, externally, one’s deeds match one’s words; and that internally one’s words and mind are in unison. Fidelity is a key to the perfection of human nature. It is the basis without which other virtues lose their authenticity ; hence they are inseparable. Fidelity is natural in a child, but might be lost due to external influences. 

  Expressions and Terms   

Five Constant Virtues五常 benevolence 仁 righteousness 义 propriety礼 wisdom 智 fidelity 信 moral code 道德准则 filial piety 孝道

  Questions   

1.what does the Five Constant Virtues refer to ? 2. In terms of behavior. what does Benevolence demand ? 3. What do the contents of the Propriety include ? 4. What is the real man of the wisdom ? 5. Where does the Five Constant Virtues come from ?

Answers

1. Benevolence , righteousness, propriety, wisdom and fidelity. 2. Benevolence demands that one be amiable, not argue angrily with others nor do evil deeds. 3. It includes loyalty, filial piety , fraternal duty, respect, etc. 4. The real man of wisdom shall not only be able to distinguish truth from falsehood, but also be rational and sensible; he shall never get confused in front of profits or different . 5. They all came from Confucianism and are widely acknowledged all over China.

Yang Yue 杨悦

Cheongsam--Yang Yue (talk) 13:16, 2 November 2020 (UTC)

Yang Ziling 杨子泠

====The Folding Screen==== --Yang Ziling (talk) 08:58, 3 December 2020 (UTC)

1.1 Introduction


Folding screens are a kind of flexible furniture and composed of several frames or panels linked together. They serve practical and decorative functions, being made from various materials and in many styles. Folding screens originated in ancient China. Written references date from around the 4th century BC, during the Han dynasty, but they were probably used earlier. (Milica Sterjova, 2017)

1.2 History and Technology

Screens date back to China during the Eastern Zhou period (711-256BCE). They were one-panel screens rather than folding screens then. The origin of folding screens, however, could be traced to the Han dynasty (206 BC - 200 CE). Depictions of them have been found in Han-era tombs, such as one in Zhucheng, Shandong Province. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_culture)

Chinese screens which were made originally as partitions painted with beautiful and serious works, were not designed to be moved around very often. (Emmaantiques, 2014) They were initially made of wooden panels and decorated with fine art. Many themes are painted on the panels, such as mythology, scenes of palace life, and nature, making them more of a piece of furniture. It is often associated with intrigue and romance in Chinese literature, for example, a young lady in love could take a curious peek hidden from behind a folding screen. Examples of such romantic occasions can be seen in the classical novel Dream of the Red Camber of Cao Xueqin. The folding screen is also an important element in Tang literature. Li He, the Tang Poet, wrote the "Song of the Screen" (屏风曲), in which he described a folding screen of a newly-wed couple. The folding screen surrounded the bed of the young couple, and its twelve panels were adorned with butterflies alighted on China pink flowers (an allusion to lovers), and had silver hinges resembling glass coins. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folding_screen) There are heavy wooden structures with other decorations pulled through holes near the edges of the panels. The frame was prominent, and the image development was frequently vertical and confined to the individual panels, creating a pleasing pattern. (Dianne Lee van der Reyden)

They were made flexible when an ingenious system of strong paper hinges were integrated in the panel construction, which made folding patterns reversible. The panels were brought closer by the paper hinges, which reduce the need for frames separating panels and allow a horizontal orientation of the picture plane. This provides creative approaches to the various spatial relationships of the panels.(Dianne Lee van der Reyden)

1.3 Uses

Although originated in China, folding screens are now used in many interior designs around the world. People first used them also in some practical ways, such as preventing draft in homes, as shown by the two characters in their name: ping(屏 "screen; blocking") and feng (风 "breeze, wind"). People would also use them to bestow a sense of privacy; in old times, they would often be placed in rooms serving as dressing screens for ladies.

Folding screens can be put up as to divide a large space and change the configuration of the room. They could also be used as a false way set up at the entrance of a room to create a desirable atmosphere by hiding certain features like doors to a kitchen. Now that many folding screens are design with fine art, they serve the decorative purposes well in the interior features of a home.

1.4 Spread

After becoming popular in China, folding screens spread to other parts of the world, including East Asia and later Europe. In the 7th century, they appeared in Japan for the first time during the reign of Emperor Tenmu, and they were presented to the Korean kingdom of Silla as a gift. By the 8th century, they had gained such popularity in Japan that Japanese artists began to make their own, very much influenced by Chinese design. Different sizes served different purposes: small 2-fold screens were often used for the tea ceremony and a larger 8-fold screen could be used as backdrops for dances. Japanese screens were lighter, often made of silk or even paper. Painted screens were a major component of traditional Japanese architecture, and their decoration reflected the leading schools and movements in Japanese art. They served many purposes, being used for tea ceremonies, as backgrounds for concerts or dances, and as enclosures for Buddhist rites. (David Leopold, 2008)

Folding screens from the Far East spread to Europe at the very beginning of the 17th century. Owing to their practical functions and the distinguished decoration, they drew a lot of attention. The famous designer Coco Chanel was totally enchanted by Coromandel screens. She was well-known for her collection of Chinese folding screens. She possessed 32 folding screens, 8 of which were preserved in her apartment in Paris. She once stated: 

“I’ve loved Chinese screens since I was eighteen years old. I nearly fainted with joy when, entering a Chinese shop, I saw a Coromandel for the first time. Screens were the first thing I bought.“ (Coco Chanel, 2010)

By the early 18th century, European craftsmen had already begun making folding screens on their own. They made folding screens in less expensive painted versions instead using lacquer techniques. At that time, leather screens were fashionable, but their popularity didn't last long, only to be restored around 1860 during the reign of Napoleon III with the wave of Japonism that inspired a number of French artists.

In the 20th century when new modern heating means were invented, the functions of the folding screen became mostly decorative.

Expressions and Terms

Dream of the Red Chamber 《红楼梦》

the Korean kingdom of Silla 朝鲜新罗王国

Emperor Tenmu 天武天皇

1.5 Questions

1. When did folding screens first appear?

2. How are folding screens associated with romance in Chinese literature?

3. What functions do screens serve?

4. When did they spread to Europe?

5. How did European craftsmen make folding screens?

Answers

1. Screens date back to China during the Eastern Zhou period (711-256BCE).

2. For example, a young lady in love could take a curious peek hidden from behind a folding screen， as presented in the classical novel Dream of the Red Camber of Cao Xueqin.

3. Preventing draft in homes, bestowing a sense of privacy and serving as dressing screens for ladies.

4. Folding screens from the Far East spread to Europe at the very beginning of the 17th century.

5. They made folding screens in less expensive painted versions instead using lacquer techniques.

References

Milica Sterjova, A Brief history of folding screens, https://www.wallswithstories.com/uncategorized/a-brief-history-of-folding-screens.html, May 23, 2017)

Emmaantiques. Asian Furniture Online. https://asianfurnitureonline.wordpress.com/2014/11/19/history-of-asian-screens/, Nov. 19, 2014

Dianne Lee van der Reyden, THE HISTORY, TECHNOLOGY, AND CARE OF FOLDING SCREENS: CASE STUDIES OF THE CONSERVATION TREATMENT OF WESTERN AND ORIENTAL SCREENS, https://www.si.edu/mci/downloads/RELACT/folding_screens.pdf

David Leopold, Unfolding the Screen, https://www.solowey.com/wp/page/9/, Sep 14th 2008

Coco Chanel, COCO CHANEL’S APARTMENT THE COROMANDEL SCREENS, https://www.chanel.com/us/fashion/news/2010/06/coco-chanels-apartment-the-coromandel-screens.html, June 29, 2010

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folding_screen

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_culture

Yi Zichu 义子楚

===Panda===--Yi Zichu (talk) 14:26, 2 November 2020 (UTC)

1.The origin of giant pandas=

The ancestor of the giant panda is Ailuaractos lufengensis. The scientific name of the giant panda is actually "cat bear", which means "a bear like a cat". The main branch of it continued to evolve in central and southern China. One species of Ailuaractos lufengensis appeared in the early Pleistocene about 3 million years ago, and it was smaller than the current panda. In this process, giant pandas have adapted to life in subtropical bamboo forests, gradually increasing in size and relying on bamboo for their livelihoods. In the middle and late Pleistocene, about 500,000-700,000 years ago, was the heyday of giant pandas. The Qinling giant panda has been identified as a subspecies of the giant panda. Fossils show that the ancestors of giant pandas appeared in the early 2 to 3 million years ago. The habitat of giant pandas once covered most of eastern and southern China, reaching Beijing in the north and southern Myanmar and northern Vietnam in the south. Giant panda fossils are usually found in temperate or subtropical forests at an altitude of 500 to 700 meters. Giant pandas have survived to now and maintain their original ancient characteristics. Therefore, they have a lot of scientific value and are known as "living fossils". China calls them "national treasures."

2.Appearance features of giant pandas

Giant pandas are fat like bears, plump and rich, round heads and short tails, with a head length of 1200-1800mm and a tail length of 100-120mm. The weight is 80-120kg, and its maximum weight can reach 180kg. The raised pandas are a little heavier, and the males are generally slightly larger than the females. The hair color of its head and body is distinct from black and white. However, its black is not pure black, and white is not pure white. It is black with brown through and white with yellow. The individuals in the Qinling Mountains are relatively large, with rough body hair and slightly brownish abdominal hair. The black and white appearance is conducive to hiding in dense forest trees and snow-covered ground without being easily spotted by natural enemies. Relatively sharp claws, well-developed and powerful front and rear limbs help the giant panda to climb up tall trees quickly. The giant panda's skin is thick, which can be up to 10 mm at its thickest point. The skin thickness of different parts of the body is different. The back of the body is thicker than the ventral side, and the outside of the body is thicker than the inside of the body. The average thickness of the skin is about 5 mm, and it is white, elastic and tough. The vision of giant pandas is extremely underdeveloped. This is because giant pandas live in dense bamboo forests for a long time. The light is very dark and there are many obstacles, making their eyes very short and shallow. In addition, because its pupils are split like cats, they can still do activities when night comes. Giant pandas live in the high mountains and deep valleys of the upper reaches of the Yangtze River in China, which are the windward side of the southeast monsoon. The climate is warm and humid, and their humidity is often above 80%. The giant pandas prefer humid environment. The 6 long and narrow areas where giant pandas live, including Minshan, Qionglai, Liangshan, Daxiangling, Xiaoxiangling and Qinling Mountains, spans 45 counties (cities) in the 3 provinces of Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu. The land area of their habitats is more than 20,000 square kilometers, and the population of there is about 1,600, of which more than 80% are distributed in Sichuan.

3.The diet features of giant pandas

The recipes of giant pandas are very special, almost including all kinds of bamboo that can be found in high mountain areas. Giant pandas also occasionally eat meat (usually the carcasses of animals or sometimes of rhizomys). The unique dieting characteristics of the giant panda make it known as the "bamboo bear" by the locals. Giant pandas have gradually evolved to herbivore. As bamboo has a few nutrition that can only provide the basic nutrients needed for pandas’ survival, giant pandas eat up to 14 hours a day except for sleeping or some short-distance activities in the wild environment. A giant panda eats 12 to 38 kilograms of bamboo per day, which is close to 40% of its body weight. They like to eat the most nutritious and least cellulose-containing parts of bamboo, namely the tender stems, burgeons, and bamboo shoots. There are usually at least two types of bamboo in the giant panda habitat. When one kind of bamboo blooms and dies (bamboo periodically blooms and dies every 30 to 120 years), pandas can switch to other bamboos. However, the continued fragmentation of the habitat increases the possibility that there is only one kind of bamboo in the habitat. When this kind of bamboo becomes distinct, the giant pandas in this area will face the threat of starvation.

=Terms and expressions

Ailuaractos lufengensis 始熊猫 Pleistocene 更新世 carcasse 尸体 rhizomys 竹鼠 cellulose 纤维素 burgeons 嫩枝

Questions

1.What's the ancestor of giant pandas? 2.What are the features of giant pandas' skin? 3.Do giant pandas like hot environment? 4.What part of bamboo do giant panda eat?

References

[1]Yan Weiran,Tang Maolin,Chen Zeyuan,Chen Peng,Zhao Qijun,Que Pinjia,Wu Kongju,Hou Rong,Zhang Zhihe. Automatically predicting giant panda mating success based on acoustic features[J]. Global Ecology and Conservation,2020,24. [2]丛丽,吴必虎.基于网络文本分析的野生动物旅游体验研究——以成都大熊猫繁育研究基地为例[J].北京大学学报(自然科学版),2014,50(06):1087-1094. [3]雍严格,王宽武,汪铁军.佛坪大熊猫的移动习性[J].兽类学报,1994(01):9-14. [4]胡锦矗.大熊猫的食性研究[J].南充师院学报(自然科学版),1981(03):17-22. [5]孙承骞,张哲邻,金学林.秦岭大熊猫局域种群的划分及数量分布[J].陕西师范大学学报(自然科学版),2006(S1):163-167.

You Yuting 游雨婷

====Legalism====--You Yuting (talk) 08:29, 18 November 2020 (UTC)

Legalism is a prominent school of thought in Chinese history that advocates the rule of law as its core and regards enriching the country and strengthening the army as its mission. The legalists are not pure theorists, but active actionists, whose thoughts also focus on the practical effects of law. It also puts forward the idea and concept of governing the country by law which still has far-reaching influence. A review based on the evolution of theories of legal relations showed that the study of the general theory of law in China is closely associated to the historical rate of progress of the practice of rule of law in China（Lei Lei,Chris, 2020:81）

1.Representative figures

Legalism developed relatively slowly, but took shape very early. The earliest could be traced back to the Xia and Shang rulers, and it became mature in the Warring-States Period. Through the unremitting efforts made by Guan Zhong, Zi Chan, Li Kui, Wu Qi, Shang Yang, and others, It gradually became a school of thought. At the end of the Warring-States Period, Han Fei summarized their theories, which was the greatest achievement of legalists. Shang Yang and Han Fei are two remarkable figures of this school, and they dedicated their life to promoting and practicing the ideas of legalism. Shang Yang, formerly known as Wei Yang, also known as Gongsun Yang, was born in the State of Wei during the Warring States Period. Through Jing Jian, one of Duke Xiao’s favorite ministers, he went to see Xiao Gong three times and put forward three reform plans, namely "the way of emperor", "the way of king" and "the overbearing way". Shang Yang talked about the overbearing policy of reform and won the heart of Duke Xiao. Shang Yang entered the stage to display his ideal. The main contents of Shang Yang's reform are as follows: establishing a new merit-based military system to encourage soldiers to fight bravely against the enemy; offering reward for ploughing and weaving to ensure sufficient grain and grass for the army of Qin. New laws were enacted to keep the people in their place. After Shang Yang's reform, The State of Qin quickly became a powerful state, which laid the foundation for later generations to unify the whole country and further enriched the thought of legalism. As for Han Fei, Han Fei (280 B. C. -- 233 B. C.), from Han state of the Warring States period, was a master in the legalist school. Han Feizi is the originator of the Legalism, his philosophy together significantly influenced by the “legalist ancestors”（Tingchun Ngai, 2019:7）. Han Fei's thought had a strong tendency of practical rationality, and he treated the practical effect as the criterion for judging everything(Wang Jian, 2001:52). He developed a systematic legalist thought by combining “Shi” of Shen Dao, the "Shu" of Shen Buhai, and the "Fa" of Shang Yang. Han Fei was nobleman in Han State, but his thoughts were not adopted by the king of Han State at that time. Although Han Fei failed to realize his ambition during his lifetime, he further developed his legalist thoughts and theories, which provided a powerful theoretical basis for the first emperor of Qin to unify the whole country.

2.Values

Legalism in pre-Qin period, which paid the most attention to law and its compulsory function among other school of thoughts. It discussed the origin, nature, function of law, and the relationship between law and social economy, the demand of The times, state power, population and human nature. And it turned out to be a great success. There are several beliefs that the legalist school hold and advocate. First, The legalists believe that people have the nature of "being fond of the beneficial instead of the harmful" . Guan Zhong once said that a businessman who could travel thousands of miles day and night would not feel far because the attraction of the benefits. Fishermen, who was not afraid of danger and sailed against the current, not caring about a hundred miles away, pursued the benefits of fishing. With this same idea in mind, Shang Yang came to the conclusion that "people can govern one's likes and dislikes in life." Legalist school, therefore, combined the humanity with the management of the country, introducing reward and punishment to drive its people to work and fight hard for their country（Guo Yanting, 2014:71）. Second, the legalists opposed the conservative idea of restoring ancient ways and advocated vigorous reform. They believe that history moves forward and that all laws and institutions should be developed along with the development of history, and that neither retrogression nor conformism should be allowed. Shang Yang clearly put forward the proposition of "Don’t follow the practices of the ancient and the present". Han Fei, on the other hand, took Shang Yang's idea a step further by proposing that "The way of running the country stays the same as the time changes; the country will be in chaos", and dismissing old-fashioned Confucian as a fool who waits for nothing. Third, The combination of Fa, Shi, Shu. Shang Yang, Shen Dao and Shen Buhai respectively advocated Fa, Shi, Shu with its own characteristics. When Han Fei, the master of legalist school, put forward the idea of combining the three closely. Fa refers to the improvement of the legal system, Shi refers to the power of the monarch, the sole military and political power, Shu refers to the control over the ministers, the control of political power, the implementation of laws and strategies and means. "Shi" is the basis for ruling the masses and gaining advantages, similar to "management authority" in modern management(Dai Shu, 2002:8). The main purpose is to detect and prevent insurrection and maintain the status of the monarch. The three ideas proposed by the legalism still exert great impact on the improvement of the modern law.

3.Works

Legalism has produced many great works such as Guan Zi, Shang Jun Shu, Shenko, Shen Zi, and Han Fei Zi. Take Han Fei Zi as an example, Han Fei inherited and summarized the thoughts and practices of legalists in the Warring States Period and put forward the theory of absolute monarchy and centralization. In this book, Han Fei pointed out that the sovereign must be powerful to govern the country. A group of feudal officials with rich experiences should be selected to replace the hereditary slave owners and nobles, so that the power of the state could solely lie in the hands of the sovereign. It is worth mentioning that in this book, it also recorded a large number of popular fable stories, such as "self-contradiction", "wait for windfalls", "safety in numbers", "sense comes with age" and so on. These fables contain deep philosophy, and inspire people through the perfect combination of ideas and artistry.

References

Lei Lei,Chris.The General Theory of Law and Its Development in China[J].Contemporary Social Sciences,2020(05):81-107.

Tingchun Ngai.The Debates on Human Nature and Political Governance in Ancient China: Mencius, Xunzi and Han Feizi. Open Access Library Journal,2019, 6(4):1-14.

郭艳婷.浅论法家思想及其现实意义[J].湖北广播电视大学学报,2014,34(02):71-72.

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Terms and Expressions

1.Legalism法家

2.the way of emperor帝道

3.the way of king王道

4.the overbearing way 霸道

5.being fond of the beneficial instead of the harmful 好利恶害

6.self-contradiction自相矛盾

7.wait for windfalls守株待兔

8.safety in numbers滥竽充数

9.sense comes with age老马识途

Questions

1.When did legalism become mature?

2. Do you know the representative figures of legalism?

3. Can you make a list of values proposed by legalism?

4.what does "being fond of the beneficial instead of the harmful" mean? Can you make some examples?

5.Does the members of legalism object the thoughts of Confucian school?

6. What are the classical works of legalism?

7. What are the popular fable stories contained in the book of Han Fei?

Answers

1.It became mature in the Warring-States Period.

2. Guan Zhong, Zi Chan, Li Kui, Wu Qi, Shang Yang.

3.First, The legalists believe that people have the nature of "being fond of the beneficial instead of the harmful" . Second, the legalists opposed the conservative idea of restoring ancient ways and advocated vigorous reform.Third, The combination of Fa(law), Shi(power), Shu(art). Shang Yang, Shen Dao and Shen Buhai respectively advocated Fa, Shi, Shu with its own characteristics.

4.Guan Zhong once said that a businessman who could travel thousands of miles day and night would not feel far because the attraction of the benefits. Fishermen, who was not afraid of danger and sailed against the current, not caring about a hundred miles away, pursued the benefits of fishing.

5.Yes.

6.Guan Zi, Shang Jun Shu, Shenko, Shen Zi, and Han Fei Zi. Take Han Fei Zi.

7."self-contradiction", "wait for windfalls", "safety in numbers", "sense comes with age" .