20201215 cultexam

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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.
• Please write the text and 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. And then, you need to 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 and provide the answers right beneath.

Alsied, Saffana

"Chinese Astrology"--SAFFANA ALSIED 2 (talk) 17:07, 18 November 2020 (UTC)

Cao Runxin 曹润鑫

Chunlian, image from Baike. Click [...] for original source.

A.Spring Festival Couplets

Spring Festival Couplets, Chunlian in Chinese, is also known as Spring Couplets or Chinese New Year Couplets. It is the most common and important custom when celebrating Chinese New Year. This tradition is widely kept both in modern cities and rural areas of China.With black or golden characters written on red paper, Spring Festival Couplets are composed of a pair of poetry lines vertically pasted on both sides of the front door and a four-character horizontal scroll affixed above the doorframe. Pasting couplets expresses people’s delight in the festival and wishes for a better life in the coming year.

Spring Couplets originated from Taofu, an inscription on boards made from peach trees in the Zhou Dynasty. According to the legend, a rooster perching in a big peach tree will crow at dawn to call all the traveling ghosts back. In front of the entrance of the dark world, there are two guards named Shentu and Yulei. If the ghosts harm any people at night, the guards will kill them.People believed that peach trees can scare and subdue evil things, so they hung peach boards in front of the doors with the guards’ names written or inscribed on them. During the Song Dynasty, the wood board was replaced by paper, and people focused more on bright wishes for the future. The custom became popular in Ming Dynasty. When the Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang traveled for inspection, he found those pairs of scrolls interesting. In order to advocate and promote this cultural activity, he ordered all household to paste the scrolls during the Chinese New Year. This tradition continues today.

The upper scroll and the lower scroll have parallel structures and antithetical meanings. The two lines should have an equal number of characters, while their meaning must be related and antithetical. There must be a one-to-one correspondence between the two lines. The tone pattern is emphasized but rhythm is not important. The horizontal scroll is a four-character phrase, which sums up the two lines’ meaning. When you read a spring festival couplets, first,look at the horizontal scroll. If the four characters are written from left to right, the upper scroll will be on the left and the lower scroll on the right. If the characters of the horizontal scroll are reversed, the two side scrolls should be read from right to left.

Terms and Expressions

Spring Festival Couplets, Spring Couplets, Chinese New Year Couplets, New Year Scroll 春联

Paste 贴

Horizontal scroll 横联

Upper scroll 上联

Lower scroll 下联

Chen Han 陈涵

Guzheng

Guzheng or Zheng is one of the oldest traditional ethnic musical instruments in China. It belongs to plucked stringed instruments. As early as 2500 years ago, zheng has become an important instrument which was widespread at that time. Due to the long history and its primitive simplicity and elegant sound, people are used to calling it guzheng (gu refers to “ancient”). It has beautiful timbre, broad ranges, rich performance skills and strong expressive power, so it is deeply loved by Chinese.

Guzheng or Zheng is one of the oldest traditional ethnic musical instruments in China. It refers to plucked stringed instruments. As early as 2500 years ago, zheng has become an important instrument which was widespread at that time. Due to the long history and its primitive simplicity and elegant sound, people are used to calling it guzheng (gu refers to “ancient”). It has beautiful timbre, broad ranges, rich performance skills and strong expressive power, so it is deeply loved by Chinese.--Root (talk) 07:36, 30 November 2020 (UTC)

There are varied accounts for how the zheng came to be. The first legend says the history of guzheng can date back to the Warring States Period. The oldest specimen yet discovered held 13 strings. Zheng was regarded as a weapon at that time which was used vertically to beat enemies. There was also an old saying that “the zheng makes a pleasant sound when placed horizontally and becomes a soldier when placed vertically”. Later, strings were added to it, and when plucked, it was found to be pleasing to the ears, so it developed into an instrument. As time went by, the weapons became lighter and lighter, and the zheng, a large and heavy weapon, was abandoned. The second legend says the early form of thezheng is said to have been invented by Meng Tian, a general of the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC). But according to the biographies of Meng Tian in Historical Records, there is no record of his invention of the zheng. The third legend says the guzheng came about largely influenced by the se which was recorded by Zhao Lin in Records on Words. When two people fought over a 25-string se, they broke it in half, one person receiving a 12-string part and the other the 13-string part.

The modern-day Guzheng usually has 21 strings and movable bridges and is 163 centimeters long. It should not be confused with the guqin, another ancient Chinese zither with 7 strings played without movable bridges. The strings were formerly made of silk. By the 20th century, most players used metal strings. Since the mid-20th century, steel strings wound with nylon are common to be seen. The body of the guzheng is approximately rectangular, with a slight protrusion in the middle of the faceplate. The head and tail of the guzheng are anterior mountain and posterior mountain respectively. The two mountains are connected by 21 strings which are supported by 21 movable bridges, also known as Yan Zhu which are moved to change the timbres. The strings at the anterior side are wound around the string pegs in the turning box. And the guzheng was usually placed on the zither feet. The timbre of the guzheng is determined by the quality of the wood. As the tension of paulownia is better, the body of the guzheng are mostly made of paulownia. The head, tail and other parts of the guzheng are generally made of mahogany, and some patterns are decorated on the head and the tail.

The fingerpicks, called Dai Mao or Yi Jia,

Terms and expressions

• Meng Tian 蒙恬

• Zhao Lin 赵璘

• Records on Words 《因话录》

• anterior mountain 前岳山

• posterior mountain 后岳山

• Yan Zhu 雁柱

• string pegs 弦钉

• turning box 调音盒

• zither feet 琴足

• paulownia 桐木

• mahogany 红木

• Dai Mao 玳瑁

• Yi Jia 义甲

Chen Jingjing 陈静静

A. Facial makeup

Facial makeup, a sort of makeup art used in stage performance, is painted on the face of traditional opera singers in China and varies when it come to different types of role. The character roles in Beijing opera are divided into four main types according to the sex, age, social status and profession of the character. Sheng refers to male roles and is divided into laosheng (middle-aged or old men), xiaosheng (young men) and wusheng ( men with martial skills). Dan refers to female roles and is also subdivided into various types. Qingyi is a woman with a strict moral code; and laodan is an elderly woman. Jing refers to the roles with painted faces. They are usually warriors, statesmen or even demons. Chou, clown, is a comic character and can be recognized at first sight for his special make-up. The facial makeup of “sheng” and “dan” is quite simple with a thin layer of powder, called “plain face” while that of “jing” and “chou” is relatively complicated, and the former, in particular, is applied with heavy color and complicated patterns, thus gaining the name of “painted face”. In Beijing Opera, facial make-up, which is applied to Jing roles only, shows the character’s age and personality by using different colors. “Chou” is commonly called the clown as they are accustomed to wiping a patch of white powder on the nose.

People hold different views when speaking of the origin of the facial makeup. It was said facial makeup was closely related to a kind of dance, called Damian, which appeared in the Northern and Southern Dynasties and thrived in the Tang Dynasty. It was performed by a single man aiming to extol King Lanling Gao Changgong’s outstanding military service and merits. He was courageous and good-looking and was bound to win every time he worn a mask that seemed frightening in the battlefield. As for the facial makeup used in opera, it is used to highlight the roles’ character, appearance as well as status, achieving a colorful and fantastic stage.

The legendary drama played a dominant role in Ming Dynasty, rich in content and fine in role division. Both jing and chou are painted their own special facial makeup. The basic color is mostly designed based on the description in the drama literature or the singers’ personal imagination. For instance, facial makeup of Guanyu is red and that of Baozhen is black. Their brow and eyes are exaggerated in some way. The pattern ratio has changed as well. Unlike the Ming Dyansty, there are both simple and sophisticated facial makeups with the same basic color. In the Mid-Qing Dynasty, as the local drama arose, facial makeup varied greatly in different places and possessed distinct local features and folk color. More than 300 kinds of dramas sprung up after the 18th century. Therefore, the drama characters mount and their division is much more finer. More colors like blue, green, yellow, grey and orange are added in jing.

Red

Red facial makeup is symbolic of loyalty, upright and integrity like the characters Guan Yu and Wu Han.

Black

Black facial makeup gives people the impression that he is serious, rarely shows smiling expression and courageous and wise like Bao Zheng, a impartial official. It also stands for mighty force and boldness like Zhang Fei in drama the Three Kingdoms and Li Kuai in drama Water Margin of the Marsh.

White

White facial makeup bears a derogatory sense, indicating a deceitful and suspicious nature like Cao Cao in drama the Three Kingdoms and Yan Song, Qin Kuai.

Blue

Characters wearing blue facial makeup tend to be upright ,outspoken ,obstinate and even unruly like Ma Wu and Dou Erdun .

Purple

Purple facial makeup shows more sedate and righteous like Xu Yanzhao and Zhuan Zhu.

Golden

Golden facial makeup symbolizes dignity and power fitting roles like supernatural being like Tathagata(Sakyamuni, the creator of Buddhism) and Erlang Shen( a Chinese God with a third truth-seeing eye in the middle of his forehead).

The features of facial makeup are mainly as follows: First, it is a contradictory unit of beauty and ugliness.Second, it is closely related to the character’s personality.Thirdly, its pattern is stylized. Chinese Peking opera makeup is favored by many opera enthusiasts and is widely known both at home and abroad, having been regarded as one of the mark of traditional Chinese culture. It is derived from the stage and could be seen on some large buildings, packages of some commercials, various porcelains and people’s clothes in different styles. It is far beyond the scope of stage use, showing its status in people’s heart and the strong vitality. Out of curiosity and affection for Chinese opera facial makeup, a great many foreign friends and domestic men of insight start to explore the mystery of it.

B. Terms and Expressions

painted face 花脸

clown 丑角

legend，romance 传奇剧

Tathagata 如来佛

Sakyamuni 释迦牟尼

Dashkin, Gennadii

Three Worldwide Famous Chinese Novelists of Modern Science Fiction and Fantasy

1.Liu Cixin（刘慈欣）

Liu Qixin was born in 1963 in Yangquan City, Shanxi Province, 400 kilometers from Beijing. Other famous natives of the area were Gaozu, the founder of the Tang Imperial Dynasty, and Jia Zhangke, the chief filmmaker of modern China. The parents of the future writer worked in a mine in Shanxi, and his first conscious years fell on the heyday of the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976).

Liu received his technical education from North China University of Water and Electricity. After graduation, he worked as a computer engineer at a power plant in his native Yangquan. Now Liu Qixin is combining his studies of literature with the post of chief engineer of the China Energy Investment Corporation at the Nianziguan Power Plant. So science and technology have always been constant elements of his life.

Liu Qixin started writing relatively late. At 26, he wrote China in 2185, but the book never saw the light of the day. Mostly this was due to the consequences of the Cultural Revolution - in the late 80s, almost no science fiction literature was published in China. Later, when the opportunity arose to publish the novel, the writer himself re-read it, considered it second-rate, badly written and naive and decided that he did not deserve publication.However, Liu Qixin did not give up and in 1999 he released another novel, written by him at a young age, but significantly modified and edited for publication. This is how Liu Qixin's first big book appeared - the novel "Supernova Era". Before that, some of his stories were published in magazines, but the writer's name became really noticeable after the publication of this book. In it, as a result of the radiation of a supernova, all people over 30 are threatened with death within a year. Since then, the life of humanity has changed dramatically, and although the doomed older generation made heroic efforts to make the existence of young people better, a year later the world is plunging into an abyss of chaos and violence.

Liu's first books were warmly received in China, but nevertheless real success came to the author only in 2006, when he published the first part of his trilogy "Memory of the Earth's Past" - the novel "The Problem of Three Bodies" in the Chinese journal Science Fiction World. This book first made the writer a real star in his homeland, and 7 years later, when the Chinese-American science fiction writer Ken Liu translated it into English, and all over the world. The novel has become so popular that the entire trilogy is often referred to as "The Three-Body Problem," although this is not formally true.

In 2006, the book won the Galaxy Award, the main Chinese literary science fiction award, and after being translated into English, it was nominated for all three major world awards: Hugo, Locus and Nebula. The novel only won the Hugo Award, but in 2017 the third part of the Eternal Life of Death trilogy took over Locus.

Liu Qixin is definitely a unique writer, with his own style, philosophy and special vision of science fiction. So far, only three of his novels have been published outside of China, but he has already won such recognition that Barack Obama and Mark Zuckerberg recommend reading the Tsisin trilogy. But the main thing that Liu Qixin has already managed to prove with his books is that science fiction literature is capable of giving generous shoots not only on the basis of European culture. Liu Qixin is the first person outside of the Western world to achieve resounding success in science fiction. And, perhaps, his trilogy is just the beginning of a new global phenomenon. After all, it's not for nothing that many experts have been saying for several years that the future belongs to China. It is very likely that this phrase refers not only to politics and economics, but also to science fiction literature.

2.Chen Qiufan (陈楸帆）

Today this author is called by others the “Chinese William Gibson”. He can also be called one of the leaders of Chinese science-fiction and a cyberpunk novelist. He was born in China in 1981 in a seaside province in southeastern China called Guangdong, which borders Hong Kong and Macau. To say more accurately he grew up a few miles from Guiyu, the largest waste dump. Mountains of scrap electronics are shipped there every year from all over the world. Thousands of workers sort through the garbage in search of something that is suitable for recycling. This topic became the central topic in a novel called “Waste Tide”.

Also, by the early 2000s, Chen Qiufang had become a big fan of virtual chats and the Internet. He saw great potential in the Internet and technologies in general, an opportunity to change the world for the better. After graduation, Chen worked with Google, Baidu and co-founded Noitom, a virtual reality startup in Beijing. As science fiction began to gain popularity in China and receive support from the government, Qiufan turned to full-fledged novels.

His debut book was The Empty Wave, "combining realism and allegory to represent the hybridity of humans and machines." Chen Qiufan's novels and stories won three Galaxy Awards, and twelve Chinese Nebula Awards. His works have been translated into German, French, Finnish, Korean, Czech, Italian, Japanese, Polish and Russian.

His book Waste Tide became one of the most discussed books around the world and got universal acclaim from critics and usual readers. The fantastic mix of dark future with reality components made this book a guidebook for those who are worried about ecological problems and the darkest sides of the humanity progress.

3.Rebecca F. Kuang (匡蘦秀)

When Rebecca was four years old, her family emigrated to the United States from Guangzhou, China. Kuang's father grew up in Leiyang, in Hunan province, and his mother in Hainan Island.

Quang grew up in Dallas, Texas and later went to Georgetown University in large part because of the college's discussion team. Quang began writing The Opium War when she worked as a debate trainer in China during a break from her studies. Rebecca always liked writing, but she was afraid that an education related to literature might not give her a profession in demand. But during the direct work on the book, she completed several literary courses. As a result, her first novel was published when she was only 22 years old.

Rebecca graduated from the university in June 2018. She further attended Magdalene College, Cambridge University as a recipient of the 2018 Marshall Fellowship, where she earned her Master of Philosophy in Sinology. She is currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Contemporary Sinology from Oxford University.

Her debut novel, The Opium War, is a war fantasy set inspired by the history and culture of China. The Opium War is a dark fantasy genre. The plot is largely based on the history of China in the middle of the 20th century. The conflict refers to the Second Sino-Japanese War, but the scenery is inspired by the Song Dynasty. The novel accurately recreates the social, mythological and philosophical realities of China of the chosen era.

Chen Yongxiang 陈永相

Stilts presentation during the Miliangtun Stilt Festival, image from Baike. Click [1] for original source.

China's Intangible Cultural Heritage — Miliangtun Village Stilts

Introduction

Stilts is one of the folk dances of the Han nationality in our country, which is called "Stilt Yangko" in some places. Stilt-walkers tie their feet on to the long stilts with various length, the shortest being two feet long, and the longest reaching over five feet. They dress themselves into different historical or mythological figures, walking and dancing on fairs. Stilt-walkers are normally taller than ordinary people, and perform on movable stages, which is convenient for watching far and near.

As a traditional folk dance in Beijing, Miliangtun Village Stilts originates from the "Tongle Gaojiaohui" founded in the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty. According to the older generation in the village, Miliangtun Village Stilts was first founded by several villagers led by Uncle Ma, who lived in Miliangtun Village and worked in Beijing.It was bestowed by Emperor Qianlong, and has a history of more than 250 years. Miliangtun Village Stilts is not only time-honored, but also mysterious and legendary. It still retains the traditions in performance techniques, characters, musical accompaniment, etiquette, and stilts production technology, which is an excellent performing art that is spread among the folks. In 2006, it was listed as a Beijing-level intangible cultural heritage protection project.

The team of Miliangtun Village Stilts has over forty people and 13 roles, all played by men. The roles are, Tuotou, Laozuozi, young boy, young master, Mr. Plaster, Choupo, fisherman, Yupo, wood-cutter, handsome and ugly drum-players, handsome and ugly gong-players. Tuotou, fisherman and wood-cutter are righteous and decent images, while zany figures represent the negative images, like Choupo, young boy and Laozuozi who are responsible for enlivening the atmosphere and entertaining the audience. Such a stark contrast is quite ironic. Among the 13 roles, the only serious one is Tuotou. Because he is a general who can be easily recognized upon his appearance. Squatting and carrying swords, that's his work. Others like the young boy, just a little kid who amuses everyone. Mr. Plaster is responsible for warming up. He is outstanding because he can play and amuse with others, like Yupo or Laozuozi. Fisherman is just a workingman. He is not funny. He goes fishing because of his fixed character. Wood-cutter is also a workingman who can play other tricks besides squatting. Yupo is the young lady in the past, and Laozuozi is the housewife. Wood-cutter and Mr. Plaster can play and amuse with them. The handsome and ugly drum-players and gong-players are quite important in the backfield when the show begins. They play drums and gongs to amuse the audience. Gong-players following drum-players, handsome and ugly, they are just like the final fighters. Then comes the show of Kylin Songzi after they stop playing; Tuotou lying flat; Mr. Plaster and young master raising their waists; Yupo dancing Yangko behind, pulling his two legs; Fisherman using his ribbon to drag Tuotou who hold the ribbon in his mouth; the young boy riding on Tuotou’s waist like a lion. Then comes the going downhill. When it’s done, the show is over. That's the whole performance.

There is strict inheritance relationship and etiquette in the stilt fair. It will set up inheritors, presidents, team leaders, and team members. Today, Miliangtun Village Stilts as the distinctive folklore in Wangzuo Town, Fengtai District, stands out among the stilt fairs in Beijing and enjoys great popularity from peers and the public. Miliangtun Village Stilts is visually stunning, technically accomplished and naturally funny. A fixed set of performance routines has gradually formed after long-term drills since its founding. It is divided into lead in, head stilt command, separation in formal performance. Stilts-walkers individually perform difficult tricks such as the big jump and the onion-pulling, then amuse and perform in separation, ending with the show of Kylin Songzi, which indicates good luck and peace. Miliangtun Village Stilts has become an indispensable part of local festivals and celebrations with its lively atmosphere and superb skills and adds value to the cultural life of the folks.

Miliangtun Village Stilts as a renowned fair,knownas the features of risky tricks, various skills and great difficulty. There are stunning tricks such as Yasha Searches the Sea, Su Qin Carries Swords, squatting, bouncing, hugging, somersault, and scorpion tail pendulum. Stilts performances focus on amusement, Tuotou being the opening, other roles flatter him with various and difficult tricks, constituting the grand show. Legs and feet must be agile, jumping the large bench is quite demanding that normal players can hardly accomplish. Tuotou, for example, he has to play squatting after jumping. Each of the twelve roles has its own talents. Tuotou is an adventurous figure who leads the team. Young boy, Laozuozi and Yupo and even Mr. Plaster, the zany figure, his tricks are amusing and pleasing. The length of Miliangtun Village Stilts, 1.6 meters, is quite rare in the stilt fairs of the country. The centre of balance is extremely difficult to grasp. One must bend his knees slightly and keep moving when walking on stilts, control the balance with waist, and the upper body and the feet must be coordinated to ensure the balance. Stilt-walkers step on the wooden stilts, swinging from side to side. The movement of the lower body leads the upper body to shake and shrug. The stilts are lifted lightly but stepped hardly, with the force on the knees, forming into a style of combining the tricks of twisting, swinging and amusing.

Terms and Expressions

Miliangtun (village name) 米粮屯 stilts 高跷

Questions

--Chen Yongxiang (talk) 04:46, 30 November 2020 (UTC)

Ding Daifeng 丁代凤

Chinese lion dancing

Lion dancing is a traditional folk art with a history of about 2000 years, which is often performed in big events and festivals. Nowadays, it is generally believed that lion is the king of beasts and is a symbol of luck and good fortune. However, there is no lion in ancient China. According to historical records, lions were introduced to China through the Silk Road from the Western Regions during the Han Dynasty.

When lions were first introduced into China, their ferocious image was unacceptable. Later, due to the spread of Buddhism, the image of lions changed fundamentally in people's minds. Because lion is the mount of Manjusri Bodhisattva, a symbol of wisdom, people gradually have a good impression on lion, which is considered as a sacred animal to protect Buddha. In Europe, the image of lion has not been deified, but is still the king of beasts, symbolizing bravery, strength and supreme power. Many nobles use lion as a symbol.

There are a number of stories about the origin of lion dance. Here is one of the sayings. During the Ming Dynasty, it was said that a monster always damaged crops in Guangdong at the end of the year. Local people called it “Nian”. In order to drive the monster away, the local farmers thought of making a lion model to intimidate the monster. The monster ran away immediately after seeing the "lion", so people believed that the lion was a god beast and a symbol of auspiciousness. From then on, people will use lion dance to celebrate the New Year.

In lion dance, lions are made of colorful cloth strips, and each lion is usually performed by two people, one handling the head and the other moving the body and tail. Under the music of gongs and drums, performers dress up as lions and make various forms of lion movements. The lion dance is an art which combines martial arts, dance and music together.

Originating in the Han Dynasty, lion dance has prevailed among Chinese people and spread throughout all over China since the Tang Dynasty. There are mainly two kinds of lion dancing in China: northern lion dancing and southern lion dancing.

Northern lion dancing

The northern lion dancing pays attention to form and the appearance and the northern lion looks like a real lion. The lion's head is relatively simple, with golden hair all over its body. The pants and shoes of lion dancers are covered with fur, and even the pants and shoes of performers are the same color as the legs of real lions, so they can perform more vividly.

Little lion dance is performed by one person, and the big lion dance is performed by two people. Northern lions usually appear in pairs. The lions with red knots on their heads are males and those with green knots are females. Guided by the man who holds the colorful silk ball, lion dancers perform all kinds of lion’s movements. Apart from the usual jumping, falling and tumbling, performers will also show their excellent techniques by climbing upon a high table or by stepping on five wooden stakes, so as to show the lion's boldness and bravery.

Southern lion dancing

Different from the northern lion dancing, southern lion dancing attaches more importance to spiritual resemblance. With its center in southern China’s Guangdong province, southern lion dancing is popular in Hong Kong, Macao and Southeast Asia. Southern lion, also called awake lion, is developed and evolved from northern lion.

The head of southern lion has three colors, namely black, red and yellow. It is called "Liu Bei lion", "Guan Gong lion" and "Zhang Fei lion", which respectively represent the character of Liu, Guan and Zhang, the three sworn brothers who found the Shu kingdom（AD 221-263）. Guan Gong lion performs bravely, Zhang Fei lion's action is rough and belligerent, and Liu Bei lion is calm and powerful. Southern lion dancing pays attention to facial expression, and their facial expressions are always vivid and expressive. There are many movements in the southern lion dancing, dancers use different “Ma Bu” or horse stances, coupled with the movements of lion head, to show a variety of shapes.

Dancers usually perform the traditional custom of “Cai Qing”, literally meaning "plucking the greens", which is the most common step in the performance of the southern lion dancing. It is said that "Cai Qing" originally meant opposing the Qing Dynasty, but now it is interpreted as "vigorous", which means that the business is booming. People use lettuces as greens and hang them with red envelopes. The lion dancers perform in front of the greens with hesitation, then finally jump up and eat the lettuces in one gulp.

In recent years, in order to maintain the characteristics of the traditional Chinese lion dance, the southern lion dancing and the northern lion dancing complement each other and improve together.

Terms and Expressions

Western Regions 西域

mount 坐骑

Manjusri Bodhisattva 文殊菩萨

gong 锣

northern lion dancing 南狮

southern lion dancing 北狮

colorful silk ball 绣球

wooden stakes 木桩

spiritual resemblance神似

Liu Bei lion 刘备狮

Guan Gong lion 关公狮

Zhang Fei lion 张飞狮

sworn brothers 结义兄弟

horse stances 马步

Cai Qing 采青

lettuces 生菜

Questions

1. How long is the history of lion dance in China?

It is with a history of about 2000 years.

2. Why did people gradually accept lion as a sacred animal?

Because lion is the mount of Manjusri Bodhisattva, a symbol of wisdom, people gradually have a good impression on lion, which is considered as a sacred animal to protect Buddha.

3. Why did people use lion dance to celebrate the New Year?

In order to drive the monster away, the local farmers thought of making a lion model to intimidate the monster. The monster ran away immediately after seeing the "lion", so people believed that the lion was a god beast and a symbol of auspiciousness. From then on, people will use lion dance to celebrate the New Year.

4. What is the main difference between southern lion dancing and northern lion dancing?

The northern lion dancing pays attention to form and the appearance and the northern lion looks like a real lion, but southern lion dancing attaches more importance to spiritual resemblance.

5. What is the center of southern lion dancing?

It is in southern China’s Guangdong province.

6. How many colors are there in the heads of southern lions? And what are they?

The head of southern lion has three colors, namely black, red and yellow.

7. What is “Cai Qing”? And what do you know about “Cai Qing”?

It means "plucking the greens", which is the most common step in the performance of the southern lion dancing. It is said that "Cai Qing" originally meant opposing the Qing Dynasty, but now it is interpreted as "vigorous", which means that the business is booming.

References

[1] 张国斌. 中国传统舞龙舞狮运动历史文化探索及传播研究 [J]. 散文百家(新语文活页), 2019(10): 157-158.

[2] 刘兴. 从文化结构看舞龙舞狮运动的现代化发展 [J]. 体育师友, 2019, 42(04): 37-39.

[3] 于兆杰. 中国舞狮的起源及其发展演变 [J]. 搏击. 武术科学, 2008(06): 75-76.

[4] 张延庆. 中国舞狮的起源与文化演变 [J]. 体育文化导刊, 2003(11): 77-78.

Gan Fengyu 甘奉玉

A. The Eight Tang-Song Prose Masters

Brief Introduction of The Eight Tang-Song Prose Masters

The Eight Tang-Song Prose Masters are Han Yu, Liu Zongyuan in Tang Dynasty and Ouyang Xiu, Su Xun, Su Shi, Su Zhe, Wang Anshi, Zeng Gong in Song Dynasty. This title was first appeared in the Banknotes of Eight Masters of Tang and Song Dynasties. Among them, Han Yu and Liu Zongyuan are the leaders of the ancient prose movement in the Tang Dynasty, while Ouyang Xiu and Three Su(Su Xun, Su shi, Su Zhe) are the core figures of the ancient prose movement in the Song Dynasty, and Wang Anshi and Zeng Gong are the representative figures of Linchuan Literature. Han Yu and Liu Zongyuan are the advacators of the "Ancient Prose Movement". Su Shi, Su Xun and Su Zhe are called Three Su. What else, Su Xun is the their father and Su Shi is the older brother. While Su Shi's teacher is Ouyang Xiu, who is also the teacher of Wang Anshi and Zeng Gong. In a word, they both advocated prose and opposd parallel prose, which has exerted profound influence on the literary world at that time and later generations. Their sucessive waves of innovation of ancient ancient prose has changed the obsolete appearence of poetry and prose.

1. Han Yu

Han Yu was a litterateur, philosopher, and thinker of Tang Dynasty. He was native in Heyang, now Jiaozuo city in Henan province. Han Yu was honored as “ The Decline of Eight Generations” by Su Shi in Song Dynasty, as well as the head of Eight Masters of Prose in Tang and Song Dynasty. Han Yu was called “Han Liu” with Liu Zongyuan, and his proses were juxtaposed with Du Fu’s poems as “ Du poem Han pen” by Du Mu. He enjoyed the fame as “ The Article Giant” and “ Admired Literate of One Hundred Generations” with great works like forty volumes of Han Changli Collection, ten volumes of External collection and The Teacher's Theory. Although disagreement in Liu Zongyuan’s political view, he still worked with Liu Zongyuan in advocating the Ancient Prose Movement. As the pioneers, they were both against excessive pursuit of form of parallel prose but for the prose of Pre-Qin and Han Dynasties and both emphasized the importance of article’s contents so as to expand the expressive function of writing in classical Chinese.

2. Liu Zongyuan

Zongyuan was a litterateur, philosopher, proser and thinker of the Tang Dynasty. His ancestral home was Hedong , now in Yongji area of Yuncheng in Shanxi province. He was known as "Liu Hedong ", " Mr. Hedong ", also known as" Liu Liuzhou " because of his official end of feudal provincial of Liuzhou. He was born in Changan and became a Jinshi in the 9th year of Zhenyuan, later official supervisor of imperial censor . was juxtaposed with Han Yu as "Han Liu ", with Liu Yuxi as " Liu Liu ", with Wang Wei, Meng Haoran and Wei Yingwu as "Wang Meng Wei Liu ". In his lifetime of less than 50 years, he left us more than 600 poems with more achievements in writing than poetry. The "Liu He Dong Colloection" was one of his representatives. He was a deep-thinking philosopher and litterateur, who attached importance to the content of the article and advocated that writings should be practical. Therefore, he paid attention to the social function of literature and emphasized that literature should benefit the world. Moreover, he advocated the perfect combination of ideological content and artistic form with a serious attitude in writing. That means, it is important for the writer to have highly moral cultivation.

3. Ouyang Xiu

Ouyang Xiu was a statesman, litterateur, historian and poet in the Northern Song Dynasty. He was called the “Liu Yi scholar”, which means that he had ten thousands volumes of collections, a thousand volumes of collections of inscriptions of Xia, Shang, Zhou Dynasties, a piano, a chess, a pot of wine and a drunk Weng alone. He was native in Jizhou Yongfeng, now Yongfeng county of Ji’an city in Jiangxi province but born in Mianzhou, now Minayang city in Sichuan province. Ouyang Xiu’s poems, Ci and prose were all the crown of that time. His poetry was smooth, lyrical and euphemistic with a similar prose style stressing on momentum while keeping natural smoothness. His Ci was profound and graceful, inheriting the Yu Feng of the Southern Tang Dynasty. The Anthology of Ouyang Wenzhong Gong was his representatives. Ouyang Xiu inherited and carried forward the fine tradition of Han and Liu’s ancient prose, and led the Northern Song Dynasty poetry innovation movement. As the leader of this movement, Ouyang Xiu not only drove away the odd style of writing in the literary world, but also opened up a new style in poetry and also a new field of creation with his own unique style and high talent. It has made new achievements and pushed the creation of poetry and prose to a new height.

4. Su Xun

Su Xun was a native of Meishan in Sichuan. When he was young, he performed poor in learning. In 19 years old, he married Mrs. Cheng. Later in 27 years old, he determined to study hard. After decade of hard work, he made a huge academic progress. Su Xun was a man of political ambition. He said that the main purpose of his works was "to speak for the world ", to" apply to the present ". He put forward a whole set of ideas of political innovation in some important argumentative papers such as Heng Lun and The Book to the Emperor. Because he had a better understanding of that social reality and was good at summing up experience and lessons from past history. Therefore, putting aside certain pedantic and biased views in his political discourse, many of them were still right on the spot.

5. Su Shi

Su Shi, with a fame as " Dongpo Jushi ", was native in Meishan in Sichuan . He was a famous litterateur, calligrapher, essayist, Ci writer, poet and the representative of the Unconstrained Ci School in Northern Song Dynasty . Su Shi has made great achievements in poetry, Ci, prose, calligraphy, painting and so on. He was regarded as one of the most outstanding man in literary and artistic attainments in thousands of years of Chinese history. His was called "Han Chao Su hai" with Han Yu in the prose area, "Ou Su" with Ouyang Xiu, "Su Huang" with Huang Tingjian, and "Su Xin" with Xin Qiji in the Ci area, so he was called "the first all-round talent in ancient China". Su Shi's literary viewpoint was in line with Ouyang Xiu's, but he emphasized the originality, expressiveness and artistic value of literature more. His literary thought emphasized "creating for certain purposes", advocating nature and getting rid of bondage. Su Shi was a leading figure in the literary circle of the Northern Song Dynasty after Ouyang Xiu. Moreover, Huang Tingjian, Qin Guan, Chao Buzhi and Zhang Lei, the four litterateurs of the Northern Song Dynasty, had been trained, rewarded and recommended by him, so they were called “Su Men Four bachelors”.

6. Su Zhe

Su Zhe was born in Meishan, Meizhou , now Sichuan province. In the Jiayou second year (in 1057), he with his brother Su Shi climbed jinshi branch. Su Zhe's prose showed the deep and mellow spirit. He had his own views on ancient writing. In the Book to Han Tai Wei in Privy Council, he put forward the theory of "literary style" . He was good at politics and history. He discussed world affairs in some political works such as The New Theory and On the Six Kingdoms. From these works, we can draw lessons from the past and criticize the current problems. He was also very insightful in reform. In addition, he was also quite outstanding in Ode , such as The "Ode to Ink bamboo".

7. Wang Anshi

Wang Anshi, also known as Banshan in his twilight years, was conferred the title of Duke Jingguo . He was born in Linchuan in the Northern Song Dynasty, now Fuzhou City, Jiangxi Province . Wang Anshi was not only an outstanding politician and thinker, but also a brilliant litterateur. In order to realize his political ideal, he closely linked literary creation with political activities, emphasizing that literature aimed to serve the society first, that means, he emphasized the realistic function and social effect of articles, and advocated the unity of literature and Taoism. His prose largely carried out his literary propositions because his essays were mostly about the enlightenment of political decrees and suitable for world use.

8. Zeng Gong

Zeng Gong was known as "Mr. Nan Feng". He was born in Nanfeng, Jianchang, now Nanfeng County, Fuzhou city, Jiangxi Province. In Jiayou second year (in 1057), he became a Jinshi. As a politician and essayist of the Northern Song Dynasty and one of the "eight masters" of the Tang and Song Dynasties, he was also one of the "Seven Zengs of Nanfeng" , including Zeng Gong, Zeng Zhao, Zeng Bu, Zeng Yu, Zeng Hong, Zeng Xie and Zeng Dun. Zeng Gong was a supporter and participant of Ouyang Xiu's ancient prose movement. He advocated the doctrine before the text. His prose was natural and simple and little attention to literary grace. Of the eight masters, he was the less affectionate one. His articles were rarely lyrical works, but mostly argumentation and narrative. His prose was good at making arguments, for example, the Book to Ouyang She Ren, the Book to Bachelor CAI. In these works, he argued on the treatment of disorder and expressed his deep feelings.

9. Comparison between the Ancient Prose Movement and Renaissance Although there was seven or eight hundred years from the Ancient Prose Movement to the Italian Renaissance,they both happened in the Middle Ancient period of Western history. Similarly, they both inherited the essence of classical culture and further completed the historical mission of literary retro. So we can regard them as historical peak in their respective cultures. Comparison in ideology: The Ancient Prose Movement in Tang and Song dynasties advocated the restoration of Confucianism of the pre-Qin period and the realization of the realistic goal of carrying the Tao in literature. It was against the parallel prose and the floating style since the Six Dynasties but for the gentle and honest poetic concept. While the Renaissance, with classical culture as a tool, strongly criticized medieval theology and carried forward the humanism and scientific rational spirit of ancient Greece and Rome. Their premise and foundation are their own classical thoughts. Comparison in writing style: The two retro movements were marked by the retro style to restore the creation mode of ancient prose, thus promoting the process of literary movement. The Ancient Prose Movement of the Tang Dynasty studied the simple language style of the pre-Qin period, while the Renaissance restored the elegant and beautiful characteristics of the ancient Greek period. Comparison in literary form: The Ancient Prose Movement not only corrected the floating and rigid writing style of the six dynasties, but also laid a good creative foundation for the development of prose in later generations. It was in the form of scattered single sentences with less flowery and redundant allusions but more in colloquial language. While although the literary works of the Renaissance inherited the elegant style of classicism, it still changed obviously in the aspect of stylistic creation. Influenced by literary theory and works, Italian literature showed innovation in form. As Mr. Zhu Guangqian said :" Italian literature is a new type of literature different from classical literature.

B. Terms and Expressions

The Eight Tang-Song Prose Masters 唐宋八大家

Banknotes of Eight Masters of Tang and Song Dynasties 《唐宋八大家文钞》

Ancient Prose Movement 古文运动

parallel prose 骈文

The Decline of Eight Generations 文起八代之衰

The Article Giant 文章巨公

Admired Literate of One Hundred Generations 百代文宗

Han Changli Collection 《韩昌黎集》

External collection 《外集》

The Teacher's Theory《师说》

Pre-Qin and Han Dynasties 先秦两汉时期

writing in classical Chinese 文言文

feudal provincial of Liuzhou 柳州刺史

official supervisor of imperial censor 监察御史

Liu He Dong Colloection 《柳河东集》

Northern Song Dynasty 北宋

a thousand volumes of collections of inscriptions 金石遗文一千卷

Xia, Shang, Zhou Dynasties 三代

the crown of that time 一时之冠

Southern Tang Dynasty 南唐

Yu Feng 余风

The Anthology of Ouyang Wenzhong Gong 《欧阳文忠公文集》

the Northern Song Dynasty poetry innovation movement北宋诗文革新运动

Heng Lun 《衡论》

Duke Jingguo 荆国公

The Book to the Emperor 《上皇帝书》

Dongpo Jushi 东坡居士

Ci writer 词人

Unconstrained Ci School豪放派

literary and artistic attainments 文学艺术造诣

the first all-round talent in ancient China 中国古代第一全才

Su Men Four bachelors 苏门四学士

the Book to Han Tai Wei in Privy Council 《上枢密韩太尉书》

The New Theory《新论》

On the Six Kingdoms 《六国论》

Ode 赋

The Ode to Ink bamboo 《墨竹赋》

Seven Zengs of Nanfeng 南丰七曾

the doctrine before the text先道后文

the Book to Ouyang She Ren 《上欧阳舍人书》

the Book to Bachelor Cai 《上蔡学士书》

the Six Dynasties 六朝

C. Questions

1.Who are the pioneers of the Ancient Prose Movement?

Han Yu and Liu Zongyuan.

2.Which kind of prose they advocate in the Ancient Prose Movement?

The prose of Pre-Qin and Han Dynasties.

3.Do you know any representatives of Liu Zongyuan?

The "Liu He Dong Colloection".

4.Why Ouyang Xiu is called "Liu Yi Scholar"?

Because he had ten thousands volumes of collections, a thousand volumes of collections of inscriptions of Xia, Shang, Zhou Dynasties, a piano, a chess, a pot of wine and a drunk Weng alone.

5.What’s the relationship among Su Xun, Su Shi and Su Zhe?

Su Xun is the father of Su Shi and Su Zhe. Also, Su Shi is the older brother.

6.Who are the "Seven Zengs of Nanfeng"?

Zeng Gong, Zeng Zhao, Zeng Bu, Zeng Yu, Zeng Hong, Zeng Xie and Zeng Dun.

7.Do you know any about the Renaissance?

The Renaissance, with classical culture as a tool, strongly criticized medieval theology and carried forward the humanism and scientific rational spirit of ancient Greece and Rome.

References

[1]房本文. 士族兴衰与骈散消长—唐代古文运动发微[D].南京大学,2013.

[2]侯本塔.论唐、宋古文运动中的韩愈与欧阳修[J].三峡大学学报(人文社会科学版),2014,36(S1):135-137.

[3]何蕾.中唐古文运动:社会转型背景下的文体之变[J].青海社会科学,2017(03):156-162.

[4]罗书华.论唐宋古文运动非以骈文为对立面[J].上海师范大学学报(哲学社会科学版),2013,42(05):61-66.

[5]芦思宏.略论中西文学的复古倾向——以唐代古文运动与意大利文艺复兴为例[J].中外文化与文论,2016(01):71-81.

[6]宋芸.试从唐宋古文运动看“文”与“道”的关系[J].黑龙江教育学院学报,2013,32(04):114-115.

[7]王亚平.论西欧中世纪的三次文艺复兴[J].东北师大学报,2001(06):1-8.

[8]许和亚.唐宋古文运动革新文风的艺术契机[J].兰州文理学院学报(社会科学版),2014,30(04):62-65.

[9]张剑. 唐宋古文运动的文学维度[N]. 人民政协报,2019-10-28(010).

[10]张剑. 唐宋古文运动的思想维度[N]. 人民政协报,2019-08-26(010).

[11]赵鲲.中国文学中的两大文学变革运动——古文运动与“五四”新文学运动之比较[J].解放军艺术学院学报,2016(01):113-119.

[12]周振甫.唐宋八大家论[J].中华活页文选(教师版),2016(12):25-31.

Gao Mingzhu 高明珠

Pipa--Gao Mingzhu (talk) 08:22, 2 November 2020 (UTC)Gao Mingzhu

1、A Brief Introduction

Pipa belongs to plucked stringed instruments. Being made of wood or bamboo, its speaker box takes the shape of half pear with 4 strings on it ,which was made of silk initially while being made of steel wire, steel rope or nylon now. The "Pin(品，those wooden strips on Pipa’s face plate for pressing)" and "Xiang（相, those horizontal strips on Pipa’s neck for pressing）" are set on the face plate and neck respectively to determine the positions of different sounds. When playing, the player holds it erectly using the left hand to press the string and the right hand to play. It is an important ethnic musical instrument which can be used in recital, accompaniment and ensemble. Pipa has a wide range of vocal range. Its playing skills rank the first in Chinese national instruments and its performance forms are also the most abundant in Chinese folk music, it is thus called the No.1 in plucked instruments.

2、Emergence and Development

3、Different Schools

4、Traditional Pipa Music

Grosheva, Anna

Huli-jing figure in Chinese mythology and its analogs in Japan and Korea

The topic of werewolves in the XXI century is perhaps one of the most discussed and studied. Along with vampires and zombies, the image of werewolves is firmly entrenched in world cinema and literature. However, as a rule, speaking about the motives for the transformation of a person into an animal, most people have information mainly about lycanthropy, that is, about the specific transformation of a person into a wolf (werewolf). At the same time, the theme of werewolves is represented by a fairly large number of transformations of a person not only into a wolf but also into other animals. In Chinese mythology, one of the most popular werewolf myths is the myth of the Huli Jing, or werewolf foxes. In the Middle Ages, these myths were very popular and in-demand among writers. But what is the attitude of Huli-Jing in modern China? Are they given a place in modern culture, or do werewolf foxes now sound more like a kind of atavism or a children's fairy tale?

1. Huli-jing (狐狸精) in China

First, we need to recreate the image of the Huli-Jing and what was seen in ancient and medieval China. Most often, the Huli-Jing was presented in the form of not just a young, but extremely beautiful women. Interestingly, the image of werewolf foxes has been known in China since the times of the Xia dynasty and its founder Yu, who married a nine-tailed white fox who lived on Mount Tu.

People, especially women, believed that thanks to the cult of the fox, they would be able to gain unearthly beauty and immortality. The official authorities of the ancient and medieval dynasties tried to fight the representatives of the Huli Jing cult, but it was only during the Song dynasty that the cult of the fox, including the cult of Da Ji, was almost completely destroyed. However, the cult and image of Huli Jing were not completely eradicated in China. Probably, a more competent decision was made to give the werewolf woman more kind and compassionate traits, which in one way or another should justify her image compared to the cruel ancestor.

Perhaps the most striking examples of where the changed image of the Huli Jing is found can be called the stories of Pu Songlin about werewolf foxes. It is his stories, where girls are subject to the curse of turning into foxes, that reflect their position as hostages of their own life situations or even fears.

The theme of fatal love in the stories of werewolf foxes appears as a continuous line in Pu Songling, this suggests that despite the fact that Huli Jing strives for happiness, she remains a spirit that is not a person. In addition, despite the altered level of female foxes, they will still bear the curse of their evil ancestors, who personified evil in its purest form, and therefore there can be no happy ending for those who bear such heavy punishment.

Of course, the image of the Huli Jing as a mythological character by the 21st century was constantly supplemented with small details. We can say that most of the works of literature and cinema, in which the werewolf fox was encountered, for the most part, were very strongly romanticized. Remaining in its own way a relatively neutral character, Huli Jing nevertheless gradually becomes one of the most popular characters of many writers and screenwriters, not only in China but also in many other countries. A striking and original example of where the Huli Jing appears is the work of the writer Ken Liu entitled "Good Hunt". The author presents not only a very interesting view of the Huli Jing but also explains why the legendary characters of Chinese mythology are gradually disappearing from the memory of the Chinese people.

In addition to literary works, Huli Jing is quite often encountered in Chinese cinema, as an episodic character or a protagonist. One of the most striking images of a werewolf fox can be considered the film "Painted Skin (畫皮)", where the main character is Huli Jing and must eat men's hearts to maintain her youth and beauty. This film is based on the story of Pu Songling and is one of the key works of cinema and modern Chinese culture, which fully reveals the tragedy of the werewolf fox.

In addition, Huli Jing is featured in a fairly large number of Chinese television series, each of which gives its own view of what character Huli Jing should be.

Quite a lot of information about werewolf foxes can be obtained from the TV series "The Legend of the Nine-Tailed Fox" released in 2016. The main interest here is not only a rather vivid description of the Huli Jing, which according to the plot are one family and are forced to seek and return to their place the sacred fruit from the magic garden. This, perhaps, is an attempt to provide an explanation of the true nature of werewolf foxes, who for a long time rushed from good to evil.

Summing up, I would like to note that the transformation of the image of Huli Jing took place at a gradual pace. Since the reign of the first Chinese dynasties, the image of werewolf foxes has been predominantly negative and associated with deceit, seduction, and intrigue. But the situation changed in connection with the development of the cults of foxes, which they tried to give the appearance of “victims of circumstances,” and all the negative features are just a slight exaggeration. Thanks to Pu Songling, the Huli Jing truly became much more positive beings, and the stories about them were presented in terms of stories of unfortunate and unhappy love.

The appearance of the Huli Jing, which rushes from good to evil for many years, has been romanticized and transformed, becoming a more positive character, although not devoid of some negative features.

2. Kitsune (キツネ) in Japan

In Japanese folklore, these animals have great knowledge, long life, and magical abilities. Chief among them is the ability to take shapeshift themselves; the fox, according to legend, learns to do this after reaching a certain age (usually a hundred years old, although in some legends it is fifty). Kitsune usually take the form of seductive beauty, a pretty young girl, but sometimes they turn into men. It should be noted that in Japanese mythology there was a mixture of indigenous Japanese beliefs that characterized the fox as an attribute of the god Inari ("Fox-messenger") and the Chinese, who considered foxes to be werewolves, a genus close to demons.

Other abilities commonly ascribed to kitsune include the ability to take possession of other people's bodies, to breathe out or otherwise create fire, to appear in other people's dreams, and the ability to create illusions so complex that they are almost indistinguishable from reality. Some of the legends go further, talking about kitsune with the ability to warp space and time, drive people crazy, or take on such inhuman or fantastic forms as trees of indescribable height or the second moon in the sky.

Kitsune are associated with both Shinto and Buddhist beliefs. In Shinto, kitsune are associated with Inari, the patron deity of rice fields and entrepreneurship. Initially, foxes were the messengers (tsukai) of this deity, but now the difference between them has become so blurred that Inari himself is sometimes depicted as a fox. In Buddhism, they gained fame thanks to the Shingon school of secret Buddhism, popular in the 9th-10th centuries in Japan, one of the main deities of which, Dakini, was depicted riding a fox across the sky.

A kitsune can have up to nine tails. In general, it is believed that the older and stronger the foxes are, the more tails they have. Some sources even claim that a kitsune grows an extra tail every hundred or thousand years of its life. However, foxes found in fairy tales almost always have one, five, or nine tails. When kitsune are given nine tails, their fur turns silvery, white, or gold.

3. Kumiho (구미호) in Korea

Kumiho - (구 "ku" - nine, 미 "mi" - tail, 호 "ho" - fox - "fox with nine tails") is a folklore animal, the fox of which is first mentioned in the era of Gojoseon. According to legends, only a fox that lives for a thousand years can become 구미호. One of her superpowers is transforming into a beautiful girl. Although in myths there are also references to the becoming of a charming young man. In this form, the mythical animal fell in love with the opposite sex, and then ate their liver (according to some beliefs, and the heart). Why exactly the liver? We can say that the liver contains human energy, that is, we eat and receive the energy that our liver stores.

In a later period, kumiho, according to numerous legends, could get rid of the status of a monster and become a man forever. There are several ways: 구미호 will not eat human flesh and kill for a thousand days. The second option is to eat the liver of a thousand men over a thousand years. The third - will live in a cave without sunlight, eating only wormwood and garlic. And also, if the person who recognized her as 구미호 in human form, keeps this secret for ten years.

Vocabulary

Shape shifter – 成精

Creature –生物

Seductive –诱人的

Damnation –诅咒

Metaphor –隐喻

Ascribe –属性

Indigenous –土着

Deity – 反面人物

Liver – 肝脏

References

Pu Song-ling. Fox charm. Monks-wizards. // Eastern literature. –2008. - P.280.

Liu, Ken. Good Hunting.// Strange Horizons. - 2012. - p. 431.

Kang Xiaofei. The cult of the fox: Power, gender and popular religion in late imperial and modern China//Columbia University Press. – New York, 2006. – Pp.269.

Gu Dongfang 顾东方

Chinese Characters

Guan Qinqing 管钦清

A.Chinese Knots

1.A Brief Introduction about Chinese Knots

The Chinese knot is a hand-woven handicraft unique to China. The exquisiteness and wisdom displayed on it are just one aspect of the ancient Chinese civilization.It

originally evolved from the sewing of the Paleolithic period, to the ritual memorial of the Han Dynasty, and then into today's decorative craft.

The jade worn by people in the Zhou Dynasty was often decorated with Chinese knots, and there were also Chinese knot patterns on the bronzes of the Warring States Period.

The Chinese knot continued to become a popular art in the Qing Dynasty. Now,Chinese knots are often used as interior decorations, gifts between relatives and friends and

personal accessories. It is possessed of delicate and symmetrical appearance and accords with the conventions of Chinese traditional decoration and aesthetics,which

earned the knot its name.

2.The Classification of Chinese Knots

There are ten main kinds of Chinese knots which are named according to the shape, purpose or meaning of the knot.They are Double Coin Knot(双钱结）,Good Luck Knot（吉祥

结）,Chinese Button Knot（纽扣结）,Sauvastika Knot（万字结）,Oxalis Knot（酢浆草结）,Pan Chang Knot（盘长结）,Round Brocade Knot（团锦结）,Caisson Celling Knot（藻井

结）,Cross Knot(十字结） and Ping Knot（平结）.

Here, we mainly introduce three main Chinese knots,which are the Double Coin Knot,the Good Luck Knot and the Pan Chang Knot.

2.1.The Double Coin Knot

Ancient coins are closely related to a country’s history, culture,politics, and economy, and are regarded as treasures both at home and abroad. The Chinese people's views

on coins are not limited on their prices but value, which can be seen in the auspicious characters and patterns cast on many ancient coins. ut it Money in China not only

represents the value of a certain currency, but also something of good luck. Every Chinese New Year's Eve, children can receive the so-called "luck money". Therefore, for

the Chinese people, money also has the meaning of eliminating and avoiding evil. Double Coin Knot is named after two bronze coins connecting together, which symbolizes

"good things come in pairs". This knot is often used in weaving necklaces, belts and other accessories, and the combination of several Double Coin Knots can form beautiful

patterns, such as clouds and Perfect Knots，etc.

2.2.The Good Luck Knot

As for the Good Luck Knot,it is an extension of the cross knot, and is also one of the ancient decorative knots, which means auspiciousness. The knitting method is simple.

And the knot shape is beautiful,varied and widely used. When used alone, if a heavy object is hung, the knot is easy to deform, and it can be fixed with a shaping glue.

2.3.The Pan Chang Knot

Pan Chang Knot is also a kind of Chinese knot. It symbolizes the highest realm of unity of mind and matter and eternal immortality. It represents the auspiciousness of the

avenue and is therefore highly valued by Chinese people. Pan Chang (盘长） is a symbol of the origin of all things, and is one of the most important basic knots. It is

often the main knot of many changing knots. Because the Chinese knot has the characteristics of close symmetry, it is easy to be liked by us in terms of its perception.

3.The Knitting Method of Chinese Knots

The knitting of Chinese knots can be roughly divided into three categories: basic knots, variable knots, and combined knots. Their knitting technology requires a variety of basic knot knitting skills, and all have common knitting principles, which can be summarized into basic technique and combination technique. The basic technique is to knit with single lines, double lines or multiple lines, using the parallel or separation of the thread ends to make colorful knots.The combination technique means to use thread extension to flexibly combine various knots ,so as to make a group of varied knots.

The final stage of learning knitting is the self-designing. When designing a set of beautiful knots, the most important thing is to determine its purpose and function, and then determine its size and shape, while considering the color matching and the appropriate use of accessories. As long as the decorations are used flexibly, andthe designer's artistic beauty and deep thoughts are poured into, the Chinese knot can fully express the beauty of traditional Chinese art.

4.The Cultural Connotations of Chinese Knots

Chinese people love the Chinese knot because it embodies the cultural essence and national characteristics of the Chinese nation. The Chinese knot is a woven fabric of

rope and thread.In Chinese， "rope" (绳）and "god" （神）are homophonic, so the Chinese nation has a worship of "rope". In addition, Chinese people are descendants of

dragons.Because the shape of "rope" is like a winding dragon, people also regard "rope" as a symbol of dragon. Chinese people also have their own unique understanding of

"knot", which means reunion and happiness. Many of the Chinese words composed of "结"（knot) that we usually see have beautiful meanings, such as 团结（unity）, 结交

（making friends), and 永结同心（tie the knot),etc. "结"(knot) is also homonymous with "吉"（ausipiciousness), so people even think that "knot" is a symbol of good luck.

5.Comparisons between Chinese Knots and Cross Necklaces

5.1.Different Cultural Connotations

From the above, we can see that the Chinese knot generally have many meanings, such as good luck, love, unity and so on. The cross necklace,however, is symbolic of

Christianity. The cross, derived from the Latin "crux", means "fork".It was originally a cruel instrument of torture used to execute prisoners. It was popular in ancient

Rome, the Persian Empire and Carthage. Later,cross evolved into a symbol of the Christianity due to Christ's death on the cross to redeem sinners.Therefore,such cross

ornaments in the west as cross necknaces are usually used to represent love and salvation.

5.2.Different Shapes

Similarly, from the above we can also learn that Chinese knots have many shapes, and different shapes represent different meanings. The cross necklace can also have

different shapes and sizes. Christians can hang a small cross on their chest to express their identity, while the large cross is a symbol of the bishop's authority.

6.References

[1]李库.符号学视角下的中国结解读.[J]艺海2016(08) : 125-126.

[2]李立芳，孙建君.民间绳结[M].武汉：湖北美术出版社，2002.

[3]许星.路论中国结[J].丝绸,2004(02) : 46-47.

[4]邬红芳.中国结的意象美学特征[J]装饰，2004(09) : 120-121.

[5]王眯珠，孙荪，曲洪建.怀旧心理与创新意识对中国结的影响分析[J].丝绸，2014(11):43-50.

B. Terms and Expressions

Double Coin Knot 双钱结

Good Luck Knot 吉祥结

Chinese Button Knot 纽扣结

Sauvastika Knot 万字结

Oxalis Knot 酢浆草结

Pan Chang Knot 盘长结

Round Brocade Knot 团锦结

Caisson Celling Knot 藻井结

Cross Knot 十字结

Ping Knot 平结

tie the knot 永结同心

luck money 压岁钱

the bishop's identity 主教职权

C. Questions

1. What is the Chinese knot?

2. Do you know the names of the main Chinese knots? What are they?

3. What do "绳" and "结" mean in Chinese culture?--Guan Qinqing (talk) 13:04, 30 November 2020 (UTC)

Guirou, Barthelemy

1. Introduction

The Chinese’s life is full of mythological history about religious, history, science, literature, philosophy, dragons, tortoises, phoenixes, unicorns, birds, and flowering fruit trees. This myth is characterized by the interaction of the pros and cons, yin and yang, good and evil, light and dark, male and female, heaven and earth, force and weak and so forth. Panku is an important figure in Chinese mythology, the first living being and the creator of universe in some versions of Chinese mythology. In world mythology; every peoples have it own myths, different fairy tales, but there is some similarities in common.

1.1 Panku Creates the World

In the beginning, the world didn’t exist; there wasn’t sky, earth, water, animals, birds, plants, human, in other word, the universe was empty. The force of universe was concentrated inside a mysterious egg. This egg, after growing many years, it becoming a big form of ball and finally give birth to Panku.

3. Questions

Why was an egg a good symbol for the beginning of the world?

Gui Yizhi 桂一枝

Chinese gods and immortals

A. Chinese mythology system

Chinese mythology is mythology that has been passed down in oral form or recorded in literature, including many varied myths from regional and cultural traditions. Many myths involve the creation and cosmology of the universe and its deities and inhabitants. Some mythology involves creation myths, the origin of things, people and culture. Some involve the origin of the Chinese state. Some myths present a chronology of prehistoric times, many of these involve a culture hero who taught people how to build houses, or cook, or write, or was the ancestor of an ethnic group or dynastic family. Mythology is intimately related to ritual. Many myths are oral associations with ritual acts, such as dances, ceremonies, and sacrifices.

Chinese mythology is far from monolithic, not being an integrated system. Along with Chinese folklore, Chinese mythology forms an important part of Chinese folk religion. There has been an extensive interaction between Chinese mythology and Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. Chinese mythology is a myth in a broad sense, which combines the Ancient mythology system, the Taoist mythology system, and the Buddhist mythology system. Among them, the ancient mythology is not very systematic, and most of its records are fragmented and scattered; Taoist mythology have its own system; Buddhist mythology originated from India.

The Ancient mythologies are myths about the origin of man or the creation myths. It begins in ancient times (pre-Xia dynasty). There is not a book specializes in recording all of those myths in the history, not even being an integrate system like Western mythology. The Ancient myths are written in the Classic of Mountains and Seas, Book of Songs, the Songs of Chu, Zhuangzi, Huai Nan Zi and other books, and can be divided into four categories: the creation myths (Pangu Sparating the World, Goddess Nüwa Greating Human Beings), myths of heroes (Hou Yi Shooting Down the Suns), myths about Tribal war (the Battle of Zhuolu), and myths about human and nature(Kuafu Chasing the Sun, Great Yu Who Controlled the Waters).

Taoism can be defined as pantheistic, given its philosophical emphasis on the formlessness of the Tao and the primacy of the "Way" rather than anthropomorphic concepts of God. Through time Taoist Theology created its own deities. Similar to deities of Hinduistic beliefs these deities attributed certain qualities. Deities who take part in the Dao are arranged in a hierarchy. The supreme powers are three, the Three Pure Ones, and represent the centre of the cosmos and its two modalities of manifestation (yin and yang). The main classics of Taoism include Zhuangzi and many other scriptures. It creates many gods and immortals in their books and give most of them official post, showing Chinese ancestor's emphasis on practical application. For example, Tudishen（土地公）, the God of the Soil and the Ground, is a tutelary deity of a locality; Sanxing（三星）, Three Stars, is a cluster of three astral gods of well-being, including Fuxing, Prosperity Star, god of happiness, Luxing, Firmness Star, god of firmness and success in life and examinations, and Shòuxing , Longevity Star, who stands for a healthy and long life.

At the end of the Western Han Dynasty, Indian Buddhism was introduced into China and merged with the local culture, creating many new myths. Buddhism thinks that everything is equal, and there is no hierarchy, but in fact, there are quit differences according to the level of their Buddhist understanding and practice. The one with highest practice is the Buddha. The founder of Buddhism, Shakyamuni, is the most familiar Buddha to Chinese people. Amitabha, also known as Amida or Amitāyus, is a celestial buddha and the principal buddha in Pure Land Buddhism. Bodhisattva has a lower level of Buddhism practice than Buddha. Guanyin, is the Chinese translation of the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara. She is often referred to as the "most widely beloved Buddhist Divinity"with miraculous powers to assist all those who pray to her.

B. 神 shén, 帝 dì and 仙 xiān

Chinese traditional religion is polytheistic; many deities are worshipped in a pantheistic view where divinity is inherent in the world. In Chinese language there is a terminological distinction between 神 shén, 帝 dì and 仙 xiān. Although the usage of the former two is sometimes blurred, it corresponds to the distinction in Western cultures between "god" and "deity". dì, sometimes translated as "thearch", implies a manifested or incarnate "godly" power. During the time of Zhou dynasty to the Warring States, dì is used to refer to those who have great moral cultivation and merits. And then it becomes a term of emperor since Qin dynasty. The latter term 仙 xiān , refers to a person or similar entity having a long life or being immortal, similarly to the Western idea of "hero".

There is another difference between Chinese gods and immortals. The gods usually have their own position and take charge of different things in Daoist theology. While immortals, unlike gods, have no official positions. It is that certain humans develop the ability to live indefinitely, avoiding death, and becoming divine xiān. Such humans generally also are said to develop special powers and always live leisurely. So since ancient times, many people are longing to become an immortal and live a carefree life.

C. Eight immortals

The Eight Immortals are a group of legendary xian ("immortals") in Chinese mythology. Each immortal's power can be transferred to a vessel that can bestow life or destroy evil. Together, these eight vessels are called the "Covert Eight Immortals". Most of them are said to have been born in the Tang or Shang Dynasty. They are revered by the Taoists and are also a popular element in secular Chinese culture. They are said to live on a group of five islands in the Bohai Sea, which includes Mount Penglai.

The Immortals are Lü Dongbin (呂洞賓), He Xiangu (何仙姑), Zhang Guolao (張果老), Lan Caihe (藍采和), Li Tieguai (李鐵拐), Zhongli Quan (鍾離權), Han Xiangzi (韓湘子), Cao Guojiu (曹國舅), representing man, woman, the old, the young, the poor, the humble, the rich and the noble . Among them, Lü Dongbin is considered to be their leader. Unlike many other Taoist gods and immortals, the Eight immortals all come from human world and have colorful and varied experiences before they become immortals. Their imagines that are entirely different from the normal scared deities make them very popular with people. They are not born as immortals. Among them have general, royal members, Taoist or even beggar, etc. All of them have certain shortcoming, like Lü Dongbin is frivolous and Tieguai Li has the problem of alcoholism.

The Eight Immortals are considered to be signs of prosperity and longevity, so they are popular themes in ancient and medieval art. They were frequent adornments on celadon vases and also the subject of many artistic creations, such as paintings and sculptures. There is a famous saying comes from the myth of them-- "The Eight Immortals cross the sea, each reveals its divine powers" (八仙過海，各顯神通) indicating the situation that everybody shows off their skills and expertise to achieve a common goal.

Terms and Expressions

immortals 仙

mythology 神话，神话学

cosmology 宇宙论，宇宙观

monolithic 整体（式）的

the Battle of Zhuolu 涿鹿之战

pantheistic 泛神论的

polytheistic 多神论的

anthropomorphic 人格化的

tutelary 守护神

deity 神

Buddha 佛

Shakyamuni 释迦牟尼

Amitabha 阿弥陀佛

Amitāyus 无量寿佛

celestial 天的

Bodhisattva 菩萨

Pure Land 极乐世界

vessels 法器

Covert Eight Immortals 暗八仙

Taoist 道家的，道士

Questions

1. What are the categories of Chinese mythology? What are they?

2. What are the topics of the Ancient mythology?

3. What are the differences amang shén, dì and xiān?

4. What do the Eight immortals represent respectively?

Guo Lu 郭露

Classical Prose Movement of late Tang dynasty and Song dynasty

Definition

The Classical Prose Movement of late Tang dynasty and Song dynasty in China, also known as the "Classical Prose Movement", is a movement with the style reform as its surface and Confucianism Renaissance as its core. The word “Gu Wen” was first introduced by Han Yu, it indicates the prose of the pre-Qin period and of Han dynasty. This movement took clarity and precision as priorities, it stood against the florid pianwen or parallel prose style that had been popular starting from Han dynasty. Parallel prose had a rigid structure and was criticized for being overly ornate at the expense of content. Therefore, Han Yu, together with Liu Zongyuan, launched this movement to make a difference so that they could revive the Confucianism and promote their political thoughts. This movement tended to follow the spirit of pre-Qin prose rather than to imitate it directly. People used elements of colloquial language to make their writings more direct.

Development

The Classical Prose Movement went through three stages. The first promoters of this movement were Han Yu and Liu Zongyuan who were not only great writers but also great theorists, forming the foundation of it. Both were enthusiastic to promote the movement and were keen to teach young people so that it could achieve further development and then revive the Confucianism.

However, after the deaths of Han Yu and Liu Zongyuan, the movement fell into a decline, their students writing with such ancient characters as to hinder understanding or neglecting the importance of writing good essays. Furthermore, the government only allowed people to use pianwen for official use, so those who want to be officials had to learn that style.

After that, Ouyang Xiu once again advocated the classical prose in the Song dynasty. As many people were dissatisfied with the florid piantiwen style, the Classical Prose Movement reached another peak during that period. This movement is consequently also called the Classical Prose Movement of the late Tang dynasty and the Song dynasty.

Representatives

1.Han Yu

Han Yu (768 – 824), courtesy name Tuizhi, also known his art names Han Changli or Chang Li Xian Sheng. He was born in present-day Mengzhou, Henan, he was a Chinese prose writer, poet, and philosopher who significantly influenced the development of Neo-Confucianism. Due to his influence on the Chinese literary tradition, he is described as “Comparable in stature to Dante, Shakespeare or Goethe”. Meanwhile, he is often considered to be among China’s finest prose writers. Ming dynasty scholar Mao Kun ranked him first in the "Eight Great Prose Masters of the Tang and Song"，and Su Shi, another famous poet, once praised that “His prose reversed the literary decline of eight dynasties”.

Han Yu wrote a large volume of works, which includes over 700 poems and nearly 400 prosses. He is especially famous for his On Teachers, which says “A teacher is one who passes on the truth, imparts knowledge and solves puzzles”. This persuasive pross is short but well structured, and it has a strong appeal to people, which also has a positive impact on youth education.

2.Liu Zongyuan

Liu Zongyuan (773 – 819), courtesy name Zihou, also known by his art names He Dong Xian Sheng or Liu He Dong, was a Chinese literature, philosopher, politician and poet who lived during the Tang Dynasty. And Liu was born in present-day Yongji, Shanxi. Along with Han Yu, they were called Han Liu. Besides that, he has been classed as one of the “Eight Great Prose Masters of the Tang and Song”, which also includes Han Yu and Ouyang Xiu. Liu's best-known travel pieces are the Eight Records of Excursions in Yongzhou. And one of his most famous poems is Jiangxue.

3.Ouyang Xiu

Ouyang Xiu (1007 – 1072), courtesy name Yong Shu, also known by his art names Zuiweng and Liu Yi Jushi. He was a Chinese essayist, historian, poet, calligrapher and even a politician of the Song dynasty. Being a much-celebrated writer, both among his contemporaries and in subsequent centuries.

Ouyang Xiu was in charge of the writing of the New Book of Tang, and he also wrote the Historical Records of the Five Dynasties independently, the only book in the Twenty-Four Histories to have been written in private by a single author. As a poet, he was a noted writer of both the shi and ci genres. But it was his prose writings like Zuiweng Tingji that won him the greatest acclaim. The poem's most well-known line is: The Old Toper cares not for the wine, his interest lies in the landscape, an idiom still used in modern Chinese to describe someone with an ulterior motive. Together with Han Yu, Liu Zongyuan and Su Shi, Ouyang Xiu was considered to be one of the Article four all through the ages.

Except for Han Yu, Liu Zongyuan and Ouyang Xiu, there were many other representatives of this movement. For example, Su Xun, Su Shi, Su Zhe, Zeng Gong and Wang Anshi also made great contributions to the Classical Pross Movement. Considering their influences, they were also listed as Eight masters in Tang and Song Dynasties.

Masterworks

Under the influence of the Classical Prose Movement of the late Tang dynasty and the Song dynasty, there appeared a large volume of masterpieces, which have a far-reaching influence on later ages. Except for the works of Han Yu, Liu Zong Yuan and Ouyang Xiu, other works like Shang Zhongyong written by Wang Anshi, On Jia Yi and First Ode to the Red Cliff by Su Shi, were also considered the representative works of this movement.

Influence

The Classical Prose Movement of the late Tang dynasty and the Song dynasty is a milestone during the development of Chinese ancient prose, it has a profound influence on the later schools of literature like Tang-Song School in the Ming dynasty and Tong Cheng school in the Qing dynasty. Besides that, it also helped to lay a solid foundation of pross in China, and acted as a fine example for later scholars.

Terms and Expressions

The Classical Prose Movement of the late Tang dynasty and the Song dynasty 唐宋八大家

Classical Pross Movement 古文运动

Eight Records of Excursions in Yongzhou 《永州八记》

On Teachers 《师说》

A teacher is one who passes on the truth, imparts knowledge and solves puzzles. 师者，所以传道授业解惑也。

New Book of Tang 《新唐书》

Historical Records of the Five Dynasties 《新五代史》

Zuiweng Tingji 《醉翁亭记》

The Old Toper cares not for the wine, his interest lies in the landscape. 醉翁之意不在酒，在乎山水之间也。

Shang Zhongyong 《伤仲永》

On Jia Yi 《贾谊论》

First Ode to the Red Cliff 《赤壁赋》

Questions

1.Who was the first promoter of Classical Prose Movement?

2.What does the Classical Prose Movement mean?

3.When was the term "Eight Great Prose Masters of the Tang and Song" first brought up?

Ha, Thi Thu Hang

The culture of Red envelope and Lucky money--HATHITHUHANG2 (talk) 09:02, 2 November 2020 (UTC)

The tradition of Red envelope and Lucky money--Root (talk) 08:04, 23 November 2020 (UTC)

The Chinese Red Envelope and Lucky money tradition

In Chinese and other East and Southeast Asian societies, a red envelope or a red packet (Mandarin: hóngbāo) is a monetary gift which is given during holidays or special occasions such as weddings, graduation or the birth of a baby.

Vocabulary List

利市 /Lì shì/

紅包 /Hóngbāo/

Confucianism 儒教 /Rújiào/

Thought of Confucius 孔子思想 /Kǒngzǐ sīxiǎng/

Questions

1. Do you know the origin of giving Lunar new year lucky money to children and the elderly？

He Changqi 何长琦

17.1 The orgin and development of the twenty-four solar terms

“The twenty-four solar term” is a unique phenomenon on traditional lunar calendar, with a profound history in China. Created by ancient Chinese when observing the annual movement of the sun, the twenty-four solar system is seen as a system of time knowledge and the agricultural guideline. It originated in the Yellow River valley, and is the result of people's observation, exploration and summary of astronomy, meteorology, and weather, which is an excellent cultural heritage created by the ancient Chinese people. By the late Western Zhou Dynasty, people had already measured the first four solar terms: winter solstice, summer solstice, spring equinox and autumn equinox. Afterwards, with the improvement of measurement technology and the further strengthening of people's understanding of the laws of nature, during the Warring States period, the complete twenty-four solar terms were basically formed, and during the Qin and Han dynasties, the complete twenty-four solar terms system was perfected and formed into today's complete twenty-four solar terms system.1

17.2 The definition and classification of the twenty-four solar terms

“The twenty-four solar term” is a unique phenomenon on traditional lunar calendar. To facilitate agricultural production, ancient Chinese people summarized a supplementary calendar that divides a year into 24 segments according to the sun’s movement on the ecliptic and seasonal changes in weather and other natural phenomena, with 24 segments proportionally distributed through 12 months. (术语) A solar term that starts in the early part of a month is called jie (节), and one that starts in the meddle part of a month is called qi (气). ( Every three years there would be a month which has only a jie without a qi, or a month which has only a qi without a jie, in which case a leap month would be added to regulate it. ) The solar terms are so named that they represent the changes in season,phenology and climate. The eight solar terms that reflect seasonal changes are Beginning of Spring, Vernal Equinox, Beginning of Summer, Summer Solstice, Beginning of Autumn, Autumnal Equinox,Beginning of Winter, and Winter Solstice; the four solar terms that represent phenological changes are Waking of Insects, Fresh Green, Lesser fullness and Grain in Ear; and the 12 solar terms that indicate the changes in climate are Rain Water,Grain Rain,Lesser Heat, Greater Heat, End of Heat, White Dew, Cold Dew, First Frost, Light Snow, Heavy Snow, Lesser Cold, and Greater Cold.

17.4.1 Importance in ancient times

The 24 solar terms are a creation of traditional farming culture, and their production, development and dissemination have adapted to the economic production methods and social needs in the farming era. The 24 solar terms have played an important role in the life and work of traditional Chinese people. Firstly, the 24 solar terms are the basic time indicators of agricultural production activities in ancient times, which is also the most basic function and value of the 24 solar terms. Agricultural production is an economic activity carried out by humans according to natural rhythms and the laws of crop growth. The basic requirement of the agricultural production is to keep track of the agricultural time, which means that "if the agricultural time is not violated, there will be sufficient grain supply." (Mencius - Liang Huiwang). Secondly, the 24 solar terms were also regarded as important time points in the daily life of the people in ancient times. Thirdly, for the ancient ancestors, the 24 solar terms were not just a time system, but a much more colourful connotation of life, and an important manifestation and part of their colourful lives. For example, the "Four Beginnings"(四立), that is, the Beginning of Spring, Beginning of Summer, Beginning of Autumn, Beginning of Winter , have always been important festivals in history. At the time of these festivals, the emperors would lead their courtiers to the eastern, southern, western and northern gates of the capital to hold ceremonies to welcome the arrival of spring, summer, autumn and winter. The winter solstice, summer solstice and Qingming Festival are still important traditional festivals today, especially Tomb Sweeping Festival, which is also known as China's four traditional festivals, along with Spring Festival, Dragon Boat Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival.

17.4.2 Values in modern society

In 2016, the 24 solar terms was included in the World Intangible Cultural Heritage List and became one of the most vivid cultural symbols for strengthening the cultural confidence of the Chinese nation and enhancing the cultural cohesion of the Chinese nation. It still has its practical values in modern society. Firstly, as a time-honoured knowledge system with a long history and a customary tradition rich in colourful activities, the 24 solar terms has profound spiritual and cultural connotations, such as respecting nature, adapting to the time of the day, venerating ancestors, filial piety and respect for the elderly, and being good neighbours and friends. Therefore, it is one of the important components of excellent Chinese traditional culture. Secondly, the 24 solar terms can accurately reflect the rhythm and rules of nature and reflect the harmonious relationship between man and nature. Lastly, the 24 solar terms are not only a time system, but also a living tradition full of rich connotations, which is an important part of people's lives.

Vocabulary List

the Beginning of Spring 立春

Beginning of Autumn 立秋

Rain Water 雨水

End of Heat 处暑

Insects Awakening 惊蛰

White Dew 白露

Spring Equinox 春分

Autumnal Equinox 秋分

Fresh Green 清明

Cold Dew 寒露

Grain Rain 谷雨

First Frost 霜降

Beginning of Summer 立夏

Beginning of Winter 立冬

Lesser Fullness 小满

Light Snow 小雪

Grain in Ear 芒种

Heavy Snow 大雪

Summer Solstice 夏至

Winter Solstice 冬至

Lesser Heat 大暑

Lesser Cold 小寒

Greater Heat 立春

Greater Cold 大寒

Questions

References:He Changqi (talk) 10:11, 20 November 2020 (UTC)

Hu Baihui 胡百辉

Collection of Yue Fu Poetry《乐府诗集》

Introduction

1.Brief introduction

Collection of Yue Fu Poetry is the essence of Han, Wei, Jin and Northern and Southern Dynasties folk songs. The content is very rich, reflecting a wide range of social life. It mainly collects more than 5000 Yuefu songs from Han, Wei to Tang and Five Dynasties, as well as from pre Qin to the end of Tang Dynasty.

"Yuefu", originally the name of the institution in charge of music, was first set up in the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, and there were also Yuefu institutions in the northern and Southern Dynasties. Its specific task is to make music score, collect lyrics and train music talents. There are two sources of lyrics: one is specially written by literati, the other is collected from Chinese folk. Later, people called the poems collected by Yuefu organs as Yuefu, or Yuefu Poems and Yuefu songs, so Yuefu changed from official name to poetic name.

2.About the author

Guo Maoqian (1041-1099) was born in Xucheng, Yunzhou, Song Dynasty. He is the grandson of Guo Quan, and the son of Guo Yuanming. Song Shenzong Yuanfeng seven years (1084), Cao joined the army in Henan Province. He wrote a hundred volumes of Collection of Yue Fu Poetry, which was handed down from generation to generation.

3.Content introduction

It divides Yuefu Poems into 12 categories, including suburban Temple songs, Yan shooting songs, drum songs, horizontal blowing songs, Xianghe songs, etc. In these different kinds of music, the songs of Jiaomiao and yanshe belong to the movements used by the imperial court, and their ideological content and artistic skills are less desirable. There are also some works with poor artistic value. But generally speaking, most of the poems it collects are excellent folk songs and poems written by scholars with old Yuefu titles. In the existing poetry collection, "Yuefu Poetry Collection" is an important book with the most complete collection of all kinds of Yuefu Poetry in the past dynasties.

Masterpieces

1.The Peacock Flies to Southeast

The Peacock Flies to Southeast is the first long narrative poem in the history of Chinese literature, and it is also the peak work in the history of Yuefu Poetry.

It is based on a marriage tragedy in Lujiang County during the reign of Emperor Xian of the Eastern Han Dynasty. The poem has more than 350 sentences and 1700 words. It mainly tells the story of Jiao Zhongqing and Liu Lanzhi's forced separation and suicide. It accuses the cruelty and ruthlessness of feudal ethics and praises their sincere feelings and rebellious spirit.

As the longest narrative poem in ancient history, the story of Peacock Flying Southeast is complicated and simple, and its characters are vividly portrayed. It not only portrays the image of Jiaoliu and his wife, but also depicts the stubbornness of Jiao's mother and the arrogance of brother Liu. At the end of the article, the myth of Liu Lanzhi and Jiao Zhongqing turning into mandarin ducks after their death is conceived, and the people's strong desire for love freedom and happy life is placed.

2.Mulan Poetry

Mulan poetry is a folk song in the Northern Dynasty of China. This is a long narrative poem about a girl named Mulan. She disguised herself as a man, joined the army for her father, established meritorious service in the battlefield, and refused to be an official after returning to the imperial court. She only wanted to go home for reunion. She warmly praised the woman's brave and kind-hearted quality, her enthusiasm for defending her country and her brave and fearless spirit. "Mulan is a girl" is used to conceive the legend of Mulan, which is full of romantic color. The detailed arrangement is very ingenious. Although it is about war theme, it is mainly about the life scene and children's mood, which is full of life flavor. It describes the character's mood by means of character's question and answer, narration, parallelism, antithesis and intertextuality, which is vivid, detailed and full of vitality, It has strong artistic appeal.

Evaluation

1.Contributions

The important contribution of it is to collect and classify the songs of past dynasties according to their tunes, so that many works can be compiled into books. This provides great convenience for the collation and research of Yuefu Poetry. For example, some excellent Chinese folk songs of Han Dynasty, such as "Moshangsang", "dongmenxing", were collected and recorded by editors. In particular, some ancient folk songs and proverbs are scattered in various historical books and some academic works, and miscellaneous ballads and sayings are mostly ignored by the former. Yuefu Poetry Collection introduces and explains in detail the origin, nature and musical instruments used in singing of various kinds of music. So that many precious historical materials can be preserved. This is of great value to the study of literature history and music history.

There are narrative poems and lyric poems in Yuefu Poems, and the achievements of narrative poems are more prominent. The Book of Songs and The Songs of Chu are basically lyric poems, and sometimes narrative is interspersed in the process of lyric, but narrative is attached to lyric. The emergence of Yuefu narrative poetry marks the maturity of Chinese ancient narrative poetry, and it is all caused by sadness and happiness. When choosing narrative objects, the creative subject is good at finding poetic scenes and absorbing pictures in time.

2.Shortcomings

There are some imperfections in Collection of Yue Fu Poetry . For example, Ji Yun in the Qing Dynasty pointed out that it was not appropriate to include some literati poems in the titles of Yuefu. In addition, because of its emphasis on melody, the recorded songs are often inconsistent with the description of tunes. But on the whole, as an ancient Chinese literature, this giant has made a certain contribution.

Hu Jin 胡瑾

A. Eight Major Cuisines of China

1.A Brief Introduction About Chinese Cuisine

As early as the Shang and Zhou dynasties, China's food culture began to take shape. At that time, Tai Gongwang was the most representative. In the Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States Period under the reign of Duke Huan of Qi, the flavors of North and South dishes showed differences. In the Tang and Song Dynasties, the southern cuisine and the northern cuisine formed their own systems. In the Southern Song Dynasty, sweet in south and salty in north was formed. At the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, Shandong Cuisine, Sichuan Cuisine, Cantonese Cuisine, and Su Cuisine became the most influential local dishes at that time, and they were called the "four major cuisines." By the end of the Qing Dynasty, four new local cuisines, Zhejiang Cuisine, Fujian Cuisine, Hunan Cuisine, and Anhui Cuisine, were differentiated and formed, which together constituted the "eight major cuisines" of traditional Chinese cuisine.

2.The Classification of Chinese Cuisines

China covers a large territory and has many nationalities, hence a variety of Chinese food with different but fantastic and mouthwatering flavor. Since China's local dishes have their own typical characteristics, generally, Chinese food can be roughly divided into eight regional cuisines, which has been widely accepted around.

2.1Shandong Cuisine

Consisting of Jinan Cuisine and Jiaodong Cuisine, Shandong Cuisine, clear, pure and not greasy, is characterized by its emphasis on aroma, freshness, crispness and tenderness. Shallot and garlic are usually used as seasonings so Shangdong dishes tastes pungent usually. Soups are given much emphasis in Shangdong dishes. Thin soup features clear and fresh while creamy soup looks thick and tastes strong. Jinan Cuisine is adept at deep-frying, grilling, frying and stir-frying while Jiaodong division is famous for cooking seafood with fresh and light taste.

2.2Sichuan Cuisine

Sichuan Cuisine, known often in the West as Szechuan Cuisine, is one of the most famous Chinese cuisines in the world. Characterized by its spicy and pungent flavor, Sichuan Cuisine, prolific of tastes, emphasizes on the use of chili. Pepper and prickly ash also never fail to accompany, producing typical exciting tastes. Besides, garlic, ginger and fermented soybean are also used in the cooking process. Wild vegetables and animals are usually chosen as ingredients, while frying, frying without oil, pickling and braising are applied as basic cooking techniques. The major Sichuan dishes include Kung Pao Chicken and Bean Sauce Tofu.

2.3Guangdong Cuisine

Tasting clear, light, crisp and fresh, Guangdong Cuisine, familiar to Westerners, usually chooses raptors and beasts to produce originative dishes. Its basic cooking techniques include roasting, stir-frying, sauteing, deep-frying, braising, stewing and steaming. Among them steaming and stir-frying are more commonly applied to preserve the natural flavor. Cantonese are known to have an adventurous palate, able to eat many different kinds of meats and vegetables. Many vegetables originate from other parts of the world. It doesn't use much spice, bringing out the natural flavor of the vegetables and meats.

2.4Fujian Cuisine

Consisting of Fuzhou Cuisine, Quanzhou Cuisine and Xiamen Cuisine, Fujian Cuisine is distinguished for its choice of seafood, beautiful color and magic taste of sweet, sour, salty and savory. The most distinct features are their "pickled taste".

2.5Jiangsu Cuisine

Jiangsu Cuisine, also called Huaiyang Cuisine, is popular in the lower reach of the Yangtze River. Aquatics as the main ingredients, it stresses the freshness of materials. Its carving techniques are delicate, of which the melon carving technique is especially well known. Cooking techniques consist of stewing, braising, roasting, simmering, etc. The flavor of Huaiyang Cuisine is light, fresh and sweet and with delicate elegance. Jiangsu Cuisine is well known for its careful selection of ingredients, its meticulous preparation methodology, and its not-too-spicy, not-too-bland taste.

2.6Zhejiang Cuisine

Comprising local cuisines of Hangzhou, Ningbo and Shaoxing, Zhejiang Cuisine, not greasy, wins its reputation for freshness, tenderness, softness, smoothness of its dishes with mellow fragrance. Hangzhou Cuisine is the most famous one among the three.

2.7Hunan Cuisine

Hunan Cuisine consists of local cuisines of Xiangjiang Region, Dongting Lake and Xiangxi Coteau. It characterizes itself by thick and pungent flavor. Chili, pepper and shallot are usually necessaries in this division.

2.8Anhui Cuisine

Anhui Cuisine focuses much more attention on the temperature in cooking. Its major cooking method are braising and stewing. Often hams and sugar will be added to improve taste and flavour of the dishes.

3.A Comparison of Chinese-Western Diet Culture

Chinese and western cultures have always been two major factions in the world culture, and diet plays a very important role in the two cultures. The differences in cultures create the differences between Chinese and Western food cultures. There are many differences between Chinese and Western food under the two different cultural backgrounds. Firstly, the western diet is mainly based on flour, with abundant raw materials, and its cooking method is simpler than that in China, but it also pays great attention to taste. Besides, western diet takes nutrition as the highest criterion, with special emphasis on the nutritional components of food. For example, whether the contents of protein, fat, carbohydrate, vitamins and various inorganic elements are properly matched, whether the heat supply is just right, whether these nutritional components can be fully absorbed by eaters and whether there are other side effects. However, Chinese cuisine pays more attention to the color, aroma and taste of dishes. The purpose of Chinese people's diet is not only to satisfy their hunger, but also to satisfy their desire for delicious food, which brings pleasure to their body and mind. Compared with Chinese diet which pays attention to taste, western diet is a rational diet. Furthermore, westerners prefer cold dishes while Chinese like hot food. For Chinese, one should eat the food while it is still hot. What’s more, westerners believe that dishes are hunger-filled, so they specialize in "hard dishes" such as large pieces of meat and whole chickens; while Chinese mainly eat lots of vegetables and little meat. There are also differences in names of dishes. Many Chinese dishes often contain a lot of historical and cultural information. For example, Dongpo meat(Braised Dongpo Pork) is said to be cooked according to recipes handed down by Su Dongpo, a literary giant in Song Dynasty. Some dishes are also related to allusions and legends, for example, Fotiaoqiang(Buddha jumps over the wall) is a legend. In contrast, the names of western food are much simpler. For example, fried chicken legs, hamburgers and seafood soup are almost all named after the raw materials and cooking methods.

References

1. 毕继万. 跨文化非语言交际. 北京：外语教学与研究出版社[M], 1999.

2. 蔡华. 试论中西饮食文化的差异. 邵阳学院学报[J]，2007.

3. 杜学增. 中英文化习俗比较. 北京：外语教学与研究出版社[M],1999.

B. Terms and Expressions

pot-stewed fowl 卤味

stewing and simmering炖，煨

prickly ash 花椒

fermented soybean豆鼓

Braised Dongpo Pork东坡肉

Buddha Jumps over the Wall 佛跳墙

Kung Pao Chicken 宫保鸡丁

Bean Sauce Tofu麻婆豆腐

C. Questions

How many types of cuisines are there in china?

What’s differences between Chinese and western diets?

What is the origin of Dongpo Meat?

Jiang Fengyi 蒋凤仪

Chinese Paper Cutting 剪纸

Text

Terms and Expressions

Questions

Jiang Qiwei 蒋淇玮

A. Chinese Medical Sage- Zhang Zhongjing

Zhang Zhongjing ( original name Zhang Ji, 150 to 154 A.D.- about 215 to 219 A.D., courtesy name Zhongjing), was born in Nieyang County in Nanyang of the Eastern Han Dynasty ( located in today's Zhangzhai Village, Rangdong Town, Dengzhou City, Henan Province). He was a famous medical scientist in the late Eastern Han Dynasty and one of the most outstanding medical scientists in Chinese history, who is respected as the Chinese Medical Sage. In his childhood, Zhang Zhongjing admired Bian Que, a preeminent Chinese mediciner, and yearned for medical learning. And he once studied after Zhang Bozu.

Zhang Zhongjing hated officialdom and sympathized with common people. He traveled all over the country for his medical practice, carefully studied the symptoms of typhoid fever, and read widely. After decades of collection and study, he wrote the magnificent book Treatise on Febrile and Miscellaneous Diseases, which established the treatment based on syndrome differentiation of six classics, and became a necessary classic for the study of Chinese medicine in later generations.

This extraordinary man in Chinese history, our immortal medical sage, was once the Changsha magistrate. As the master of superb medical skills and a man of tender heart, he treated patients for free on the first and fifteenth days of every lunar month. At that time, yamen's gate would be crowded with a large throng of people of all ages and both sexes. Some of them carried pieces of luggage, having come a long way to be there. All the people waited for him in eagerness. Then, Zhang Zhongjing would open the gate of office and let sick people in, instead of dealing with government affairs, carefully diagnosing and treating the masses one by one. Though confronted with such a heavy workload, Mr. Zhang treated every patient carefully based on syndrome differentiation. He diagnosed them with looking, listening, questioning and feeling the pulse— four ways of diagnosis, as well as saw through the patients' appearance to perceive the root cause of their illness. As making diagnoses so full-heartedly, Mr. Zhang even skipped meals sometimes.

Later, people called the doctor who sat in the drugstore to treat patients "the doctor sitting in the hall", in memory of Zhang Zhongjing.

When talking about Zhang Zhongjing, We have to mention his masterpiece Treatise on Febrile and Miscellaneous Diseases, which is an undoubted groundbreaking and peak work of traditional Chinese medicine. For years of wars and chaos in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, it turned out that various kinds of plagues were prevailing in China. And lots of people were homeless and suffered from epidemic diseases. Thus, Zhang Zhongjing's motive of writing this book was to lifting common and poor Chinese people from the misery of diseases. After years of arduous hardwork, this enduring work was finally finished.

There is a Chinese saying that goes, " Eating dumplings in Chinese New Year, Great Cold, and Slight Cold ( latter two belongs to 24 solar terms)." But now, except these days and the New Year's Day, many diners also feast in the air-conditioned dumpling parlors in summer. So, how did dumplings, as one of people's favorite, come into being? Speaking of this delicacy, well-respected Zhang Zhongjing has made great contributions to it.

When a snowstorm was raging, Zhang Zhongjing, a former governor of Changsha, who had resigned from office, was returning to his native town. By the White River, he saw lots of homeless people in rags, with sick looks and frozen ears.

Back home, Mr.Zhang was still concerned about those poor people. So he developed a recipe to help them ward off cold, called " Cold Dispelling Jiaoer Soup". Then, just on the Winter Solstice, he asked his disciples to set up a shed and a big pot under it in Dongguan, Nanyang, and give each poor person a bowl of soup with two Jiaoers. After drinking this soup, people felt warm and their ears were cured.

Zhang Zhongjing passed away on the day of the Winter Solstice, and he distributed the "Cold Dispelling Jiaoer Soup" for everyone on the Winter Solstice as well. In order to commemorate him, everyone would make dumplings on the Winter Solstice Festival. And it was said that if one ate dumplings on the day of the Winter Solstice, his ears would not be frozen in winter. "Cold Dispelling Jiaoer Soup" is rarely eaten now, but the custom of eating dumplings on the Winter Solstice every year has been passed down. Besides, the kinds and shapes of dumplings have been greatly improved.

In fact, the way of making "Cold Dispelling Jiaoer Soup" is to boil mutton and some cold dispelling herbs in a pot. After cooked, fish and chop them up, then wrap the stuffing in dough wrappers, with their shapes resembling human ears. Later, put them into the pot, and boil them in the original soup. Because of its ear- shaped contour and effect on preventing the ear from freezing, Zhongjing named it "Jiao Er". ( Er means eears in Chinese)

There are also a Nanyang folk songs about Jiaoer, saying " not eating Jiaoers in the Winter Solstice, geting frozen ears in the winter cold."

At first, Zhang Zhongjing, a little boy of 9 or 10 years old, was measuring traditional Chinese medicine, trying to imitate his medical master. At this stage, medicine inspired in him a delightful sensation of wonder, which would shape his lifelong dream of becoming a great doctor like Bian Que and helping the sick. Then, Zhang turned into an adult man, appearing to be in his middle age. He stuck to treating sick people at the gate of the Yamen on the first and fifth days in the lunar calendar. Finally, Mr. Zhang's goatee turned grey and wrinkles crawled on his kind face. However, he still wrote the Treatise on Febrile and Miscellaneous Diseases, cured patients and dealt with his favorite— traditional Chinese medicine.

B. Terms and Expressions

medical sage 医圣

Treatise on Febrile and Miscellaneous Diseases《伤寒杂病论》

treatment based on syndrome differentiation/ diagnosis and treatment based on an overall analysis of the illness and the patient's condition 辩证施治

yamen 衙门

Great Cold ( 24th solar term ) 大寒

Slight Cold ( 23rd solar term ) 小寒

look, listen, question and feel the pulse -- four ways of diagnosis 望闻问切

Cold Dispelling Jiaoer Soup 祛寒娇耳汤

C. Questions

1. What's the honorable title Zhang Zhongjing addressed as?

2.What's the official role Zhang once taken?

3.When would Zhang treat patients for free at yamen?

4.What's the most well-known and important masterpiece Zhang ever write? What's his motive of writing it?

5.What's the relationship between Zhang Zhongjing and dumplings?--Jiang Qiwei (talk) 13:53, 2 December 2020 (UTC)

Kang Haoyu 康浩宇

Chinese Red Culture

Chinese red culture is unique in the world. As a very important cultural resource, it has both tangible culture and intangible culture. Red culture in China refers to the advance culture with Chinese characteristics created by party and people in revolutionary years.

1. Development

China has brilliant history and splendid civilization in ancient times. However, with the Opium War of 1840, China was plunged into the darkness of domestic turmoil and foreign aggression. Despite of all efforts that countless dedicated patriots had made, they still failed to change the plight. The October Revolution in Russia brought Marxism-Leninism. With Communism as the the highest ideal and ultimate goal, the Communist Party of China shouldered the historic mission of national rejuvenation. With the firm leadership of the party, Chinese people embraced national independence, people's liberation, national reunification and social stability, and stepped into a new era of prosperity and happiness.

Red culture is condensed by the Communist Party of China in the great struggle of leading the Chinese revolution. It is an advanced Marxism culture that was inherited and developed in the new period of socialist construction. It's a collectivism culture of bravery, sacrifice and devotion that seeks happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation.Red culture is embodied in the aspects of ideal belief, value pursuit and spiritual outlook, and is integrated into material remains, mechanism behaviors and cultural and artistic forms.

First of all, red culture is a revolutionary culture, which was formed by the Chinese Communist Party in the great struggle of leading the Chinese revolution. After the founding of People's Republic of China, the Communist Party of China led the Chinese people to inherit and carry forward the revolutionary culture. In the new period of socialist construction and reform and opening up, a vigorous and advanced socialist culture was formed, which enriched and developed the connotation of red culture. Revolutionary culture and advanced socialist culture are two major components of red culture, and are the core value and spiritual subject of contemporary Chinese culture. As for Chinese red culture, Among them, Marxism is the soul, the common ideal of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the theme, the national spirit and the spirit of the times are the essence, and the socialist concept of honor and disgrace is the foundation. These four aspects influence, infiltrate and interact with each other, revealing the essential characteristics of red culture scientifically and completely.

2. Symbols

The word “red” in “red culture” has many symbols. Chinese people have “red” complex since ancient time. Red represents authority. For, example, official documents are also called red heading documents. Red represents courage. Red is the color of Chinese national flag. Chinese military strategists and generals have a deep understanding of the role of red in war, so they use red flags to unite their morale, inspire their fighting and their courage, and summon the spirit of going forward bravely and not fearing sacrifice. Red represents honor and auspiciousness. For instance, the places are always adorned with red for conference and ceremony. People are awarded with red flower and red certificates. Red represents revolution. When Marx was asked about "favorite color" in his early years, he clearly answered "red". In 1864, First International was founded, and its logo was red. The first army of Communist Party of China was named Red Army, and Ruijin, the first revolutionary base area, was called Red Capital. There were also red boats in South Lake and red flags in Jinggangshan.

3. Values

Red culture has many values. Red culture has the value of history. It witnesses the early development history of the Communist Party of China. It shows the inevitability of the socialist road in China. And it is an important weapon to guide the success of Chinese revolution. Besides, red culture has the value of civilization. Carrying forward the red culture is an urgent need to cultivate a new national spirit. Red culture is important for the construction of socialism culture and ideology. Moreover, red culture has the value of economy. Red culture is a powerful driving force for the development of socialist market economy. It is an important medium of economic development under the new historical conditions. The red cultural industry has become a new economic growth point.

4. Red Culture in Nanchang

Nanchang is the capital city of Jiangxi Province and it is where August 1st uprising took place. Nanchang is renowned as the cradle of Chinese revolution and the place where the military flag rose. Because in August 1st uprising, communist party of china formed its first army in Nanchang. There are lots of red culture resources in Nanchang. Bayi Square is at the center of Nanchang city. It was built to memorize August 1st uprising. Bayi Square highlights the theme of "Bayi History and Culture" in all directions. The memorial area, cultural area, reminiscence area and leisure area of Bayi Square show Bayi Uprising in different forms. The landmark in the square is Bayi Nanchang Uprising Memorial Tower. Besides, Nangchang August 1st Memorial Hall is a special memorial hall established to commemorate Nanchang Uprising.

Vocabulary List

red culture 红色文化

Opium War 鸦片战争

red heading documents 红头文件

red army 红军

August 1st uprising 八一起义

Questions

1. What is the historical background of the birth of red culture?

2. What are two major components of red culture?

3. How many symbols dose the word "red" in red culture has? What are they?

4. How many values dose red culture has? What are they?

5. What is the landmark in Bayi Square?

Lei Fangyuan 雷方圆

The Ancient Tea Horse Road

Introduction

The Ancient Tea Horse Road is a folk international trade route that exists in southwest China and is a corridor for ethnic economic and cultural exchanges with horses as the main means of transportation. The ancient tea horse road is divided into two routes: the Sichuan-Tibet line and the Yunnan-Tibet line. The ancient tea horse road originated from the ancient southwest frontier of the tea horse mutual market, flourished in the Tang and Song dynasties, in the Ming and Qing dynasties, and most prosperous in the middle and late World War II. The ancient Tea Horse Road divided into Shanxi-Gan, Shanxi-Kangtang (folk called wade ancient road, Sichuan-Tibet line is part of it), Yunnan-Tibet and other three main routes, connecting Sichuan, Yunnan-Tibet, extending into the territory of Bhutan, Sikkim, Nepal, India, until reaching West Asia, West Africa, the Red Sea coast. 5 March 2013, the Tea Horse Road was listed by the State Council as the seventh batch of national key cultural relics conservation units.

Historical Routes

China’s ancient tea horse road is divided into: 1. The Shanxi-Gansu tea horse road is the main route for tea to travel westward in mainland China and exchange for horses. It is one of the main routes of the ancient Silk Road. 2. Shanxi and Tibet tea horse road (wade ancient road), began in the Han Dynasty, formed by the Shanxi merchants and the ancient southwest border tea and horse each other. Due to the Ming and Qing dynasties, the government control of tea trafficking, tea trafficking sub-regional, including the most prosperous tea horse trading market in Kangding, known as the wade ancient road. 3. the ancient Yunnan-Tibet Tea Horse Road. Formed around the late sixth century AD, it is south of Yunnan's main tea producing areas in Xishuangbanna Yiwu, Pu'er City, intermediate through today's Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture and Lijiang City, Shangri-La into Tibet, directly to Lhasa. Some also re-exported from Tibet to India and Nepal, is an important trade channel between ancient China and South Asia. 4.Sichuan-Tibet Tea Horse Road is a part of the Shan-Kang-Tibet Tea Horse Road, east of Yazhou edge tea production Ya'an, after playing arrow furnace (now Kangding), west to Lhasa, Tibet, and finally through to Bhutan, Nepal and India, a total length of nearly four thousand kilometers, is an essential bridge and link between ancient Tibet and the interior. There are three main routes of the ancient tea-horse road: the Qinghai-Tibet line (the ancient Tang and Tibetan road), the Yunnan-Tibet line and the Sichuan-Tibet line. Among the three ancient tea-horse roads, the Qinghai-Tibet line was established in the Tang Dynasty and developed earlier, while the Sichuan-Tibet line was the most influential and well-known later. These three routes are closely related to Chengdu, among them, the Yunnan-Tibet route and the Sichuan-Tibet route must pass through Chengdu, and their development is closely related to the tea-horse trade.

Historical Value

The Silk Road in the north and the ancient Tea Horse Road in the south. The ancient Tea Horse Road, a passage that once played an important role in the birth and development of the Chinese nation just like the Silk Road, has been gradually buried in the dust of history with the washing away of modern civilization. However, its history and value will always shine brightly. 1.The Golden Road of Tourism The ancient tea-horse road tour has unique scenery, profound cultural connotation, exclusive resources and is unparalleled in the world. 2. Ancient Roads for the Propagation of Civilization The ancient Tea Horse Road was not only an important migration corridor for the ancient ancestors between Wei-Tibet and present Sichuan and Yunnan, but also an important aperture for the spread and exchange of ancient civilizations between present Sichuan, Yunnan and Tibet. 3.Migration Corridor of National Cultures On this ancient road, which stretches for more than 10,000 miles, Chinese, Tibetan, Yi, Naxi, Lisu, Hani, Kino, Qiang, Pumi, Bai, Nu, Jingpo, Achang and other ethnic groups have flourished here for thousands of years, highlighting the diversity and original form of ethnic culture in southwest China. 4.Religious Propagation Road With the development of the tea-horse trade and the extension of the ancient tea-horse route, Tibetan Buddhism spread widely along this route on the Tibetan Plateau and surrounding areas. The development and spread of Tibetan stupas can be roughly divided into two routes: one is Tibet - Qinghai - Gansu - Inner Mongolia - the other is Tibet - Qinghai - Gansu - Inner Mongolia. -Liaoning--Jilin--Heilongjiang--Beijing--Hebei --Henan--Jiangsu; second, Tibet--Yunnan--Sichuan. --Guangxi--Hubei. 5. The Path of National Spirituality You can't talk about the ancient tea-horse road without mentioning the horse gangs. The horse gangs have formed a unique cultural carrier in the course of thousands of years. Their spirit is attached to this ancient road, and become part of the Chinese national spirit. 6.The Road of National Unity and Integration The ancient tea-horse road is like a huge net in southwest China, through which people of all nationalities strengthen their ties and communication, promote political, economic and cultural interaction, development and integration among all nationalities, and enhance the emotional ties between them. 7.The Road of Securing the Borders The expansion of the ancient tea-horse road and the flourishing of the tea-horse trade contributed to the stability and consolidation of China's southwest frontier. 8.the road to economic development The Thousand-Year Tea Horse Trail contributed to the formation of many towns in the region through the tea and horse trade, which greatly contributed to the economic development of the region.--Lei Fangyuan (talk) 03:42, 29 November 2020 (UTC)

Vocabulary List

1.The Ancient Tea Horse Road(茶马古道)

2.Sichuan-Tibet Line（川藏线）

3.Yunnan-Tibet line（滇藏线）

4.wade ancient road（蹚古道）

Questions

1.What is the ancient tea horse road ?

2.What do you know about the history of the ancient tea horse road?

3.How many main routes does the ancient tea-horse road conclude?

4.What is the historical value? --Lei Fangyuan (talk) 04:15, 29 November 2020 (UTC)

Lei Kuangxi 雷旷溪

Four satirical novels in ancient China

As a result of the bourgeois reformists and democratic revolutionaries strongly advocated, the novel creation in the late Qing Dynasty got unprecedented development, and a large number of influential novels emerged, forming a prosperous situation of the novel creation in the late Qing Dynasty.The emergence of the "Four Major denunciation novels" in the late Qing Dynasty is an important sign that The creation of Chinese novels has entered another prosperous period.

1. Four satirical novels in ancient China

2. Nie Hai Hua

3. the Travels of an Old Man

4. The Records of Officialdom Exposure

5. 20 years witness strange present situation

6. Conclution

Li Liqin 李丽琴

Confucian Culture

Introduction

Confucian school is an academic school founded by Confucius, developed by Mencius, and composed by Xunzi. Today, it still retains a certain vitality. Confucian school takes Confucianism as its guiding ideology whose central ideas are forgiveness, loyalty, filial piety, brotherhood, courage, benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and faith. Confucian school was on an equal footing with the other hundred schools in the pre-Qin period. After the First Emperor of Qin, also called Qin Shihuang, burned books and buried scholars alive, the development of the Confucian school suffered a serious defeat. Then, in order to maintain the feudal autocratic rule, Emperor Wudi of the Han Dynasty followed Dong Zhongshu's advice of "banishing other schools of thought and worshiping Confucianism only" and imposed restrictions on thought, which led to the revival of Confucian school. The concepts of "Confucian school", "Confucianism", and "Confucian Religion" should be distinguished since Confucian school is a school of theory, Confucianism a social stratification, and Confucian religion a belief. Laozi founded Chinese Taoist school; Confucius started Chinese Confucian school; Sun Tzu initiated Chinese military strategist school; Mozi was the founder of Mohism in the early Warring States. Confucianism contributes to guiding the code of conduct and constructing social order; Daoism focuses on fostering the view of nature and the orientation of spiritual development; Legalism serves the system construction of national political management.; the concepts of Universal Love and utilitarianism are two cornerstones for the Mohism. The General Unity idea of Confucianism has played an important role in the unification of a nation, the enhancement of national cohesion and the integration of cultural values. After more than two thousand years of development and evolution, Confucian culture has built up a complete ideological system, involving politics, education, morality, ethics, code of conduct, life skills and other aspects. It has cultivated the wisdom and soul of the Chinese people throughout the history, and formed deep-rooted set patterns of thinking, psychology and survival.

Analysis of Confucian culture

Intelligence development

Confucius is a great educator, as well as a pioneer and practitioner of mass education. After Confucianism was established as a dominant culture, both the rulers and the public respected the teachings of the sage and attached great importance to education. In this context, a basic requirement is to stay highly cultured and steeped in propriety. After the Emperor Wen initiated the imperial examination system in the Sui Dynasty, those who are good scholars could make an official, which inspired students of poor families to change their lives by studying hard and diligent. For generations, the Chinese people have attached great importance to the education of their children, which is conducive to the improvement of the thinking ability of the whole nation. However, the corrupt of bureaucracy and the darkness of officialdom in metaphase and anaphase made many literati feel despairing about official career and discredit about the concept. In addition, the Four Books and Five Classics were the main learning content of Confucianism. Apart from government-run schools, private schools and self-study can hardly meet the requirements of the Six Classical Arts. Therefore, the Four Books and Five Classics were the focus of students, while the Six Classical Arts were not highly valued.

Spiritual guidance

In terms of spirit, Confucianism contends that "As heaven maintains vigor through movements, a gentleman should constantly strive for self-perfection; The terrain is vast, a gentleman carries goods with great virtue." Benevolent people love each other, which reflects the essence of “Unity of Man and Nature” and also the most brilliant connotation of Confucianism. This philosophy calls for people’s active contributions to the society. It is still alive in modern times, and is the fundamental requirement of people's spiritual orientation in the future.

Order construction

In the age of barbarism and backwardness, a common feature was that a small number of people used power and force to suppress and enslave the majority, thus resulting in labor division and unfair distribution of wealth and generating corresponding social hierarchy and concepts. Given the fact that Confucianism developed in the transitional period of feudal society, the thoughts of Confucius and Mencius were rooted in the idealist view of destiny and did not break the shackles of social hierarchy. In addition, they even advocated the distinguish between the noble and the humble and highlighted the importance of hierarchy division. In this context, the benevolence they advocated had great limitations in political management. The public could not be treated equally in terms of political status. Instead, the so-called benevolence calls for improvement of the living conditions of the public and more benefits from the ruling class. However, its purpose was to maintain social order and reconcile social contradictions. This is also the root cause of feudal rulers’ favoring of Confucianism. In essence, Confucianism did not promote social equality, instead, it worked to maintain the unequal feudal hierarchy that aggravated servitude. In fact, after a long history of feudal rule, the sense of hierarchy would be part of the national psyche. With the progress of times and civilization, the view of destiny and the thought of social order have become psychological shackles of the Chinese people. After eliminating the ideology of feudal hierarchy and formalism, some philosophies of Confucianism still generate positive effects on modern society. Specifically, the spirit of benevolence and universal love is conducive to cultivate people’s spirits; the concept of “the country belongs to the public” reflects a sense of social responsibility to make contributions for society, which can be expanded into a sharing social and political philosophy for different countries. Filial piety and brotherhood increase the harmony and stability of family; Loyalty, faithfulness, propriety and forgiveness are conducive to the relationship between different countries, societies and people. "Loyalty" means that people should stay loyal to the country and people; "Friendliness" and "forgiveness" play an important role in resolving various contradictions and animosities; when it comes to "filial piety" and "propriety", many redundant forms inherited from feudal society should be eradicated and be more practical.

The contemporary value of Confucian culture

Today, Confucian culture is still of great significance. We must explore the value of Confucian culture on the basis of the excellent tradition of the Chinese nation and by combining the characteristics of the times with and the actual situation. The Confucian culture has affected Chinese more than two thousand years and gone deep into each aspect of Chinese society.

Ideological and political education

Confucian culture calls for “the people-oriented” philosophy, and it places a high priority on human value and dignity. Over the years, the Chinese nation has been influenced by this excellent philosophy. On this occasion, its behavioral pattern and psychological structure are endowed with uniqueness, which is mainly manifested in two aspects. One is to respect yourself, learn how to love and care yourself. Moreover, gain dignity and achieve the development of human value through the continuous improvement of moral cultivation. Second, respect others and show respect for others' personality by respecting, understanding and caring for others.

Modern economic construction

Under today’s circumstance, some ideological contents are still alive and produce positive effects on promoting the economic construction of modernization and fostering modern patriotism emotion of the Chinese people. First of all, Confucian culture emphasizes the thought of "benevolence" and group consciousness. It is conducive to the cultivation of collectivism and provides a spiritual pillar for China's modern economy. Since Confucian culture reflects a collectivist view on life, individuals are full of sense of duty and responsibility towards others and groups. In this context, their self-cultivation targets at regulating the family, country and the world. Thus, the value of individual is closely linked with the rise and fall of the country, so they have a strong sense of responsibility. "Everyone being responsible for the fate of his country" has been a common belief for thousands of years. Such a social responsibility will give rise to a huge driving force for the development of the country and society. Second, the consciousness of "self-improvement" and the proposition of "seeking truth" in the Confucian culture strengthen the national spirit and provide a source power for China’s economic modernization. Yi Zhuan put forward: "As heaven maintains vigor through movements, a gentleman should constantly strive for self-perfection.’’ It means that continuous development is the law of nature and that a gentleman should pursue progress and be strong, unyielding resilient and positive. For thousands of years, the Chinese nation has formed a fine tradition of working hard and striving for strength under the influence of these thoughts. Today, we carry forward the spirits of “self-improvement” and "seeking truth" in ways that further enhance national spirits and provide a strong driving force for the socialist modernization. Third, the "reform and innovation" concept in Confucian culture is conducive to the expansion of the reform and opening up and the acceleration of China's socialist modernization. On the basis of admitting the fact that the continuous development is the universal law of nature, Confucian culture puts forward the "innovation idea". The Book of Rites said, "If you can in one day renovate yourself; do so from day to day and let there be daily renovation." The Book of Changes said, "Reform refers to destroy the old, while innovation means to establish the new.” The concept is not only serves as the theoretical basis for reform and innovation throughout the history, but also provides valuable lessons for the reform in socialist economic and political systems today. Domestically, promoting the innovative spirits can greatly enhance the reform consciousness of the Chinese people. Externally, it is conducive to advancing the opening up by leveraging the global influence of Confucian culture.

Legal construction

Confucian culture places a high priority on personal cultivation, while a highly civilized society under the rule of law must be composed of highly educated citizens. Confucian school, a school with thousands of years of history in China, has become an integral part of the Chinese culture. Nowadays, since China has called for the policy of combining the rule of virtue with the rule of law, it is the time for Confucian culture to find its historical position and fully play its role. Exploring the influence of Confucian culture on the construction of contemporary Chinese rule by law, not only can we help us more deeply understand the traditional culture, but also can promote the process of building the rule of law in contemporary China. The rule by virtue thought is an important part of Confucian culture and it emphasizes the importance of moral education. It is a national strategy pursued by ancient Chinese rulers and a method of national governance embodying reference significance in today’s China. In terms of national governance, Confucianism emphasizes the importance of morality, believing that national governance should not mainly rely on harsh punishment, instead, moral education should be applied to reform people. Confucius said, "By governing with virtue, rulers will be loved by the public, just like stars surround the North Star." By comparing rulers to the North Star and people to the stars, Confucius emphasized the importance of moral governance. How to rule by virtue? First of all, rulers should pay attention to their personal cultivation and develop good moral characters, so that they can set a good example for the public. Only when officials and common people obey the ruler sincerely, can a good social atmosphere be formed. Secondly, since Confucianism takes "benevolence" as its core and calls for the rule of virtue, many people subconsciously believe that Confucianism denies the role of criminal law and that Confucian culture does not call for the rule of law. In fact, this is not the case. While Confucianism advocates the rule of virtue, it also emphasizes the supplementary role of rule of law. Confucius said, "Sages believe that national governance must combine the rule of virtue and law." That is to say, if people are governed by systems and laws, they seek for impunity but lack of conscience; however, if they are guided by morality and etiquette, they will have a sense of right and wrong and will impose strict requirements on themselves. In a word, we should clearly realize that, although Confucian culture is an excellent traditional culture in China, it was generated from the feudal society and its original intention was to maintain the feudal autocratic monarchy. Therefore, it inevitably has some drawbacks and limitations. Under this circumstance, we must analyse Confucian culture dialectically and explore the value of Confucian culture. At the same time, we should discard the bad habits and unfavorable factors left by it, so as to better carry forward our traditional culture and accelerate the construction of the rule of law in contemporary China.

The Confucius institute

With the improvement of China's international status and the increasingly extensive international exchanges, Chinese culture has won wider foreign attention and the world is more eager to learn and understand the Chinese culture. The Confucius Institute project, founded in 2004, emerges in response to the call of the times. Today, Confucius Institutes have spread throughout Asia, Africa, The Americas, Europe and Oceania. Fundamentally speaking, its is conducive to the "going out" of Chinese culture since language is an important carrier of Chinese culture. It is of positive significance to the construction of China's national image, the promotion of China's international influence, the realization of wider international communication. The rapid development of Confucius Institutes has fully demonstrated the needs and aspirations of people around the world to learn Chinese and learn more about China, but there are still some problems in this process. Today, countries are committed to spreading their own language and culture, so there is a fierce competition in international cultural promotion. In addition, the Confucius Institutes is struggling to achieve sustainable development. Internally, its development has been restricted by many factors, including the shortage of teachers and textbooks, the low quality and the lack of pertinence. At present, Confucius Institutes are prevalent all over the world, but the promotion strategy seeking for quantity and speed results in a serious shortage of teachers capable of teaching Chinese as a foreign language. According to statistics, there is a global shortage of at least five million TCSL teachers. Secondly, the lack of high-quality and localized teaching materials for Chinese has also become a bottleneck for the development of Confucius Institutes. The shortage of Chinese textbooks affects the depth of cultural communication of Confucius Institutes directly. Thirdly, Confucius Institutes are not capable of spreading the ideological depth of the Chinese culture. Although the textbooks are rich in content, they mainly focus on promoting folk culture by introducing Chinese food, tea and wine, traditional Chinese medicine and martial arts. Meanwhile, they rarely involve the ideological essence of traditional Chinese culture and the modern value of Chinese culture. The Confucius Institutes should fully explore the modern significance of Confucianism and cast the quintessence of Chinese culture, and strengthen the spread of the core idea of Chinese culture and its modern cultural value. The connotation of Chinese culture is very rich. What Confucius Institutes should spread is not all the contents of Chinese culture, but the contents with universal value that are different from other countries and represent the essence of Chinese culture.

Terms and expressions

儒家Confucian school

儒学Confucianism

儒教Confucian religion

兼爱 Universal love

恕、忠、孝、悌、勇forgiveness, loyalty, filial piety, brotherhood, courage

仁、义、礼、智、信benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and faith

学而优则仕 A good scholar will make an official

四书五经 the Four Books and Five Classics

天行健，君子当自强不息；地势坤，君子以厚德载物。As heaven maintains vigor through movements, a gentleman should constantly strive for self-perfection; The terrain is vast, a gentleman carries goods with great virtue.

天下兴亡，匹夫有责 Everyone being responsible for the fate of his country

Questions

What’s the central ideas of Confucian culture?

What’s the difference among Confucian school, Confucianism and Confucian religion?

What do you think of the relationship between Confucian school, Taoist school, Mohist school, Legalist school?

What’s the Six Classical Arts?

What you think of the ancient influence of Confucian culture?

Do you think Confucian culture still has its contemporary values in China? And why?

What do you think of the current situation of the development of the Confucian institute?

Liu Liu 刘柳

Ch'ien Chung-shu

Ch'ien Chung-shu (1910-1998), a well-known scholar, writer, translator and literary researcher, was born into an education family in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province. In Chinese academic circles, Qian was ranked with Rao Zongyi, a master in academic circles, and both were called "South Rao and North Qian". He was admitted to Tsinghua University in 1929 and got to know Yang Jiang in 1932. Qian became famous soon after the enrolment, not only for the 15 mark of his mathematics, but for his excellent Chinese and English, especially full marks in English. Qian had an engagement with Yang the year after their acquaintance and went to study at Oxford University in England along with her. In 1937, he obtained the bachelor's degree from Oxford with the treatise China in the English Literature of the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries, and his daughter Qian Yuan was born the same year. He wrote a great many profound literary works in his lifetime. When it comes to Ch'ien Chung-shu, people would think of his representative work Fortress Besieged, which was published in 1947.

As a realistic satirical novel, Fortress Besieged is known as "The New Scholars" in the 1940s. The novel is centralized on Fang Hongjian,who returned from studying abroad at the beginning of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. It depicts the struggles in love, marriage,career and life of a group of intellectuals who were far away from the times and the people during the War of Resistance against Japanese Agression. It reveals their inner poverty, emptiness and lowliness, criticizes the dark reality of the Kuomintang-controlled areas, and reveals the crisis of modern civilization and the dilemma of modern life. In the preface of the book, Qian said that, "In this book I intended to write about a certain segment of society and a certain kind of people in modern China. In writing about these people, I didn’t forget they are human beings, still human beings with the basic nature of hairless, two-legged animals. "The novel is like an X-ray mirror that reveals the deformed characters and ugly souls of those "hairless and two-legged animals" and analyzes the cultural matrix which is responsible for the deformed characters and ugly souls of these "latest style" literati. Yang Jiang said, "The main connotation of Fortress Besieged is that those who are besieged by the city want to escape, while those outside want to rush in. This is what most people wish for in life, whether in marriage or career. "The meaning of "fortress besieged" is also stated several times in the novel. It tells people that life is a besieged city everywhere, people have marriage and divorce, divorce and marriage in endless succession,with everlasting confusion and dilemma. The questions that Qian raised in the novel refer to a question of universal significance, which is the crisis of modern civilization and the dilemma of modern life as a whole. In December 1990, the television series Fortress Besieged was broadcast on China Central Television(CCTV) and enjoyed great popularity.

Ch'ien Chung-shu has made significant achievements in literary research and literary creation. In particular, it is of great significance to carry forward and deny traditional Chinese culture scientifically and learn from foreign culture selectively. He has wrote the collection of essays Written in the Margins of Life(1941), the collection of short stories Humans·Beasts·Ghosts(1946), and the novel Fortress Besieged(1947). Both his essays and novels are wise and meaningful. Qian has read Chinese history, philosophy and literary classics in depth and has studied western old and new literature, philosophy and psychology. Many of his works, such as Limited Views:Essays on Ideaas and Letters and Patchwork:Essays on Art and Literature, have enjoyed high reputation in academic circles both at home and abroad.

Ch'ien Chung-shu viewd China and the world with a cultural criticism spirit. Based on his profound knowledge of Chinese and world culture, Qian has always shown a clear mind and a deep insight when observing Chinese and Western culture. He didn't reject any theories or doctrines, nor did he blindly follow any authorities. He devoted his life to promoting Chinese literature and art to the world. To this end, he not only explicated the profound meaning and unique value of Chinese culture in depth, but also pointed out its historical and regional limitations. He not only criticized the Chinese for their arrogance towards the local culture due to certain illusions, but also mercilessly eliminated the Westerners' prejudice centered on European and American culture due to ignorance. It is Ch'ien Chung-shu who has promoted cultural communication between China and other countries.

November 21st,2020 is the 110th anniversary of the birth of Ch'ien Chung-shu. People often call him a well-informed scholar, but he is more of a down-to-earth writer and scholar. He was indifferent to fame and wealth and alaways took a rigorous and serious attitude towards academic research. We feel ourselves in an entirely new world when we read the subtle metaphors in Fortress Besieged, while we read Limited Views:Essays on Ideas and Letters and Patchwork:Essays on Art and Literature, we are amazed at Qian's erudition. People all over the world admire his talent, but in fact,it is his meticulous and diligent reading spirit that makes him a well-informed scholar. Many of his life experiences and the question of whether his scholarship was systematic or not have attracted much attention. Wang Shuizhao, professor of Chinese Department of Fudan University, who has studied and worked with Ch'ien Chung-shu for a long time, has recently published his new book Academic Life of Qian Zhongshu, in which he writes about Qian's life experiences and academic achievements based on the first-hand historical data, his personal experiences and his own understanding of academia, and gives answers to the questions discueesed widely, such as Qian's experience of being falsely accused, whether there exists system in his scholarship and the collision of viewpoints between Qian and Chen Yinke.

Terms and Expressions

China in the English Literature of the Seventeenth and Eighteenth centuries 《十七十八世纪英国文学中的中国》

Fortress Besieged 《围城》

Kuomintang-controlled areas 国统区

Written in the Margins of Life 《写在人生边上》

Humans·Beasts·Ghosts 《人·兽·鬼》

Limited Views:Essays on Ideas and Letters 《管锥编》

Patchwork:Essays on Art and Literature 《谈艺录》

the 110th anniversary of the birth of Ch'ien Chung-shu 钱钟书诞辰110周年纪念日

Academic Life of Qian Zhongshu 《钱钟书的学术人生》

Questions

1.What is Ch'ien Chung-shu's representative work? When was it published?

Ch'ien Chung-shu's representive work is Fortress Besieged. It was published in 1947.

2.When was the TV series Fortress Besieged broadcast?

It was broadcast in December 1990.

3.Do you know other works about Ch'ien Chung-shu? Can you list some of them?

Patchwork:Seven Essays on Art and Literature（《七缀集》） and Poetic Remains of an Ephemeral Life（《槐聚诗存》）.

4.Which book did Wang Shuizhao publish in commemoration of the 110 anniversary of the birth of Ch'ien Chung-shu? What does he talk about in this book?

Wang Shuizhao published his new book Academic Life of Qian Zhongshu in commemoration of the 110 anniversary of the birth of Ch'ien Chung-shu, in which he writes about Qian's life experiences and academic achievements.

5.Which sentence is your favoriate in Fortress Besieged?

"I want to be able to occupy the whole life of the man I love. Before meeting me, he would have had no past and would be waiting for me with a clean slate." --Liu Liu (talk) 02:19, 9 November 2020 (UTC)

Liu Ou 刘欧

The History of Cross Talk

Cross talk, in the ancient time was known as onomatopoeia, originally refers to imitate other's voices, also known as neighboring cross talk. It was evolved and further developed from the folk music in North China, and integrated with imitating oral skills and other folk art forms. It is generally believed to be formed during the Emperor Xianfeng （1850—1861）and Emperor Tongzhi（1861—1874）period in Qing dynasty. It’s a folk vocal art that uses jokes or funny questioning and answering to make the audience laugh. In the early years of the Republic of China, cross talk gradually developed from one-person ventriloquism to stand-up one person talk, and the name changed to cross talk. Later, it gradually developed into stand-up cross talk, dual cross talk, and group cross talk. And become a veritable form of art. After years of development, dual cross talk has finally become the most popular form of cross talk among audiences.--Liu Ou (talk) 06:33, 23 November 2020 (UTC)

Liu Yi 刘艺

Go 围棋--Liu Yi (talk) 08:04, 9 November 2020 (UTC)

GO

Go is an adversarial game with the objective of surrounding a larger total area of the board with one's stones than the opponent. As the game progresses, the players position stones on the board to map out formations and potential territories. Contests between opposing formations are often extremely complex and may result in the expansion, reduction, or wholesale capture and loss of formation stones. A basic principle of Go is that a group of stones must have at least one open point bordering the group, known as a liberty, to remain on the board. One or more liberties enclosed within a group is called an eye, and a group with two or more eyes cannot be captured, even if surrounded. Such groups are said to be unconditionally alive.

The general strategy is to expand one's territory, attack the opponent's weak groups (groups that can be killed), and always stay mindful of the "life status" of one's own groups. The liberties of groups are countable. Situations where mutually opposing groups must capture each other or die are called capturing races, or semeai. In a capturing race, the group with more liberties (and/or better "shape") will ultimately be able to capture the opponent's stones. Capturing races and the elements of life or death are the primary challenges of Go.

Players may pass rather than place a stone if they think there are no further opportunities for profitable play. The game ends when both players pass or when one player resigns. In general, to score the game, each player counts the number of unoccupied points surrounded by their stones and then subtracts the number of stones that were captured by the opponent. The player with the greater score (after adjusting for komi) wins the game.

In the opening stages of the game, players typically establish positions (or "bases") in the corners and around the sides of the board. These bases help to quickly develop strong shapes which have many options for life (self-viability for a group of stones that prevents capture) and establish formations for potential territory. Players usually start in the corners because establishing territory is easier with the aid of two edges of the board. Established corner opening sequences are called "joseki" and are often studied independently.

"Dame" are points that lie in between the boundary walls of black and white, and as such are considered to be of no value to either side. "Seki" are mutually alive pairs of white and black groups where neither has two eyes. A "ko" (Chinese and Japanese: 劫) is a repeated-position shape that may be contested by making forcing moves elsewhere. After the forcing move is played, the ko may be "taken back" and returned to its original position.[30] Some "ko fights" may be important and decide the life of a large group, while others may be worth just one or two points. Some ko fights are referred to as "picnic kos" when only one side has a lot to lose. The Japanese call it a hanami (flower-viewing) ko.

Playing with others usually requires a knowledge of each player's strength, indicated by the player's rank (increasing from 30 kyu to 1 kyu, then 1 dan to 7 dan, then 1 dan pro to 9 dan pro). A difference in rank may be compensated by a handicap—Black is allowed to place two or more stones on the board to compensate for White's greater strength. There are different rule-sets (Korean, Japanese, Chinese, AGA, etc.), which are almost entirely equivalent, except for certain special-case positions.

Aside from the order of play (alternating moves, Black moves first or takes a handicap) and scoring rules, there are essentially only two rules in Go: • Rule 1 (the rule of liberty) states that every stone remaining on the board must have at least one open "point" (an intersection, called a "liberty") directly orthogonally adjacent (up, down, left, or right), or must be part of a connected group that has at least one such open point ("liberty") next to it. Stones or groups of stones which lose their last liberty are removed from the board. • Rule 2 (the "ko rule") states that the stones on the board must never repeat a previous position of stones. Moves which would do so are forbidden, and thus only moves elsewhere on the board are permitted that turn. Almost all other information about how the game is played is a heuristic, meaning it is learned information about how the game is played, rather than a rule. Other rules are specialized, as they come about through different rule-sets, but the above two rules cover almost all of any played game. Although there are some minor differences between rule-sets used in different countries, most notably in Chinese and Japanese scoring rules, these differences do not greatly affect the tactics and strategy of the game.

Except where noted, the basic rules presented here are valid independent of the scoring rules used. The scoring rules are explained separately. Go terms for which there is no ready English equivalent are commonly called by their Japanese names.

The two players, Black and White, take turns placing stones of their colour on the intersections of the board, one stone at a time. The usual board size is a 19×19 grid but for beginners, or for playing quick games, the smaller board sizes of 13×13 and 9×9 are also popular. The board is empty to begin with. Black plays first, unless black is given a handicap of two stones or more (in which case, white plays first). The players may choose any unoccupied intersection to play on, except for those forbidden by the ko and suicide rules (see below). Once played, a stone can never be moved and can be taken off the board only if it is captured. A player may also pass, declining to place a stone, though this is usually only done at the end of the game when both players believe nothing more can be accomplished with further play. When both players pass consecutively, the game ends and is then scored.

Terms and Expressions

Go 围棋 heuristic 启发式的 adversarial game 对抗性游戏 intersection 交叉点 board 棋盘 black 黑棋 formation 阵型 white 白棋 move 走棋 scoring rule 计分规则 liberty 自由度 player 棋手

Questions

1, What’s the basic principle of Go? A basic principle of Go is that a group of stones must have at least one open point bordering the group, known as a liberty, to remain on the board.

2,Aside from the order of play (alternating moves, Black moves first or takes a handicap) and scoring rules, What are other two essential rules in Go？ The rule of liberty and the "ko rule".

3, What countries have the most notable scoring rules differences? Most notably in Chinese and Japanese scoring rules--Liu Yi (talk) 14:14, 3 December 2020 (UTC)

Liu Yiyu 刘怡瑜

The four most handsome men in ancient China

Lou Cancan 娄灿灿

The Four Grottoes of China--Lou Cancan (talk) 08:23, 2 November 2020 (UTC)

Luo Weijia 罗维嘉

Civil Service Examination System

--Luo Weijia (talk) 08:27, 2 November 2020 (UTC)

Luo Yuqing 罗雨晴

The Forbidden City--Luo Yuqing (talk) 08:30, 2 November 2020 (UTC)

I.Introduction The Forbidden City (Chinese: 紫禁城; pinyin: Zǐjìnchéng) is a palace complex in Dongcheng District, Beijing, China, and with a total area of 720,000 square meters (180 acres). It lies in the center of Beijing's central axis. Today, the Forbidden City houses the Palace Museum, and was the former Chinese imperial palace and residence of the Emperor of China from the Ming dynasty (since the Yong Le Emperor) to the end of the Qing dynasty, between 1420 and 1924. The Forbidden City served as the home of Chinese emperors and their households and was the ceremonial and political center of the Chinese government. The Forbidden City is a national AAAAA tourist attraction and was listed as the first batch of key cultural relics under national protection in 1961. What’s more, it was declared a world cultural heritage in 1987, and listed by UNESCO as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world.

Mo Ling 莫玲

Chinese Marriage Customs--Mo Ling (talk) 08:24, 2 November 2020 (UTC)Mo Ling

China is an ancient country of rites. When it comes to the most important thing in one’s life---marriage, Chinese people have developed a set of unique and grand ceremonies. Generally speaking, weddings in ancient China need to be approved by parents and arranged by parents .

A.Six Procedures

There are six etiquettes in the process from the negotiation to the completion of marriage, namely Na Cai, Wen Ming, Na Ji, Na Zheng, Qing Qi and the last step Qin Ying. Na Cai is the begining of all the marriage procedures. It refers that if a boy intends to marry a girl,firstly his family must invite a matchmaker to the girl's home to propose marriage. After obtaining the consent of the girl's family , the boy's family should entrust the matchmaker to make a proposal formally with some gifts. Usually, the most common gift is wild goose,which represents fidelity. Besides,mandarin ducks, phoenix and sheep are also frequently-used gifts. Wen Ming means that the boy's family ask the matchmaker to fetch the girl's name and date of birth. There are two purposes of this step: the one is to prevent the marriage of close relatives with the same surname; the other is to assure the compatibility of the potential bride and bridegroom through their “eight characters” of the birth moment. Naji happens after the matchmaker takes back the woman's name and eight characters. If divining an auspicious omen, the boy's family will inform it to the girl’s parents and decide to engage the marriage. What is more, Na Zheng is an important step when the boy sends betrothal presents to the girl and for courtesy the girl will send back part of the presents such as food and some clothes. Qing Qi means that the boy's family choose an auspicious day to hold the wedding ceremony and then dispatch the matchmaker to tell the girl’s family. Qin Ying is the last procedure of the six etiquettes, that is, the groom goes to the bride's home to take the bride to his home.

B.Customs

In addition to the six steps mentioned above, there are many other customs in the traditional Chinese wedding ceremony. Generally speaking, ancient marriage was ordered by parents and matchmaker, many young people could not master their own marriage. Before wedding ceremony, men and women were not allowed to meet each other in that ancient people were very conservative and most girls were kept in boudoirs. If they met in private before marriage, it would be regarded as a kind of female infidelity and parents would also think it quite unlucky. As a result, newlyweds could only see each other until the day of marriage. On the wedding day, the boy’s family will hold a big banquet at home. Before setting out to pick up bride, the bridegroom should first worship his ancestors for the sake of safety and auspice during the process of picking up the bride.

C.Development

Ngo, Thi Minh Huong

Topic: Chinese cinema (dramas and movies) and its popularity and affection in Vietnam

Ouyang Ling 欧阳玲

Twelve Animals of the Chinese Zodiac --Ouyang Ling

A.Origin

B.Development

C.Influence

Peng Ruihong 彭锐宏

Green Tea--Peng Ruihong (talk) 08:20, 2 November 2020 (UTC)

Diagram.

Chinese Traditional clothing Phyo Su Kyi talk 5-11-202

Phyo, Su Kyi

Chinese Traditional clothing

Each country in the world has its own unique traditional clothes, from which people are able to distinguish one country from another, and so it has been with China. The Hanfu, Zhongshan suit (Mao suit), Tang suit, and cheongsam (qipao) are the four most distinctive types of traditional Chinese clothing.

After falling out of fashion for more than 400 years, a renaissance of Hanfu was called for by many Han ethnic groups as part of a trend that the public should be proud of their Chinese culture. Many supporters believe that wearing Hanfu brings them a strong sense of national identity.

1-History of Chinese clothing

History of Chinese Clothing China has many ethnic groups with a long history while 

Han people dominate most periods in history. For thousands of years, generations of clothing designers have devoted themselves to building the Kingdom of Clothes, making the garments that cover the human body into an important component of Chinese culture. The progress of nation can be seen through its changes in clothing styles. Clothing manufacture in China dates back to prehistoric times, at least 7,000 years ago. Archaeological findings of 18,000- year-old artifacts such as bone sewing needles and stone beads and shells with holes bored in them attest to the existence of ornamentation and of sewing extremely early in Chinese civilization.

A-Chinese Clothing during Qin and Han Dynasties (221 B.C.--220 A.D.)

The Qin and Han dynasties (221 B.C. - A.D. 220) witnessed the unification of territory as 

well as written language. Qin Shihuang, the First Emperor of the Qin Dynasty, established many social systems, including one for uniforms to distinguish people's ranks and social positions. China's complete code of costume and trappings was established in the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD). Theyarn-dyeing, embr-oidering and metal-processing technologies developed rapidly in the period, spurring changes in costume and adornments.

B-Chinese Clothing during Wei, Jin, South and North Dynasties (220-589) Chinese clothing experienced a rapid development during the Wei, Jin, and Southern and Northern dynasties (220-589AD). Before 265, the cultures and esthetic views of the peoples in north and south China merged because of the moves initiated by frequent wars. Many philosophical schools of thought influenced both people's lives and the conceptions of clothing design.

C-Chinese Clothing during Tang Dynasty (618-907) The Tang Dynasty (618-907) wrote the most brilliant page in the history of Chinese clothing. People's clothes were more varied than before because the state was more open to the outside world and people became more cosmopolitan in their thinking. The clothes for women could be called fashionable because they changed rapidly and were showy. Once only a new style came out, many people would be willing to take it.

D-Chinese Clothing during Song, Yuan, Ming Dynasties Casual wear appeared during the Song Dynasty (960-1279), and clothes were simple and elegant. During the Yuan Dynasty (1206-1368), the Mongolian ethnic group, known as the People on Horseback, was in power. The style of clothing was mainly a combination of Mongolian and Han. Clothes were luxurious for upper class yet simple and unadorned in design. Dramatic changes took place during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). A new conception came into being in clothing design, with no limitation to one style and advocating natural beauty, thus bringing vigor and vitality to the clothing culture.

E-Chinese Clothing during Qing Dynasty During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911AD), clothes became elegant, poised, and glorious. During the 200 years of the Qing Empire, the entire world witnessed dramatic changes such as the Renaissance in Italy and Columbus's discovery of the Americas, but the changes did not affect traditional Chinese clothing because China had a closed-door policy. People still wore clothes showing rank and lifestyle. The retreat from outside cultures has left a precious heritage for traditional Chinese clothes.

D-Chinese Clothing from 1930s till Modern Era Chinese clothing from 1930s till now, Qipao has become into fashion since then. During 1930s to 1940s, dress is further westernized, tailored to flatter body shape. During 1940s to 1960s, Qipao (Cheongsam) survives as everyday wear in Hong Kong until the late 1960s.

历史-history, 期-period, 世代-generations, 服装-clothing, 设计师-designers , 装饰-ornamentation. What is Chinese traditional clothing called? How long is the history of years clothing manufacture in China? Why do Chinese wear Hanfu? References-www.topchinatravel.com/china-guide/history of-chinese-clothing.htm www.travelchinaguide.com --Phyo Su Kyi 1 (talk) 11:15, 4 December 2020 (UTC)Phyo Su Kyi

Pingki, Tanchangya

Chinese traditional dance--PINGKI TANCHANGYA 4 (talk) 02:46, 12 November 2020 (UTC)

Insert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text here==Phyo, Su Kyi== Chinese Traditional women clothing 1- History of Chinese clothing

History of Chinese clothing China has many ethnic groups with a long history while Han people dominate most periods in history. For thousands of years, generations of clothing designers have devoted themselves to building the Kingdom of Clothes, making the garments that cover the human body into an important component of Chinese culture. The progress of nation can be seen through its changes in clothing styles.Clothing manufacture in China dates back to prehistoric times, at least 7,000 years ago. Archaeological findings of 18,000 year-old artifacts such as bone sewing needles and stone beads and shells with holes bored in them attest to the existence of ornamentation and of sewing extremely early in Chinese civilization.

A- Chinese Clothing during Qin and Han Dynasties (221 B.C - 220 A.D)

The Qin and Han dynasties (221 B.C. - A.D. 220) witnessed the unification of territory as well as written language. Qin Shihuang, the First Emperor of the Qin Dynasty, established many social systems, including one for uniforms to distinguish people's ranks and social positions. China's complete code of costume and trappings was established in the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD). The yarn-dyeing, embroidering and metal-processing technologies developed rapidly in the period, spurring changes in costume and adornments.

B-Chinese Clothing during Wei,Jin, South and North Dynasties(220-589)

Chinese clothing experienced a rapid development during the Wei, Jin, and Southern and Northern dynasties (220-589). Before 265, the cultures and esthetic views of the peoples in north and south China merged because of the moves initiated by frequent wars. Many philosophical schools of thought influenced both people's lives and the conceptions of clothing design.

C- Chinese Clothing during Tang Dynasty(618-907)

The Tang Dynasty (618-907) wrote the most brilliant page in the history of Chinese clothing. People's clothes were more varied than before because the state was more open to the outside world and people became more cosmopolitan in their thinking. The clothes for women could be called fashionable because they changed rapidly and were showy. Once only a new style came out, many people would be willing to take it.

D-Chinese Clothing during Song, Yuan, Ming Dynasties

Casual wear appeared during the Song Dynasty (960-1279), and clothes were simple and elegant.During the Yuan Dynasty (1206-1368), the Mongolian ethnic group, known as the People on Horseback, was in power. The style of clothing was mainly a combination of Mongolian and Han. Clothes were luxurious for upper class yet simple and unadorned in design.Dramatic changes took place during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). A new conception came into being in clothing design, with no limitation to one style and advocating natural beauty, thus bringing vigor and vitality to the clothing culture.

E- Chinese Clothing during Qing Dynasty

During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), clothes became elegant, poised, and glorious. During the 200 years of the Qing Empire, the entire world witnessed dramatic changes such as the Renaissance in Italy and Columbus's discovery of the Americas, but the changes did not affect traditional Chinese clothing because China had a closed-door policy. People still wore clothes showing rank and lifestyle. The retreat from outside cultures has left a precious heritage for traditional Chinese clothes.

F-Chinese Clothing from 1930s till Modern Era Chinese clothing from 1930s till now, Qipao has become into fashion since then. During 1930s to 1940s, dress is further westernized, tailored to flatter body shape. During 1940s to 1960s, Qipao(Cheongsam) survives as everyday wear in Hong Kong until the late 1960s. Vocabulary Questions References.--Phyo Su Kyi 1 (talk) 17:37, 25 November 2020 (UTC)Phyo Su Kyi

Qu Miao 瞿淼

Chinese wine culture--Qu Miao (talk) 08:28, 30 November 2020 (UTC)

Rajabov, Anushervon

China Railway High-Speed ​​(CRH)

China Railway High-Speed ​​(CRH) is a high-speed rail service operated by the China Railway. The introduction of the CRH series was an important part of the 6th National Rail Acceleration, which took place on April 18, 2007. By the end of 2018, China Railway High Speed ​​served all provinces in China except Taiwan and covered over 29,000 km. (18,000 miles) the length of passenger routes, which make up about two-thirds of the world's high-speed rail routes served by commercial enterprises. It is the most widely used rail transport in the world, with 1.713 billion flights in 2017, bringing the total cumulative number of flights to 7 billion. More than 1000 sets of rolling stock are operated under the CRH brand, including the Hexie CRH1 / 2A / 5, which are rated for a top speed of 250 km / h (160 mph), and the CRH2C / 3 has a top speed of 350 km / h. ( 220 mph). The in-house developed CRH380A has a maximum test speed of 416.6 km / h (258.9 mph) at a commercial speed of 350 km / h.The fastest CRH380BL train reaches a maximum test speed of 487.3 km / h (302.8 mph) ). In 2017, China Standardized EMU brand, including CR400AF / BF and CR200J, joined China Railway High Speed ​​and is designated Fuxing along with the letters CR (China Railway). With gradual planning, the CR brand will replace the existing CRH brand in service. Depending on the speed, there are 3 categories of high-speed trains: G, D and C (G and some C are the fastest at 350 km / h, D at 250 km / h and C at 200 km / h). High speed rail network. High speed rail services were first introduced in 2007 on CRH rolling stock. They operate on existing lines that have been upgraded to speeds of up to 250 km / h (160 mph), and on newer dedicated high-speed routes rated up to 350 km / h (220 mph). CRH service on dedicated high-speed lines

Seydou, Sagara

My topic: The Chinese language.

1 Putonghua and Dialects

2 Ancient Chinese and Mordern Chinese

3 Idiomatic phrase -Idioms common sayings,and allegorical sayings

4 language policy.--Sagara Seydou 3 (talk) 02:24, 20 November 2020 (UTC)

Shi Haiyao 石海瑶

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

A.Cai Wenji 蔡文姬

B.Zhuo Wenjun 卓文君

C.Li Qingzhao 李清照

D.Ban Zhao 班昭

---

Si Yu 司妤

Ancient and Contemporary Ways of Contacting--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.

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.

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.

3.E-mails

Tan Yuanyuan 谭媛媛

Five famous mountains.--Tan Yuanyuan (talk) 08:00, 9 November 2020 (UTC)

1.Mount Song

2.Mount Tai

3.Mount Hua

4.Mount Heng

5.Mount Heng

Tang Bei 汤蓓

Ancient 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.

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).

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.--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”

(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”.

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.

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. The long The Master said in The Analects that: “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.--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. 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.

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.--Tang Bei (talk) 13:20, 29 November 2020 (UTC)

Tang Yiran 汤伊然

Chinese Dining Etiquette

China has an etiquette system encompassing all its ethnic groups, each with a unique culture. Take Luoba nationality for example, before treating guests to dinner, they take a bite first to demonstrate the innocence of their food. In general, Chinese cultural etiquette has evolved largely from the Zhou (1034–221 BC) rituals related to eating.

1. Arrival

2. Seating Arrangements for a Chinese Banquet

3. Eating

4. Table Manners

5. Rules and Conventions Relating to Chopsticks

Arrival

As a guest at a meal, one should be particular about one’s 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 oneself, 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.

Seating Arrangements for a Chinese Banquet

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

1. the imperial court

2. local authorities

3. trade associations and

4. farmers and workers

The respect structure in modern dining etiquette has been simplified to:

1. master of the banquet and 2. guests.

Seat of Honor

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.

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.

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.

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.

Eating

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:

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) 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.

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!

Consider Others

1) 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.

2) 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 any more, then you can eat proceed.

3) 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.

"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.

Elegance

1) 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.

2) 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.

3) 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.

4) 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.

5) 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.

6) 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.

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.

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 product strategy

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 product strategy

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.

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

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?

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. In which way can customers bear lower payment?

4. Why does QR code cost lower?

5. When was the QR code invented?

C. Sharied 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?

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?

Wu Yilu 吴一露

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?

It is founded in 1987.

2.How many countries and regions does Huawei operate?

It operates in more than 170 countries and regions

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

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

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

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

5G, Huawei cloud and Huawei AI.

6.What are the innovations and inventions of Huawei?

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

7.What are the company’s common values?

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

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

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

The Mate 30.

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

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

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 [2] 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?

It is founded in April 2010.

2.What is the core of this company？

The IoT platform.

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

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

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

Xiaomi Vela.

5.What is Xiaomi’s belief？

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

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

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

7.How does Xiaomi generate its revenue？

The low-margin strategy.

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

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

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

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

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？

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

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

Affordable and eye-catching glossy colors.

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

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

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

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

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

OPPO: Color OS 11

VIVO: Origin OS

6.What does the OPPO Developer Conference focus on？

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

7.What’s the mission of VIVO？

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

Vocabulary List

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.

Vocabulary list 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

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, The Journey to the West, and A 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. 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.

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.

Vocabulary List

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?

Xu Jing 许静

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

Yang Chenting 杨晨婷

Chinese 4 great towers A. origin B. development --Yang chenting (talk) 08:17, 2 November 2020 (UTC)Yang Chenting

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 ?

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.

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 BCE - 200 CE). Depictions of them have been found in Han-era tombs, such as one in Zhucheng, Shandong Province. Initially used as room separators painted with serious works, folding screens weren't designed to move around very often. 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 Chamber 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. There are heavy wooden structures with other decorations pulled through holes near the edges of the panels. The design is prominent, and the frame is frequently vertical with individual designs and pleasing patterns. 
 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.

1.3 Uses

Folding screens serve many purposes, such as for tea ceremonies, as backgrounds for concerts or dances, as enclosures for Buddhist rites, and in outdoor processions. Different functions have their own types. 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. 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.“ 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?

Yi Zichu 义子楚

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

You Yuting 游雨婷

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

1.Representative figures

2.Values

3.Works

References

Vocabulary List

Questions

Yu Ni 余妮

===Four Famous Bridges in China—中国四大名桥===--Yu Ni (talk) 03:16, 1 December 2020 (UTC)

Introduction

China is the hometown of bridges, which has been called "the country of bridges". It was developed in the Sui Dynasty and flourished in the Song Dynasty. The bridges all over the land of china were woven into a traffic network extending in all directions, connecting the motherland in all directions. Many of the architectural arts of ancient Chinese bridges are pioneering works in the history of bridges in the world, which fully demonstrates the extraordinary wisdom of the ancient Chinese working people. Guangji Bridge in Chaozhou city (alose called Xiangzi Bridge), Zhaozhou Bridge in Hebei province, Luoyang Bridge in Quanzhou city and Lugou Bridge in Beijing are known as the four ancient bridges in China.

Zhaozhou Bridge

Zhaozhou Bridge, also known as Anji Bridge, is the oldest long-span stone arch bridge in China. The bridge was built on the Xiaohe River, Hebei Province. From a distance, it looks like a bright moon in the clouds and a rainbow after rain hanging in the sky, beautiful and spectacular. Built in the Sui Dynasty, it was built by Li Chun, a famous craftsman. With a length of 64.40 meters and a span of 37.02 meters, it is the largest span and the earliest single-span stone arch bridge with open shoulder in the world. Li Chun creatively used the flat arch style, so that the stone arch height was reduced to 7.23 meters, and the ratio of arch height to span was about 1:5. In this way, the slope of the bridge deck is gentle, which is convenient for vehicles, horses and pedestrians. Moreover, it has the advantages of saving materials, fast construction, and increasing the strength and stability of the bridge. Zhaozhou Bridge has been there 1400 years ago. It has experienced 10 times floods, 8 times wars and many earthquakes, but it has not been damaged. Mao Yisheng, a famous expert in bridges, said that regardless of the internal structure of the bridge, surviving for more than 1300 years explains everything. According to records, Zhaozhou Bridge has been repaired eight times since its completion. Two small arches are added at both ends of the main arch, one is to save materials, the other is to reduce the weight of the bridge body, and to increase the discharge of the river under the bridge. In order to protect Zhaozhou Bridge, at the end of last century, the new bridge built 100 meters away from Zhaozhou Bridge still follows its style, but the number of small arches on the main arch is increased to five on one side. In order to increase the flood discharge capacity, Li Chun also showed ingenuity by setting two small arches on each shoulder of the large arch. It can not only save stone and reduce the weight of the bridge body, but also help to discharge the flood, so as to achieve the perfect unity of architecture and art. It has become a great achievement of bridge engineering technology in China, which is more than 1200 years earlier than the similar arch bridge built in Europe in the middle of 19th century. In addition, there are flowers and animal head patterns carved on the balustrade of the bridge. The image is very exquisite and can be called the Sui and Tang Dynasties sculpture art masterpiece. The success of Zhaozhou Bridge has a wide and far-reaching influence on traffic, architecture and art.

Luoyang Bridge

Quanzhou is a famous city with a history of more than 1700 years. As early as the Tang and Song Dynasties, Quanzhou was known as an important trading port. Merchants, scholars and missionaries from all over the world came to Quanzhou, leaving many precious historical and religious relics and classical buildings. Luoyang Bridge, also known as “Wanan bridge”, was built by the governor Cai Xiang in the Northern Song Dynasty and completed in six years. Because it is difficult to build a bridge at the confluence of the river and the sea, the river is wide and deep, and the project is arduous. The bridge is 834 meters at length and 7 meters at width. There are Zhaohui temple and Zhenshen temple in the north of the bridge, and Caixiang temple in the south of the bridge. In 1988, it was listed as one of the national key cultural protection units and one of Quanzhou’s world cultural heritage sites. It was very difficult to build Luoyang Bridge at first. Because the river is wide and the current is swift, sometimes there is wind tide, the water potential is dangerous. Before the construction of the bridge, people came and went by ferries, which often capsized. In order to pray for the safety of the transition, the ferry here was named Wanan Du, so the bridge was also named Wanan Bridge after its completion. Therefore, it was also named Luoyang Bridge because it was built on the Luoyang River. There are many innovations in the construction technology and technology of Luoyang bridge, the raft foundation style, the application and development of wedge pier and the use of oyster to cement bridge pier. After its completion, it has become an important channel of communication between Quanzhou and the mainland. Therefore, Luoyang Bridge has the reputation of “Wan An Ji Zhong”. Under the influence of the completion of Luoyang Bridge, there has been an upsurge of bridge construction in Fujian province, especially in Southern Fujian. Dozens of large and medium-sized stone girder bridges have been built.

Lugou Bridge

Lugou Bridge is the oldest stone multi-hole arch bridge in Beijing, which has a history of more than 800 years. In the Jin Dynasty, Lugou river was an important transportation point from north to south. There are 11 bridge holes in the whole bridge, and the span and height of each hole are not the same. As early as the Jin Dynasty, this bridge was listed as one of the “Eight Sights of the capital”. The bridge deck of Lugou Bridge is slightly curved with lower ends and uplift in the middle. The lower riverbed of the bridge is paved with pebbles and quartz sand. The whole bridge is built on it, which is very solid and stable. A large stone lion is carved on the top of the pillar, and some small stone lions are carved on the head, under the feet or on the back of the breast. The two ends of the bridge are used as drum-shaped stone block. At the east end are two big stone lions and the west end are two big stone elephants which are huge and charming. In addition to the stone lion and stone statue on the top of the fence, there is a 4.65-meter-high ornamental table, which looks like meeting and seeing off pedestrians. As the oldest stone arch bridge in Beijing and the place where the whole nation’s Anti-Japanese war broke out, Lugou bridge is not only an important cultural resource in Fengtai District, but also a memorial place for major national activities. Bearing rich historical resources, Lugou bridge has become important to publicize the revolutionary tradition of the Chinese nation and carry out patriotic education. Standing on the Lugou Bridge, you can see the surrounding city, the memorial hall of the Chinese people’s Anti-Japanese War, the Yongdinghe River ferry wharf, the pinghan railway bridge site, and the Anti-Japanese War sculpture garden, which together constitute a spectacular historical and cultural map.

Guangji Bridge

Guangji Bridge is located at the east gate of the ancient city of Chaozhou, Guangdong Province. Commonly known as Xiangzi bridge. Crossing the vast Hanjiang River, it is an important transportation hub of Fujian and Guangdong. With its unique style of “18 shuttle boats and 24 continents”, it is praised as “the earliest open-close bridge in the world” by famous bridge expert Mao Yisheng. There is also a square white marble pavilion on both sides of the bridge, and each column has a dragon carving. In particular, on the stone tablet of the imperial stele Pavilion at the east end of the bridge, the inscription “Lugou Xiaoyue” written by Emperor Qianlong of Qing Dynasty is the most famous. Stone lions and stone pavilions at both ends of the bridge, together with Chinese totem pillar, constitute the bridgehead buildings with national characteristics. Marco Polo, an Italian at the end of the 13th century, praised Lugou Bridge as “a beautiful stone bridge in Hanbali”. It is the oldest existing large-scale double-arch long bridge in northern China. “Lugou Xiaoyue” is also one of the famous “Eight Sights of Yanjing”. There are many folklores about Guangji Bridge. One of the legends is “the immortal Buddha builds the bridge”. That is, after Han Yu came to Chaozhou in the Tang Dynasty, in order to communicate with the two sides, he asked his nephew Han Xiangzi and other eight immortals to build a bridge with Guangji monk in Chaozhou. Due to the failure of his magic power, the middle section could not be connected. Monk Guangji and He Xiangu, one of the eight immortals, were connected with 18 shuttle boats by using lotus flowers as giant cables. Therefore, the bridges were called “Xiangzi bridge” and “Guangji Bridge” respectively. Where their magic power failed, there were “Wuyang mountain” (Fuyang town) and “pig mountain” (Huxi town). The second legend is that Wang Yuan removed the strange stones. Wang Yuan was the magistrate of Chaozhou who presided over the large-scale bridge repair in the seventh year of Xuande of the Ming Dynasty. He built “24 towers” on the bridge, which was known as “the first bridge in the south of the Yangtze River”. Due to the large amount of stone needed to build the bridge, it was said that there were two strange stones on Hulushan mountain, which caused frequent fires and lawsuits in Chaocheng. So, he personally led people up the mountain, took the lead in smashing down two strange stones, and wrote a poem about removing strange stones. Wang Yuan’s move not only dispelled people’s fear of strange stones, but also solved part of the stone for bridge repair. The third legend is “Wu Fu Gong Ji Shui”. The Duke of Wu was the governor of Chaozhou in the Daoxian period of Qing Dynasty. One year, because of the flood of Hanjiang River, Chaozhou City was in danger. He offered sacrifices to the water on the east gate and begged for the water to retreat. However, the water did not retreat. So, he threw his official hat and uniform into the water, indicating that he would live and die with the city. Strange to say, the flood receded at this time. Since then, people have set up his statue sacrifice in the east gate tower, and built a memorial archway of “people can't forget him” in the East Bridge of Xiangzi bridge.

Many of China’s ancient and modern bridge science and technology have been in the forefront of the world’s bridge construction, and many bridge styles continue to have an impact on the world’s modern bridge construction. At the same time, it is a living treasure of cultural relics, recording a lot of precious information.

Word and expressions

石拱桥 stone arch bridge 望柱 baluster 桥基 settlement 泄洪 flood discharging 桥墩 pier 抱鼓石 drum-shaped stone block 华表Chinese totem pillar 栏杆 balustrade 燕京八景 Eight Sights of Yanjin 启闭式桥梁 open-close bridge

Questions:

1.Which is is the oldest long-span stone arch bridge in China? 2.How many folklores are there about Guangji Bridge and what are they? 3.How long has Zhaozhou Bridge been there ? 4.Why did Li Chun use the flat arch style to build Zhaozhou Bridge?

Yuan Tianyi 袁天翼

Milk Tea

We live in a modern world with countless yummy food where youngsters can’t live without milk tea. There is even one popular cyber saying that goes like this:”Youngsters continue their lives by drinking milk tea.” Milk tea, popular throughout the whole country, even the world, originated from bubble tea of Taiwan. Currently, we have entered “Milk Tea 4.0 Era”. Such an era has endowed milk tea with a brand-new meaning, becoming a cultural symbol pf modern civilization human life, especially youngsters’ lives, namely, a pursuit of identity recognition for youngsters.（李欣童.浅谈台湾奶茶文化的三十年变迁[J].传播力研究,2020,4(14):14-15.） So, is milk tea really so miraculous? Is it really so tasty? We may as well discuss the past and current situations of milk tea!

A.The Origin of Milk Tea

Each school holds its own opinion about the origin, but in fact, if we carefully analyse the fact, we can easily find its true origin, that is---”Mongolia Milk Tea” drunk by nomadic tribes in Mongolia Plateau. Till now, the nomadic tribes living in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of PRC still treat visitors with milk tea, which is an unshakable traditional custom.

B.The Development of Milk Tea

Due to the rampant global expansion of British colonists, lots of oriental local products, including milk tea of China, were also transported to the occidental world. Later, it was improved and developed in Britain. Since the introduction of milk tea into Britain, due to the distinction of climate and dietary habits, British gave up the utilization of spice, but mixed sundry kinds of tea to replace spice to make milk tea, and added maple sugar as condiment, thus giving birth to the rudiment of modern milk tea and its basic ingredients.（《世界著名奶茶大全》 厨影美食） Later, Taiwan introduced milk tea. In the spring of 1987, manager of a Taiwanese cold drink department---Ms. Lin Xiuhui of "Chunshuitang" , added local snack flour into milk tea, and after her successful promotion to consumers, Lin and her colleagues Shen Tonge, Lin Lingru and Wang Yufeng, were inspired by cooked flour whose shape is similar to black pearl, thus creating the name “Pearl Milk Tea”(Bubble tea, currently). Henceforth, the name full of aesthetic feeling was spread.（《世界著名奶茶大全》 厨影美食） By far, modern milk tea has preliminarily come into shape.

C.A Comparison of Oriental and Foreign Milk Tea

1.Local Changsha Milk Tea

When in Changsha, talk as Changshanese do, so let’s talk about Changsha local milk tea first. As we all know, Changsha is famed as an Internet celebrity city, mostly due to “Sexytea”. Sexytea was founded in 2013 as Changsha’s original Chinese style tea brand, uniquely practicing the creation of “new Chinese-style fresh tea”, and staying committed to growing to an original tea beverage design brand. What Sexytea brings to customers is not only a cup of tea, but also an interesting lifestyle, thus showing the beauty of China on the basis of tea. All Sexytea milk tea is produced with Nestle fresh milk and excellent quality tea leaves as ingredients. The logo of Sexytea is mainly composed of a Jiangnan woman. A fan and a beauty vividly show the majesty and quaintness of antique Chinese style. Compared with other current milk tea brand logos, that of Sexytea has left a great impression on people.（茶颜悦色密码[J].国企管理,2020(20):68.） The signature milk tea of Sexytea is “black tea latte”, comprised of Ceylon black tea, Zelanian Anchor whipping cream and American pecans. On the top of the paper cup is Anchor whipping cream with pecans. Black tea latte emphasizes both milk and tea, with each flavor balanced pretty well.

2.Hong Kong-style milk tea

The inventor of Hong Kong-style milk tea is Lin Muhe, the founder of the time-honored brand Lanfangyuan in Central, Hong Kong. The 81-year-old "Father of Hong Kong-style milk tea" has never used silk stockings to make tea. When Lanfangyuan was firstly opened, silk stockings were not yet fashionable in Hong Kong. When Lin Muhe was about 10 years old, he worked in Hong Kong, with his wife and a clerk opened Lanfangyuan Food Stall in Baihua Street of Central in 1952. During those days, the small stall always attracted nearby dockers every afternoon, who enjoyed themselves watching Lin Muhe and his colleagues washing their tea bags to and fro. When they saw the brown color of tea bags, they thought it was silk stockings. After that, they would shout "a cup of silk stockings milk tea". This is the origin of silk stockings milk tea(currently Hong Kong-style milk tea).（《百度百科——丝袜奶茶》

3.Indian Masala Chai

Authentic Masala Chai can only be drunk in India, which is cooked by delicate handicrafts. Due to the addition of various spices, the taste is strong, mellow, hot and spicy at the beginning. However, if the flavor is slightly changed, it will be sweet or spicy, or the various flavors will react with each other. It is just as confusing as Indian curry, but pretty fascinating. Maybe this is what Masala Chai should be. Drinking Indian milk tea is not only a baptism to taste, but also a return to primitive nature.（《世界著名奶茶大全》 厨影美食）

C.Milk Tea and Health

1.Advantages

Drinking milk tea can quickly supplement sugar, increase body energy, decrease fatigue and improve working efficiency.

2.Disadvantages

Drinking too much milk tea will increase the possibility of getting fat. It will also increase cholesterol, and even lead to hyperlipidemia and hyperglycemia, doing harm to liver and kidney, increasing risks of angiocardiopathy, thus affecting study and memory, and damaging normal gastrointestinal function. It will even cause cancer if drunk for a long time.

References

1.李欣童.浅谈台湾奶茶文化的三十年变迁[J].传播力研究,2020,4(14):14-15

2.《世界著名奶茶大全》 厨影美食

3.《百度百科——丝袜奶茶》

4.茶颜悦色密码[J].国企管理,2020(20):68.

Vocabulary List

Milk tea 奶茶

Spice 香辛料

Rudiment 雏形

Sexytea 茶颜悦色

Black tea latte 幽兰拿铁

Hong Kong-style milk tea 丝袜奶茶

Cholesterol 胆固醇

Hyperglycemia 高血糖

Mongolian Plateau 蒙古高原

Maple sugar 枫糖

Bubble tea 珍珠奶茶

Internet celebrity city网红城市

Pecans 碧根果

Masala Chai 马萨拉奶茶

Hyperlipidemia 高血脂

Angiocardiopathy 心血管疾病

Gastrointestinal 肠胃的

Questions

1.What is the origin of milk tea?

Mongolia Milk Tea.

2.Who promoted milk tea?

British colonists.

3.What is the birth place of modern milk tea?

Britain.

4.What is Changsha’s most famous Internet celebrity milk tea shop’s name?

Sexytea.

5.Is Hong Kong-style milk tea produced with silk stockings?

No.

6.What are the advantages of drinking milk tea?

Drinking milk tea can quickly supplement sugar, increase body energy, decrease fatigue and improve working efficiency.

7.What are the disadvantages of drinking milk tea?

Drinking too much milk tea will increase the possibility of getting fat. It will also increase cholesterol, and even lead to hyperlipidemia and hyperglycemia, doing harm to liver and kidney, increasing risks of angiocardiopathy, thus affecting study and memory, and damaging normal gastrointestinal function. It will even cause cancer if drunk for a long time.

Zeng Liang 曾良

Qingming Riverside Landscape Garden

Zeng Xinyuan 曾心媛

Batik(Lanran)

Batik is a traditional textile printing and dyeing craftsmanship in China. It was called wax valerian in ancient times, also known as one of the four ancient printing techniques which are twisted valerian (tie-dye), gray valerian (hollow printing), and clip-dyeing in ancient China.

History

According to Interpretation of "Laran" in the collection of Wang Aijun of Junyou Society: Batik is an ancient dyeing technique. It is called Batik in Indonesia or Malaysia. The patterns dyed by this method embody both decorative interests and practical values. Batik art, with a long history, emerged in China. According to the records of the “Eryi Records”, Batik appeared in the Qin and Han Dynasties, and then became popular during the Six Dynasties. The court of the Sui Dynasty especially liked this kind of handicrafts, and special patterns appeared in this period. As for the unearthed objects, which was even earlier than it was documented, was a quilt dyed with valerian and excavated in the tomb of Chu in the Warring States Period in Changsha. An unearthed piece of finished product originated in the Jin Dynasty, with overlapping patterns, which is the so-called agate-patterned silk in the Tang and Song Dynasties. Batik was especially popular in the Tang Dynasty, during which the technology was more mature than before. At that time, batik can be divided into two types: single-color dyeing and multi-color dyeing, the latter of which can use as many as four or five colors. Later generations can get a glimpse of the luxurious and beautiful batik patterns in the Tang Dynasty from clothes of two women in Song Huizong’s copy of The Painting of Pounding the Texture by Zhang Xuan, and horsemen’s clothes in The Painting of Lady Guoguo on a Spring Outing. Due to the great influence of Chinese culture in the Tang Dynasty on Japan, Nara’s Shosoin has preserved various treasures of Chinese craftsmanship since the Tang Dynasty, including a set of batik folding screen, which was brought back to Japan by a monk in the Tang Dynasty. Batik has declined in China since the Song Dynasty, but it has become popular in various parts of Southeast Asia at the same time (especially in Java, Sumatra and other islands). So far, Indonesian and Malaysian clothes are almost all made of batik.

Types

China's batik is mainly distributed in Guizhou, Yunnan, Guangxi, Hainan, Sichuan, Hunan, Guangdong, Taiwan, Jiangxi provinces. Chinese batik has different types, such as type of Danzhai, Chonganjiang, Zhijin, Rongjiang, Southern Sichuan, Hainan, Wenshan, etc. The use, craft, pattern and style of batik vary from region to region.

Patterns

--Zeng Xinyuan (talk) 08:38, 10 November 2020 (UTC)

Zhang Hui 张慧

A.Chinese Ancient weapons

In ancient China, there was a saying of “18 martial arts”, which actually refers to 18 kinds of weapons. Generally, it refers to bow, crossbow, gun, stick, knife, sword, spear, shield, axe, greataxe, dagger halberd, spiked mace, iron whip, bar mace, hammer, trident, palladium, and dagger axe. But the weapons in Chinese martial arts are far more than eighteen kinds, if you add all kinds of strange weapons and all kinds of hidden weapons, its total number is no less than a hundred kinds of fear.

Short weapons

The so-called short weapons are generally no longer than a person’s eyebrows, lighter in weight, and often held in one hand when used. The most common short weapons are knives and swords.

Long Weapons

The most common long weapons in the martial arts world are spears, stick, and swords. The cord strike concealed weapons are rope dart, meteor hammers, flying claws, soft whips, iron lotus flowers and so on.

Historical Origins

Generally speaking, Chinese ancient weapons refer to the various types of weapons and total equipment used by the Chinese army and civilians in ancient China from the prehistoric period to the end of the Qing Dynasty, that is, until the Opium War in 1840. Both Chinese and foreign studies of ancient weapons take the use of gunpowder as a historical phase, that is, before the invention of gunpowder, the weapons used in the army were called cold weapons. After the invention of gunpowder, the weapons made of gunpowder appeared, firearms. This was the period when cold weapons and firearms were used together. Ancient Chinese weapons can be roughly divided into three stages, the first is the prehistoric period, which is the Stone Age weapons. After the beginning of bronze smelting and casting, the main material for weapons at this time began to change to bronze. The weapons of this period were the weapons of the Bronze Age. After people understood the smelting of metals, the main material of the weapons used by the army was changed to steel, and then it entered into the Iron Age. During the Northern Song Dynasty, gunpowder began to be used in weapons. China was the home of gunpowder, and its army was the first to use gunpowder weapons. After gunpowder came to the West, there was a great development. Therefore, the Dutch and Spanish merchant ships came to China and brought over advanced western firearms, and the Ming Army began to introduce western firearms production technology. After the Opium War, the Qing Dynasty started to train new soldiers, Yuan Shikai started to train new soldiers, and started to introduce new western firearms, the history of ancient Chinese weapons ended. The following is a specific introduction of several weapons.

The meteor hammer

The meteor hammer(Chinese: 流星錘), often referred to simply as meteor (Chinese: 流星), is an ancient Chinese weapon, consisting at its most basic level of two weights connected by a rope or chain. One of the flexible or "soft" weapons, it is referred to by many different names worldwide, dependent upon region, construction and intended use. Other names in use include dai chui, flying hammer, or dragon’s fist. It belongs to the broader classes of flail and chain weapons. The meteor hammer could be easily concealed as a defensive or surprise weapon, being of a flexible construction. The primary advantage for using a meteor hammer was its sheer speed.

Using a meteor hammer involves swinging it around the body to build up considerable speed before releasing the meteor to strike at any angle. Since the meteor has two heads, one could be used offensively while the other could be used to defend, parrying attacks or ensnaring an opponent’s weapon to disarm them. When used by a skilled fighter, its speed, accuracy and unpredictability make it a difficult weapon to defend against. While being swung, a meteor may be wrapped around its user’s arms, legs, torso, neck or waist, before being unwrapped by a powerful jerk of the body to deliver a devastating and swift blow. A master is fully capable of striking, ensnaring or strangling from a distance.

Rope Dart

The rope dart or rope javelin (simplified Chinese: 绳镖), is one of the flexible weapons in Chinese martial arts. Other weapons in this family include the meteor hammer, flying claws, Fei Tou flying weight, and chain whip. Although the flexible weapons share similar movements, each weapon has its own specific techniques. Demonstration of the use of a rope dart. The rope dart is a long rope (usually 3–5 metres or 10–16 feet) with a metal dart attached to one end. This was a weapon from ancient times, which allows the user to throw the dart out at a long-range target and use the rope to pull it back. The rope dart can be used for twining, binding, circling, hitting, piercing, tightening, slashing and other techniques.

Rope dart play consists of twining, shooting, and retrieval. Twining and shooting can be done from any joint such as foot, knee, elbow, and neck. The rope is anchored on one hand and played primarily with the other hand.

Skillful use of the rope dart can easily trick an opponent because the dart can shoot out very suddenly, from a person beyond immediate reach. Just like the chain whip, excellent hand-eye coordination is a must for the practitioner to use this weapon well. In some Wushu training regimens, the chain whip and Changquan are prerequisites for learning the rope dart.

A variation of this weapon is the meteor hammer, which has a blunt weight on the end of the rope. It was used in a similar fashion to the rope dart, and many of the techniques are the same.

These ancient weapons have been replaced by newer weapons as they have evolved, and eventually their historical missions have come to an end. The ancient weapons that once equipped the military have been forgotten. So far, many people have only a glimpse of the ancient weapons from movies and plays.

It is not uncommon for people to be forgotten. In fact, this kind of forgetfulness is quite normal, as weapons are not always the only thing that can be forgotten. It is with the development of society that old things are naturally forgotten as they are continually being eliminated and renewed. We look forward to the development of more advanced weapons, more technological progress, and a stronger country!

B.Terms and Expressions

greataxe 钺

trident 叉

dagger halberd 戟

spiked mace 殳

soft whip 软鞭

bar mace 锏

dagger axe 戈

rope dart 绳镖

C.Questions

1. The total numbers of Chinese martial arts?

Answer: The weapons in Chinese martial arts are far more than eighteen kinds.

2. The name of the first stage of Chinese weapons?

Answer: The Stone Age weapons.

3. The other weapons in the family of rope dart?

Answer: The meteor hammer, flying claws, Fei Tou flying weight, and chain whip.

4. How to use a meteor hammer?

Answer: Using a meteor hammer involves swinging it around the body to build up considerable speed before releasing the meteor to strike at any angle.--Zhang Hui (talk) 14:16, 3 December 2020 (UTC)

Zhang Ling 张玲

Terracotta Army

The Terracotta Army, also known as Qin Shi Huang’s Buried Sculpture Legion, refers to the thousands of life-size clay models of soldiers, horses, and chariots which were deposited around the grand mausoleum of Shi Huangdi, first emperor of China and founder of the Qin dynasty, located near Lishan in Shaanxi Province, central China. The Terracotta Warriors are actually soldiers guarding Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s mausoleum and protecting him in the afterlife. 

For centuries, Qin Shi Huang's massive mausoleum remained undetected until it was unearthed by chance by a group of farmers. In 1974, some farmers in the nearby Xiyang Village began digging a well o find a water resource on some waste land. At first, they found some unique red soil about 2-meter (6.6-feet) in depth underground. On the fifth day after the work started, they found a torso of a pottery figurine, and the villagers originally believed that it was a statue of god and became nervous about offending the god. Thereafter, they continued to find some bronze arrows, crossbows and broken warriors from the well. Prompted by this surprising find, archaeologists began to explore the area, resulting in the discovery of thousands of similar soldiers. After careful examination, they found that the pottery fragments should be parts of the Terracotta Warriors from Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s mausoleum.

As the king of the Qin state, Qin Shi Huang (also known as Shi Huangdi) unified China from 221 BCE and then founded the Qin dynasty which is the first and multinational feudal empire in Chinese history. After he unified China, he considered his achievement surpassing the legendary "San Huang (three emperors)" and "Wu Di (five sovereigns)". He created a new title for himself: "Huangdi" together with "Shi (means the first)", hence get the name "Qin Shi Huang" or "Qin Shi Huangdi", which means he was the first emperor of China. The emperor seems to have been especially keen on acquiring immortality, so he sent his ministers to go on quests seeking for an elixir of immortality, and young emissaries were sent across the Eastern Sea in search of the fabled Penglai, land of the immortals. Having failed in these attempts to unnaturally prolong his life, Shi Huangdi returned to the age-old standby of autocratic rulers and had a huge mausoleum built instead. In fact, the whole great project began early in his reign, for it required a great deal of work to prepare.

Ancient Chinese rulers generally had two or three statues outside their tombs as guardians, but Shi Huangdi chose a large group of such statues. The Terracotta Army is actually one of only four in all likelihood as that portion so far excavated (1.5 km from the mausoleum) is on the eastern side and is probably duplicated on the other three sides of the mausoleum. Even this one-quarter section has not been fully excavated, and archaeologists have explored only three of the four pits. The main pit of the four which contain the discovered army measures 230 x 62 meters and is 4 to 6 meters deep. It had around 6,000 slightly larger than life-size depictions of infantrymen (1.8-1.9 metres tall), chariots and horses. The second pit, which is slightly smaller and R-shaped, had some 1,400 figures in it. Pit 3 is concave-shaped and consists of two wing-rooms and a chariot-house. Judging from the internal layout of pit 3, it should be the headquarters of pit 1 and pit 2. The terracotta warriors can be divided into two categories: soldiers and military officials. Depending on the actual combat requirements, different types of warriors have different equipment. Most of them are clad in fine armor with bronze weapons in hand. The face shape, figure, expression, eyebrows, eyes and age of each terracotta warriors are different.

Experts confirmed that the material used to mold the terracotta warriors and horses is the "yellow earth" from around the mausoleum. Yellow earth is a kind of suitable material with good cohesiveness and plasticity. And the addition of grit to the earth enhances its mechanical properties, making it easy to form large figures. The figures of the terracotta warriors were fired in kilns. For even heating, the Qin craftsmen left small holes in the proper places on the figure. During the firing, the craftsmen paid special attention to keeping the heat at 1,000 C (1,830 F). In addition, experts did a lot of experiments and found that during the firing, these figures were placed upside down in the kiln. This was because the upper part of the figure was heavier than the bottom. The terracotta warriors we see today are steel gray without fresh colors, but they actually were once colored. They were painted with natural pigments refined from minerals. Though having been buried underground for more than 2,200 years, they remained the bright colors after being unearthed at the beginning. However, because of the lack in technologies to preserve the colors, they faded out in just a few minutes once exposed in the air. Historians theorize that the heads and bodies of warriors were manufactured on an assembly line production. This means that each individual part, such as the arms and legs, were made independently to speed up manufacturing. Then, after firing in the kiln, these different complete parts were assembled into one figure. Since each warrior's face was unique, it is believed that artisans added individual clay features on top of the mold for the face, perhaps based on real soldiers of the time.

The terracotta figures of Qin Dynasty vividly and richly portray a variety of figures with certain characters. It is a symbol of the maturity of Chinese ancient molding art. It not only inherited the ceramic tradition of China since the Warring States period, but also laid the foundation for the prosperity of molding art in the Tang Dynasty. It serves as a connecting link between the preceding and the following. It is known as "the eighth wonder of the world" and "the treasure of ancient human spiritual civilization". In 1987, the mausoleum of the first emperor of Qin Dynasty and the pits of terracotta warriors were approved by UNESCO to be included in the World Heritage List.

Terms and Expressions

1. Terrocotta army / Qin Shi Huang’s Buried Sculpture Legion 秦始皇兵马俑 2. chariot n. 战车 3. mausoleum n. 陵墓 4. Qin Shi Huang / Shi Huangdi 秦始皇 5. Pit 1 一号坑 6 .Pit 2 二号坑 7. Pit 3 三号坑 8. kilin n. 窑 9. Eighth Wonder of the World 世界第八大奇迹 10. World Heritage List 《世界遗产名录》

Zhang Peiwen 张佩闻

1.Bonsai 2.Vocabulary 3.Question

Zhang Weihong 张维虹

TikTok（抖音） --Zhang Weihong (talk) 08:31, 21 November 2020 (UTC)Zhang Weihong

Zhang Yinliu 张银柳

Four Buddhist Shrines - 佛教四大名山

A: Buddism is one of the most important religions in China. As the introduction of Buddhism from India in Han Dynasty, China initiated temple construction and sites of enlightenment and continues today. The Buddhist culture in China went through long history of growth and prosperity, and ultimately turns into historical appeal and cultural charm together with the attractive natural scenery where they pullulated, achieved fame throughout the world. Among the numerous famous Buddha Mountains in China, the most sacred four called Four Buddhist Shrines, are known as Gold Wutai, Silver Putuo, Copper Emei and Iron Jiuhua respectively for they believed to be the holy seats Manjusri Bodhisattva, Avalokitesvara, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva and Ksitigahba Buddhisattva reincarnated to tame certain beings.

Gold Wutai, also called Wutaishan, Mount Wutai, or Mount Qingliang in Chinese, is a National Natural and Cultural Heritage, National Geopark, as well as the only Buddhist sanctuary Chinese Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism coexist in perfect harmony. Mount Wutai is located in Wutai County, Xinzhou City, Northeast of Shanxi province in China and is called the top buddhist holy land. Mount Wutai tops the four great mountains of Buddhism for its long history and grandness of temples. It also known as one of the Top 5 Buddhism shrines in the world with Lumpini in Nepal and Sarnath, Buddha-gaya and Kushinagar in India. Buddhism propagated into Mount Wutai from the Eastern Han Dynasty and culminated in Southern and Northern Dynasty when emperors extended temples on a large scale to over 200. The second blossom of Buddhism came during the flourishing Tang Dynasty during which there were more than 30,000 Buddha statues made. There are five main peaks of Wutai Mountain, including Wanghai Peak, Yedou Peak, Guayue Peak, Splendid Peak and Cuiyan Peak. A large number of temples which are the treasury of precious cultural heritage attract thousands of tourists every year,including Xiantong Temple, Nanchan Temple, Foguang Temple and etc. The Great White Tower is the most famous symbol of Mount Wutai lying in Tayuan Temple.

Silver Putuo, ashram of Avalokiteśvara ( Goddess of Mercy), lies in a 13 square kilometers small island of Zhejiang Province in southeast China. Silver Putuo,also named Mount Putuo, owns the honor of Buddhist Kingdom on the Sea. It is a National 5A Tourist Resort and a world excellent ecological scenic spot with charming island scenery and unique Buddhist charisma of temples, sculptures and etc. Taoism is the earliest religion cultivated on Mount Putuo 2,000 years ago from Qin Dynasty. And Buddhism only get spread on Mount Putuo in Tang Dynasty and later rose to the peak during later Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, the largest Buddhist Kingdom of ancient China with over 4,000 monks. The three main sacred Buddhist temples are Puji Temple which is the Buddhism center of important Buddhist fairs on Mount Putuo and the biggest temple worshipping Goddess of Mercy on foothill, Fayu Temple which is the second largest temple in most noble and delicate decoration on hillside, and Huiji Temple which is a beautiful garden style temple located the highest on hilltop. The Purple Bamboo Woods is an tourist-attractive scenery point where popele can enjoy the picturesque landsacape around and experience the Buddhist culture.

Copper Emei refers to Mount Emei in Sichuan province. It is the ashram of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva. Mount Emei usually refers to the Da’e Peak of Mount Emei Scenic Area, the highest peak among the four most sacred Buddhist mountains. It is Listed both as the World Cultural and Natural Heritage among the four Buddhist mountains. By the middle of 1st century, Buddhism spread into Mount Emei from India though Silk Road. Then Wannian Temple (previously known as Puxian Temple) was constructed in the 3rd century, and more than 100 Buddhist temples were built afterwards, making Sichuan a Buddha center for a time. The giant bronze statue of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva in Wannian Temple was casted after a Buddhists group learnt Buddhism from India in Song Dynasty. Mount Emei is not only famous for its Buddhist treasures and precious cultural relics, but also for its four great natural spectacles of sunrise, clouds sea, golden summit and light of Buddha from the mountaintops at Golden Summit. Jast the same as other Buddhist shrines, there are many temples such as Baoguo Temple, Wannian Temple, Fuhu Temple...

Iron Jiuhua refers to Mount Jiuhua in Southern Anhui province. It is known as the shrine Ksitigarbha Buddha and one of the four most sacred Buddhist mountains in China. Initially named Mount Jiuzi, later it was renamed into Mount Jiuhua according to a poem by great poet Libai during Tang Dynasty - nimbus is divided to two kinds, sacred mountain generates nine glories to praise the beauty of Mount Jiuhua. The first religion developed in Mount Jiuhua was Chinese Taoism. Until the middle and late of Tang Dynasty, Buddhism was gradually accepted and spread in Mount Jiuhua along with construction of more Buddhist temples. There are 78 sites which contains precious Buddhist statues, scriptures and antiques, including Huacheng Temple which is the ashram of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva as well as the ancestral temple of longest history, Tiantai Temple, Longevity Palace, Zhiyuan Temple and etc.

B. Vocabulary

Buddhist adj.佛教的

Buddhism n.佛教

shrine n.圣地

pullulate v.大量产生

Gold Wutai 金五台

Silver Putuo 银普陀

Copper Emei 铜峨眉

Iron Jiuhua 铁九华

Manjusri Bodhisattva 文殊菩萨

Avalokitesvara 观音菩萨

Samantabhadra Bodhisattva 普贤菩萨

Ksitigahba Buddhisattva 地藏菩萨

reincarnate v. 使转世，使化身

ashram n. 修行的住所

Lumpini n. 蓝毗尼

Sarnath n. 鹿野苑

Buddha-gaya n. 菩提伽耶

Kushinagar n. 拘尸那罗

Wanghai Peak 望海峰

Yedou Peak 叶斗峰

Guayue Peak 挂月峰

Splendid Peak 锦绣峰

Cuiyan Peak 翠岩峰

Xiantong Temple 显通寺

Nanchan Temple 南禅寺

Foguang Temple 佛光寺

The Great White Tower 大白塔

Puji Temple 普济寺

Fayu Temple 法雨寺

Huiji Temple 惠济寺

The Purple Bamboo Woods 紫竹林

Wannian Temple 万年寺

Baoguo Temple 报国寺

Fuhu Temple 伏虎寺

Golden Summit 金顶

Huacheng Temple 化城寺

Tiantai Temple 天台寺

Longevity Palace 百岁宫

Zhiyuan Temple 祗园寺

nimbus is divided to two kinds, sacred mountain generates nine glories to praise the beauty of Mount Jiuhua. -By Libai

妙有分二气，灵山开九华。—李白

C. Questions

1.What are the Four Buddhist Shrines or the Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains ?

2.Which bodhissattvas' holy seats are the four mountains belong to respectively?

3.Where are the Four Buddhist Shrines respectivly?

4.What are the top five Buddhist shrines in the world?

5.Among the Four Buddhist Shrines, which one has the honor of "The Buddhist Kingdom on the Sea"?

6.Among the Four Buddhidt Shrines, Whose name is related with the Poet Libai?

--Zhang Yinliu (talk) 03:03, 4 December 2020 (UTC)

Zhang Yu 张瑜

Compass

Compass, together with papermaking, gunpowder and printing was referred to the Four Great Inventions, celebrated in Chinese culture for their historical significance. Compass, as the ancient China’s advanced science and technology, has made great contribution to the navigation undertaking both in China and the rest of the world. China was the first one to find the magnetism that could guide the polarity and use the polarity in the earth’s magnetic field and invent the instrument that could guide the directions. The earliest reference to magnetism in Chinese literature, Devil Valley Master, was found in the 4th century BC. It recorded that "The lodestone makes iron come, or it attracts it". The earliest south-pointing device probably appeared in the Warring States Period. It seemed like a spoon made by lodestone. With round bottom, it could rotate freely in the smooth plate. When it stopped, the handle of the spoon would guide the South. Therefore, people all called it "south-governor" or Si Nan. However, in the process of making the south-governor, the lodestone was easy to lose its magnetism due to vibration. Besides, when rotating on the plate, it produced huge friction and resistance, which affected its effects. Therefore, the south-governor has not been applied in a wide range. In the Song Dynasty, the book Wu Jing Zong Yao(General Military Principles), written by Zeng Gongliang and Ding Du in 1044, recorded a magnetic device used as a "direction finder", called "south-pointing fish". It made by thin iron slice and was magnetized by the earth's magnetic field. When people made use of it, they could float it in a bowl of water to guide the south. The device was recommended as a means of orientation "in the obscurity of the night". Although it effectively avoided the shortcomings of the south-governor, the magnetism was weak acquired from the magnetic field, resulting in the decreased in practical values. In the South Song Dynasty, the book Dream Pool Essays written by Shen Kuo recorded the first magnetic needle compass, which was the combination of the magnetic needle and plate. This kind of compass had meridian indicator needle, which directed the south and the north. There are two types of magnetic needle compass, that is wet suspension compass and dry suspension compass. The wet suspension compass was used with its needle floating on the water. And the dry suspension compass was a wooden frame crafted in the shape of a turtle hung upside down by a board, with the lodestone sealed in by wax. When floating, the needle at the tail would always point at the northern cardinal direction.

Compass, as an instrument to guide the direction, had played an important role in people’s daily life and navigation undertaking. At the beginning, the compass was used for geomancy (prognostication) to determine the best location and time for things such as burials and weddings. It was recorded that Qin emperor used the diving board and compass in royal court to affirm his right to the throne. The original shape of the compass made people believe that the square plate symbolized earth and the circular disc symbolized heaven. And around the circular disc, there inscribed the Eight Trigrams, the 24 directions (based on the constellations) and the 28 lunar mansions (based on the constellations dividing the Equator). Although the geomancy was a kind of superstition, the compass was endowed with people’s wishful thinking. Nowadays many people still use the concepts of Feng Shui to decide the location of buildings and enterprises as well as the auspicious time for open ceremony.

Before the invention of compass, navigators usually depended on the positions of the sun, the moon and the polestar to take their bearings. However, relying on the celestial phenomena posed another problem. When the navigators met the rainy days, they were unable to distinguish the directions according to the celestial phenomena. The appearance of compass made up for the defect. The compass used for navigation started from the end of Northern Song Dynasty. In the Ming Dynasty, it was with the compass that the navigator, Zheng He, could made seven voyages to the western countries. The voyages expanded the foreign trade and promoted the exchanges of economy and cultures between China and western countries. The compass had played an important role in providing guidance.

The compass was introduced to the Arab world and Europe during the Northern Song Dynasty. After the compass entered into the Europe, the Europeans further improved the compass and invented the dry compass with fixed support. Until 15th century, they invented the gimbal to keep the dry compass in a horizontal level. The application of compass in Europe promoted the coming of the age of sail. The great philosopher Marx pointed that Europe opened the global market and established the colony via the compass.

Diagram of a Ming dynasty mariner's compass, Public Domain license by Wikimedia. Click [3] for original source.

References

• "FOUR Great Inventions". China's Foreign Trade.05(2012):94.
• "Compass, One of the Four Great Inventions of Ancient China". China Week.04(2003):35.
• 鲁才全，黄惠贤. 《中华文明光耀寰宇 中国古代的“四大发明”及中华医药学》. 1995:1-11.

Terms and Expressions

• Four Great Inventions四大发明
• Devil Valley Master 鬼谷子
• lodestone 天然磁石
• south-governor司南
• Wu Jing Zong Yao (General Military Principles) 《武经总要》
• Zeng Gongliang曾公亮
• Ding Du丁度
• south-pointing fish指南鱼
• Dream Pool Essays 《梦溪笔谈》
• wet suspension compass 水罗盘
• dry compass旱罗盘
• Eight Trigrams八卦
• gimbal常平架

Questions

• What’s the earliest reference to magnetism in Chinese literature? (Devil Valley Master, found in the 4th century BC)
• When did the earliest south-pointing device appear? (In the Warring States Period)
• Why had the south-governor not been applied in a wide range? (In the process of making the south-governor, the lodestone was easy to lose its magnetism due to vibration. Besides, when rotating on the plate, it produced huge friction and resistance, which affected its effects.)
• What are the differences between the south-governor and the south-pointing fish? (The south-governor seemed like a spoon made by lodestone. With round bottom, it could rotate freely in the smooth plate. When it stopped, the handle of the spoon would guide the South. While the south-pointing fish was made by thin iron slice and was magnetized by the earth’s magnetic field. When people made use of it, they could float it in a bowl of water to guide the south.)
• What are the two types of magnetic needle compass? (wet suspension compass and dry suspension compass)
• What’s the symbol of the original shape of the compass? (the square plate symbolized earth and the circular disc symbolized heaven)
• What did the navigator depend on before the invention of the compass? (Before the invention of compass, navigators usually depended on the positions of the sun, the moon and the polestar to take their bearings.)

Zhang Yujie 张毓婕

Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio

Zhang Yuxing 张宇星

A. Confucianism

In the Pre-Qin period, scholars from different schools were gathering together to share their opinions toward the same issues and try to figure out the best way to solve problems at that time, forming a famous situation of “One-hundred schools of thought”. Among them, Confucianism, with representative figure of Confucius, Mencius and Xunzi, was prominent and has caught many attentions. Even at present, it is also one of the most important schools with far-reaching influence in Chinese history of thought.

Confucius is the founder of Confucianism. Living in the Spring and Autumn Period with many contradictions in the society, Confucius acknowledged those turbulences and wars threatened the traditional culture as more and more common people suspected, even criticized, the traditional culture, therefore, Confucius aimed to rebuild the balance in mind and seek for the new harmony in the society by reshaping people’s mind, which was the general background of the emergency of Confucianism. However, to establish a school and cure people’s mind is a tough work, especially at that time, as Emperor Shi Huangdi promoted legalism and prohibited Confucianism. In order to govern the whole nation, unified mind was essential, so the emperor even buried many disciples committed to Confucianism and incinerated many masterpiece, causing profoundly negative effect, which was famous as “Burning of Books and Burying of Scholars” (“焚书坑儒”). However, as Confucianism was the treasure of traditional Chinese culture consisting quite a few thoughts with far-reaching meaning in our life, it was boasted by Dong Zhongshu in Han Dynasty. As Confucianism had some flaw in Pre-Qin Dynasty, Dong Zhongshu integrated part of thought from Legalism and Daoism to further its development, and applied it in the governance. Since then, the model of governing the country with Confucian ethics and morality as the center, with the strict punishment of the jurist as the auxiliary with Taoist power politics as the means, basically conformed to the national conditions of ancient China, and became the ruling class of all dynasties to pursue the unchanged rule of the country.

In Confucianism, benevolence stands in the center. It proposes that the governor should love and be kind to his people. Only in that way, he could govern the whole nation as long as possible and the nation can survive whatever disaster it encountered. In our daily life, Confucianism has its cues in every part of life, and we also advocate Confucianism and regulate our behaviors according to it.

B. Taoism or Daoism

Taoism also named for Daoism. Its representative figures are world-renowned Chinese thinkers: Lao-Tzu and Zhuang Zhou. There are quite a few famous masterworks of Taoism, among which the most famous is Tao Te Ching (《道德经》). Although Confucianism has far-reaching influence on Chinese society, Daoism also stands prominently in the history of Chinese thought as it has the deepest influence on Chinese philosophy, literature, science and technology, art, music, health, religion and so on, so we need to know it comprehensively.

First, the same with Confucianism, Taoism also emerged in the Pre-Qin Dynasty and was part of “One-Hundred School of Thoughts”. And in the Spring and Autumn Period, Lao-Tzu concluded the quintessence of scattered thoughts about Daoism into a systematic thought, which symbolizes the form of Daoism. After Lao-Tzu, the school of Daoism was divided into different part, with Huang-Lao Thought being the most famous among others. Then, Lu Buwei compiled “Lü shih ch'un ch'iu” (《吕氏春秋》), also referred to The Annuals of Lu Buwei, which set Daoism as its main thought and integrated other schools, landing the preparation for the great unity then.

However, after the foundation of Qin-Dynasty, Emperor Shi Huangdi turned to Legalism. In the Han Dynasty, the governor chose Daoism as the official thought to unify the whole nation, which symbolized the its resurgence, and even Dong Zhongshu absorbed the positive points of Daoism and integrated them into Confucianism in his governance. When it came to Sui and Tang Dynasty, Daoism became prominent once again as Wang Yangming and other important figures combined its thought with Buddhism. At present, the thought of Daoism also present in our life, especially in management and business.

C. Legalism

Legalism is a famous school of thought in Chinese history with the rule of law as its core. Unlike Confucianism and Daoism, people promoting Legalism are not only ideologists, but also activists focusing on the practical use of laws or regulations.

Legalism was born quite late, but it came to take its form very quickly as Emperor Shi Huangdi initiated the period of governing the country according to the rule of law, falling into the category of Legalism. Since then, each monarch, to some extent, follows this principle. In this way, Legalism keeps its status and influences Chinese governance greatly. Even at present, we still promote the rule of law as it can ensure the fairness and justice of the judgment and safeguard the common people at large.

Legalism advocates clear rewards and punishment according to laws and regulations. To that end, Provisions should not be set arbitrary, rather, it should be clear and explicit with official formulation, and governments are responsible for informing common people so as to ensure that everyone has known that and would follow regulations.

D. Mohism

Mohism, also referred to Moism and developed by academic scholars studying under the leadership of ancient Chinese philosopher Mozi, was one of the four main philosophic schools from around 770–221 BC (during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods), about the same time as Confucianism, Taoism and Legalism. Different from three schools listed above, Mohism focuses on natural science and logic, rational thought. A tradition of Mohism, a disciplined group, goes that disciples in official states, wherever he is, should promote the school’s proposition in his or her official states, and their salary must also be dedicated to the group. The development of Mohism has former and later period with different focus. The early thought mainly involves the social politics, ethics and the ideology, paying attention to the present world war, and the later contributed greatly in logic, closer to the field of scientific research. The main ideas of Mohism are equal love between people (Jian Ai) and against the war of aggression (Fei Gong). They also advocate economy, oppose waste (Jie Yong), attach importance to inheriting the cultural wealth of their fore-owners (Ming Gui), master the laws of nature (Tian zhi) and so on.

During the Warring States Period, Mohism mastered many practical techniques which were useful for the development of society, so it has attracted quite a few people to follow him. Even at present, it is widely accepted that top two influential schools of thought fall in Confucianism and Mohism. However, as Mohism promoted itself political status, many monarchs oppressed its development. Gradually, it lost the foundation of survive and came to extinct. Scholars failed to re-dig out the its precious thoughts from historical records until the end of the Qing Dynasty, After the arduous efforts of its disciples in recent years, the basic growing course has been found out, and the theories and thought appeared to recover and catch many scholars’ attention with self-advancement.--Zhang Yuxing (talk) 08:44, 5 December 2020 (UTC)

Zhao Xi 赵茜

A. Writing Brush

Writing brush is a writing and painting tool originated from China and is one of the four treasures of the study, writing brushes, ink sticks, paper and inkstones. Its history dates back to the Neolithic Age, which has been 5000 or 6000 years up to now. However, the physical object of writing brush was found in a Chu tomb in the Warring States periods.

In the Qin dynasty, writing brush had its own basic model. It is said that the General Meng Tian in the Qin dynasty who was a supervisor of the construction of the Great Wall invented the writing brush. Therefore, in the hometown of writing brush --- Hengshui, Hubei province and Huzhou, Zhejiang province, people commemorate and celebrate the invention of writing brush by making dumplings and drinking on the 3rd of the 3rd lunar month.

In the Han dynasty, as the calligraphy grew vigorously, the making technique of writing brush has become more mature. The development of calligraphy promoted the shape of writing brush with excellent workmanship and started to pursue the decoration except for its function. The diameter of the pen-holder was from thick above to thinner below.It was no longer just a writing and painting tool, but an object worthy of appreciating and collecting. What’s more, writing brush-making industry came into being and grew gradually which made writing brush-making as a professional technology. Compared with the Qin dynasty, the writing brush in the Han dynasty was made more exquisite as people paid more attention to the comfort and feeling when they used it to write or paint.

In the Wei and Jin dynasties, the process of making writing brush was fundamentally similar to that in the previous dynasties. It only had little difference in the length and diameter of pen-holder for the user’s convenience.

The Sui and Tang dynasties were the flourishing period when the writing brush-making industry developed rapidly in Xuanzhou. In the Tang dynasty, the first professional producing place of writing brush came into being in the history, which made Xuanzhou of Anhui province play a role as the center of writing brush manufacturing all over the country. There were two masters of making writing brush. One was Mr.Chen and the other was Mr.Zhuge. The brushes produced in this place were called Xuan Chinese writing brushes and were much loved by writers, calligraphers, emperors and ministers. Materials for their head mainly was rabbit hair. For the selected superior material and exquisite workmanship, the writing brushes became tributes to the imperial household.

By the Song dynasty, writing brush manufacturing technology reached its peak. Xuanzhou was still the center of manufacturing and many new types of brushes were produced and the classification of brushes was more specialized. However, Xuan writing brush gradually lost its former level in workmanship because every place across the country had its own way to make writing brushes. The best choice of materials for the pen heads was not only the rabbit hair any more.

A batch of masters of making brushes appeared in the Huzhou of Zhejiang province in the Yuan and Ming dynasties, such as Wu Yunhui, Feng Yingke and Lu Wenbao. Writing brush made in this place, known as Hu writing brush, was characterized by pointed tip, even brush hair, round brush belly and flexible hair. Since the Qing dynasty, Huzhou has been the center of writing brush manufacturing. At the same time, several well-known writing brushes emerged in succession, among which writing brushes respectively made by Li Dinghe in Shanghai and made by Wu Yunhui in Jiangxi have won prizes in the international fairs.

In the late Qing dynasty, with the incoming of western paintings, traditional Chinese realistic paintings began to fail and the writing brush was renovated. There were three centers of writing brush manufacturing in the history, Hengshui, Xuanzhou and Huzhou. At present, painting brushes produced in Shanghai, Suzhou and Beijing also enjoy high reputation.

Writing brush can be classified according to the usage, shape, material of its head and so on. Brushes can be used to write or paint. Based on its shape, there are brushes with round hair and brushes with pointed hair. What’s more, materials for the head part of writing brushes includes goat hair, yellow weasel hair, black rabbit hair, pig hair, mouse mustache, and hair of buffalo’s tail. According to the hairs texture, Chinese brushes can be divided into the one with soft hair, mixed hair and hard hair. Considering the length of the tip, writing brush can be categorized as three types: small one, middle one and large one.

Different types of brushes may possess different functions and usages. Writers prior to the Song dynasty used brushes with hard hair to write. By the Ming and Qing dynasties, as writers wrote larger Chinese characters, brushes used by them were changed from brushes with hard hair to brushes made of goat hair, namely goat-hair brushes, because the length of goat hair was apt to write big characters. Generally, people often use brushes with hard hair to write cursive script and semi-cursive script and always use hard-hair brushes to write regular script, official script and seal script. As for choosing the tip of a writing brush, we should choose appropriate length. If the tip of a brush is long, the tip will not be easy to master, but the brush can contain a lot of ink, suitable for writing cursive script.

As a tool and carrier for inheriting and promoting Chinese culture and art, writing brush has forged a unique art of Chinese calligraphy and the distinctive artistic style of Chinese painting. Each dynasty in Chinese history has witnessed famous craftsmen appearing and fine works produced, which helped form a profound cultural accumulation.

B. Terms and Expressions

笔锋 the tip of a wring brush

笔杆 pen-holder

宣笔 Xuan Chinese writing brush

羊毫笔 goat-hair brush

鼠须笔 mouse-mustache brush

C. Questions

1. What are the four treasures of the study?

  Writing brushes, ink sticks, paper and inkstones

2. How long is the history of writing brush?

  5000 or 6000 years up to now.

3. When was the physical object of writing brush found?

  In the Warring States periods.

4. How many centers of writing brush manufacturing in the history? What are they?

  There were three centers of writing brush manufacturing in the history, Hengshui, Xuanzhou and Huzhou.

Zhao Xiaoyan 赵晓燕

Jingwei Tries to Fill the Sea

Jingwei is a bird in Chinese mythology, who was transformed from Yandi's daughter Nüwa. She is also a goddess in Chinese mythology. The story is recorded in the Shanhaijing:Three thousand ninety li farther southeast, then northeast, stands Departing-Doves Mountain. On its heights are many mulberry trees. There is a bird dwelling here whose form resembles a crow with a patterned head, white beak, and red feet. It is called Jingwei and makes a sound like its name. She is the younger daughter of Yandi named Nüwa. Nüwa was swimming in the Eastern Sea when she was unable to return to shore and drowned. She then transformed into the bird Spirit-Guardian and regularly carries twigs and stones from the Western Mountains to fill up the Eastern Sea. The Zhang River emanates from here and flows eastward into the Yellow River. The story means dogged determination and perseverance in the face of seemingly impossible odds.Based on different research perspectives, people classify the myth into different types of myths. Obviously, the myth is a typical metamorphosis myth, and belongs to the myth of "life after death", that is, the soul is entrusted to a real substance. The woman drowned in the sea and became a bird to carry out the revenge business of reclamation. The myth of “Jingwei Tries to Fill the Sea” expresses the most essential and eternal thing about human beings: the fear of survival, and above all, the eternal and unique spirituality of human beings. These archetypal themes express the cultural consciousness of the ancestors arising from their most basic survival. Survival here is simply a cherishing of life. As a result of this initial instinct to preserve life, the sense of crisis gradually spread to a deeper and broader level in later generations.

The Great Flood of Gun-Yu

The Great Flood of Gun-Yu, also known as the Gun-Yu myth, was a major flood event in ancient China that allegedly continued for at least two generations, which resulted in great population displacements among other disasters, such as storms and famine. People left their homes to live on the high hills and mounts, or nest on the trees. According to mythological and historical sources, it is traditionally dated to the third millennium BCE, or about 2300-2200 BC, during the reign of Emperor Yao. Yu tried a different approach to the project of flood control; which in the end having achieved success, earned Yu renown throughout Chinese history, in which the Gun-Yu Great Flood is commonly referred to as "Great Yu Controls the Waters". Yu's approach seems to have involved an approach more oriented toward drainage and less towards containment with dams and dikes. According to the more fancily embellished versions of the story it was also necessary for him to subdue various supernatural beings as well as recruit the assistance of others, for instance a channel-digging dragon and a giant mud-hauling tortoise (or turtle). In the history of Chinese civilization, the story "the Great Flood of Gun-Yu" played an important role in healing water. In the process of curing water, Yu relied on the concepts of hard work, making the best use of the situation, scientific treatment of water and putting people first, and overcame many difficulties to achieve success. This led to the formation of the spirit of Da Yu's water management, which is based on the concepts of selflessness, national supremacy, people as the foundation of the nation, and scientific innovation. The spirit of the Great Yu is the source and symbol of the Chinese national spirit.

The Legendary of Nian

According to Chinese mythology, a Nian is a beast that lives under the sea or in the mountains. The character nian more usually means "year" or "new year". The earliest written sources that refer to the nian as a creature date to early 20th century. As a result, it is unclear whether the Nian creature is an authentic part of traditional folk mythology or a part of a local oral tradition which was recorded in the early 20th century. Nian is one of the key characters in the Chinese New Year with scholars citing it as the reason behind several practices during the celebration such as wearing red clothing and creating noise from drums and fireworks. Various aspects of cultural practices relating to Chinese New Year are now included as part of the nian legend. Once every year at the beginning of Chinese New Year, the nian comes out of its hiding place to feed, mostly on men and animals. During winter, since food is sparse, he would go to the village. He would eat the crops and sometimes the villagers, mostly children. There are several accounts as to how it looked, such as the way some sources cited that it resembles a flat-face lion with a dog's body and prominent incisor. Other authors described it as larger than an elephant with two long horns and many sharp teeth. The weaknesses of the nian are purported to be a sensitivity to loud noises, fire, and a fear of the color red. The reason why people consider the year as a monster is because the earth and sky bring food and clothing, as well as disasters. Therefore, it is important to start the year with a respect for nature and to pray for blessings through rituals.

Terms and Expressions

Jingwei Tries to Fill the Sea 精卫填海

Yandi 炎帝

Shanhaijing 山海经

Departing-Doves Mountain 发鸠山

Nüwa 女娃

Eastern Sea 东海

the bird Spirit-Guardian 精卫鸟

Zhang River 漳水

The Great Flood of Gun-Yu 鲧禹治水

Emperor Yao 尧帝

Nian 年

new year 新年

Questions

1.Who is Nüwa?

She is the younger daughter of Yandi,then transformed into a bird called Jingwei.

2.What can we learn from the Great Flood of Gun-Yu?

The spirit of Da Yu's water management, which is based on the concepts of selflessness, national supremacy, people as the foundation of the nation, and scientific innovation.

3.What are the customs of Chinese New Year?

Wearing red clothing and creating noise from drums and fireworks. --Zhao Xiaoyan (talk) 14:04, 3 December 2020 (UTC)

Zhou Yiwen 周艺文

Questions

--Zhou Yiwen (talk) 11:42, 9 November 2020 (UTC)

Zhou Yuanqu 周园曲

中国古代选官制度--Zhou Yuanqu (talk) 12:55, 27 November 2020 (UTC)

Zhu Meimei 祝美梅

Ancient Chinese Doors and Windows

In the early age of human existence, the purpose for the construction of buildings was quite clear: to ensure security and ward off the cold. When doors and windows first came into existence, they only had the primary function of ventilation and lighting. Nowadays, the Chinese character for “window” is 窗（chuang），but in ancient times, its was written as 囱（cong），which, both in meaning and pronunciation is the same as the character for “chimney”. This clearly shows that, in ancient times, windows were used for ventilation, at least they were used more for ventilation than for lighting. The traditional Chinese character for “door” is 門（men），composed of two door leaves (hu, 户), originally meaning a door with two leaves. Thus, a door with two door leaves was called a men, and door with one leaf was known as a hu, 牖（you），which is seldom used now, meant a window in the wall, whereas cong was a window in the roof. It is important to acquire this basic knowledge for our understanding of the evolution of doors and windows.

Although no buildings prior to the Qin dynasty have survived, we can imagine how simple they were. Huainanzi. On Mountains contains an illuminative depiction: “When light comes from a crack, a corner is illuminated; when light comes from a window in the wall, the north wall is illuminated; when light comes from the door, all the room is illuminated.” It further comments: “With ten windows fully open, the room is not as bright as when a door is open.” These remarks provide us with plenty of useful information.

First, we know that at that time houses were constructed to face the south, and the direction of doors and windows were consistent with the architectural tradition which lasted thousands of years. Secondly, windows were quite small, to the extent that the area of ten windows was not as big as that of a door. Doors and windows at this time only had basic functions. We can assume that no decoration was applied, and that there were even no window rods. Windows with vertical rods appeared in the Han dynasty, which can only be seen in excavated funeral objects. As elaborate funerals were in fashion in the Han dynasty, construction models as funeral objects have occasionally been unearthed from Han tombs. On these objects ancient doors and windows can be identified. During Han times, paper was not used to cover windows. Although papermaking was invented in the Western Han (206BC-25AD), it was not until hundreds of years later that paper was installed in windows. Historic Records of Later Han (Houhanshu), Biography of Liang Ji describes: “All the windows are covered qi and green suo.” Qi is a kind of fabric that can ward off wind and allow light to enter. Great progress was made in architecture when windows with vertical rods came into existence. First of all, it made it possible to enlarge a window. If windows were not covered, the function of a house to ward off wind and cold would be diminished; if windows were too big, it would be difficult to close and block them up. Windows with vertical rods solved these problems perfectly. In addition, as fabric manufacturing in the Han dynasty was quite developed, windows covered with fabrics were both practical and good-looking.

Windows with vertical rods began to be commonly adopted in Wei adn Jin times. During this period there was a row of windows with vertical rods installed in the enclosed walls of many private residences. In the competition among literati in garden building, the function of doors and windows became sophisticated. Installed between natural scenes and houses, they acted as partitions. Xie Lingyun (385-433), a famous poet and follower of Buddhism, wrote a beautiful couplet in his On the Mountain Cottage, “Ranges of mountains are invited into the door, and mirror-like quiescent water is displayed in front of the window.” To exhibit natural scenes through doors and windows added to the aesthetic function of doors and windows. During the period from the Sui and Tang dynasties to the Song dynasty, doors and windows in constructions gradually matured. From the drawings in the Building Standards, we can see diversified lattice patterns and elaborate carvings in waist panels, showing that a variety of decorative means for doors and windows were in place at that time. However, the style of lattice doors was comparatively simple, with only two types: single-waist-bar type and double-waist-bar type. The “waist bar” was a transversal wood bar inset in the part. Compared with a plank door, this kind of lattice door was better for lighting, more attractive in appearance, and lighter in weight.

In the Song dynasty, windows with vertical rods remained prevalent, while windows with traceries or scroll work were occasionally installed. There were two kinds of lattices used in windows: flat lattice and cuspate lattice.. The cross section of a flat lattice strip was rectangular or square; whereas the cross section of a cuspate lattice strip was a triangle, with an angle pointing outwards and the bottom pointing inwards, so that the indoor side of the lattice could be pasted with paper or fabrics. During the evolutionary development of classical doors, between plank doors and lattice doors there was another kind of door called a “soft door”. A soft door was a frame structure, with a waist bar in the middle, and panels were inset in grooves above and below the bar. The advantage of a soft door was that it was light in weight and resistant to deformation. The soft door is considered to be the predecessor of the lattice door.

Lattice doors in Song times were wide and low, while in the Ming and Qing such doors (renamed “partition doors) became narrower and higher. Two reasons were attributable to such changes. First, horizontal upper windows were seldom installed on top of partition doors in the Ming and Qing. Second, very often in Ming and Qing constructions, partition formed much of the facade of a house, and an increase in the number of such doors could create a more rhythmic effect, which would also make it easier to evenly distribute the doors.

Innumerable doors and windows of the Ming and Qing, either from official buildings or from private residences, have survived today, including all kinds of exquisitely made partition doors and still windows. All the doors and windows illustrated in this book are products of the Ming and Qing dynasties. As the area south of the Yangtze River was prosperous and rich, and possessed a very talented society, doors and windows from this area are especially representative of the talents and adeptness of craftsmen in older times.--Zhumeimei (talk) 01:05, 23 November 2020 (UTC)

Zhu Xu 朱旭

Yuelu Academy--Zhu Xu (talk) 02:29, 5 November 2020 (UTC)

Zou Xinyu 邹鑫雨

Jiaozi(A Paper Currency in Northern Song Dynasty)

Jiaozi(A paper currency in Northern Song Dynasty)

With the development of the exchange of goods, currency emerged. And at very begining, currency was served by certain recognized equivalents, such as seashells. Gradually precious metals like gold and silver took the place of those equivalents as currency. However, when metal currency was used for a long time, it became worn out and worthless. People realized that they could use other things to replace the metal currency in circulation, so paper currency appeared. The earliest paper currency in the world was the "jiaozi" of Chengdu, Sichuan province, during the Northern Song Dynasty. China was the first country in the world to use paper currency.

The Emergence of Jiaozi

The appearance of paper currency in the Northern Song Dynasty was not accidental; it was an inevitable product of socio-political and economic development. With the rapid development of the commodity economy in the Song Dynasty, there was a need for more currency in circulation, but the copper coin was in shortage and couldn't meet the demand in circulation. Iron coin was common in the Sichuan region at the time, and was of low value and heavy weight, making it extremely inconvenient to use. Chengdu was an important economic centre, and the roads to the outside world were extremely rugged, so there was an objective need for a light currency, which is the main reason why paper currency first appeared in Sichuan. Furthermore, although the Northern Song Dynasty was a country of highly centralized feudal dictatorship, the national currency was not uniform and there were several currency zones, each with its own rules, which were not used by the other. In addition, the Song government was frequently attacked by the Liao, Xia and Jin dynasties, and had to issue paper currency to cover its financial deficit. All these reasons led to the creation of the paper currency, "jiaozi".

The Development of Jiaozi

Initially, jiaozi was issued freely by merchants. In the early years of the Northern Song Dynasty, "jiaozi banks" emerged in Chengdu, Sichuan province, for merchants carrying large sums of money who operated a cash deposit business. At this time, jiaozi was only a form of deposit and withdrawal receipt, not currency. With the development of the commodity economy, the use of jiaozi became more and more widespread, and many merchants joined together to set up jiaozi banks specializing in issuing and exchanging jiaozi, and they also opened branch banks in various places. Due to the creditworthiness of the jiaozi bank owners, people could withdraw their money as they came. And the printed designs of jiaozi were too exquisite to be forged, the bank owners began to print jiaozi with a uniform denomination and format, which was issued to the market as a new means of circulation. This kind of jiaozi was already the symbol for minted coins, and really became paper currency. But it had not yet been recognized by the government, and was still issued by private individuals as "private jiaozi". Not all jiaozi banks were law-abiding and trustworthy. During the Jingde reign (1004-1007), Zhang Yong, the governor of Yizhou, reorganized the jiaozi banks, weeding out the outlaws and exclusively let sixteen wealthy merchant run the banks. It was only then that the issuance of jiaozi was recognized by the government. In the first year of the reign of Emperor Renzong of the Song Dynasty (1023), the government set up the Yizhou Jiaozi Affairs Department, with one or two officials as supervisors to preside over the issuance of jiaozi, and set up a paper-copying academy to eliminate currency forgery, strictly enforcing the printing process. This was the earliest paper currency officially issued by the government in China - the "official jiaozi".

The Influence of Jiaozi

The advent of jiaozi facilitated commercial exchanges and made up for the shortage of money in circulation, which is a major achievement in the history of China's currency. In addition, as the earliest paper currency issued in China and even in the world, jiaozi occupies an important position in the history of printing and printmaking, and is of great significance to the study of China's ancient paper currency printing technology, as well as a contribution of China's financial industry to the world.

References

[1] He Shengming.Dictionary of Finance and Economics[M].China Finance and Economics Press,1990.

[2] Paper currency.Modern Chinese Dictionary (7th Edition)[M].The Commercial Press,2016.

[3] Jiaozi.Modern Chinese Dictionary (7th Edition)[M].The Commercial Press,2016.

[4] Li You.Facts of The Song Dynasty[M].The Commercial Press,1935.

[5] Xuan Yanwen.A Brief Analysis of Paper Currency in Song Dynasty-Jiaozi as An Example[D].Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences,2015.

[6] Wang Baoping.On Jiaozi And The Commercial Prosperity of The Song Dynasty[J].Journal of Kaifeng Vocational College of Culture & Art,2010,02:47-50.

Vocabulary List

jiaozi 交子

jiaozi bank 交子铺

private jiaozi 私交

Zhang Yong 张咏

Yizhou 益州

Yizhou Jiaozi Affairs Department 益州交子务

official jiaozi 官交子

Questions

1.What is the earliest paper currency in the world?

2.Why did people in the Northern Song Dynasty give up using iron and copper coins as currency in circulation?

3.How did jiaozi come into being?

4.Which group of people firstly issued jiaozi?

5.When was jiaozi officially issued by the government?

6.What achievements did jiaozi make?

7.What other Chinese paper currency do you know?

--Zou Xinyu2 (talk) 07:51, 11 November 2020 (UTC)Zou Xinyu

Zubareva, Ekaterina

Chinese traditional make up--ZubarevaEkaterina (talk) 15:02, 14 November 2020 (UTC)

I.Base make up

II.Color make up

III.Tang dynasty make up

References

Vocabulary List

Questions